Seed Funding Program
CEM announces a new direction for the Seed Funding Program: Proto-IRG (Interdisciplinary Research Group) Seed Grants
The CEM is pleased to announce an exciting new direction for the Seed Funding Program: Proto-IRG Seed Grants. These awards are designed to support research by small interdisciplinary groups of 3 to 4 principal investigators (PIs) with the explicit intention of incubating the next generation of full IRGs (constituting 6-10 PIs) within 2 years. The idea behind incubating Proto-IRGs at this stage is to stimulate interdisciplinary research with the potential to develop into full-scale (IRGs) at the time of renewal of the CEM (June 2013). Awards will be up to $100,000 in direct costs per Proto-IRG per year with an initial funding period of 12 months and an anticipated start date of September 1, 2010.
Although not required for proto-IRGs, a strong synergy between experimental and theoretical components is essential for full IRGs. Applicants are encouraged to review the most recent MRSEC call from the NSF for further details as to what is expected of a fully developed IRG. An open workshop exploring what makes a successful IRG will be hosted by the CEM in early spring 2010. In Winter 2013 the CEM will hold an internal competition to downselect a total of 4 to 5 IRGs that will form the CEM renewal proposal to NSF. This competition will be open to all OSU faculty independent of participation in this Seed Program.
Written proposals for the 2010 Seed Program are due 5:00 PM, Friday, April 30, 2010. Selected teams shall be asked to make 30-minute presentations to the Executive Committee of the CEM in mid-August, 2010. Successful Proto-IRGs can be renewed on a yearly basis until the OSU MRSEC renewal, and will be expected to participate actively in further team building and CEM activities.
For more information please download the full announcement. Potential applicants may contact the Seed Board Co-Chairs Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin (ejh@mps.ohio-state.edu, 614-247-4074) or Fengyuan Yang (fyyang@mps.ohio-state.edu, 614-688-4390) for questions related to potential research activities.
Seed Funding Program Board
Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics
Fengyuan Yang, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics
Michael Mills, Taine G. McDougal Professor of Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Michael Paulaitis, Ohio Eminent Scholar, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
H. Lee Mosbacker, Chief Technology Officer, Traycer Diagnostic Systems (External Member)
Robert J. Davis, Director, Nanotech West Laboratories
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