CEM Announces New Proto-IRG Seed Grants

The Center for Emergent Materials (CEM) at the Ohio State University 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. Awards will be up to $100,000 in direct costs per Proto-IRG per year.

The CEM, an NSF-funded MRSEC (Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers), is currently comprised of two Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs). 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).

The 2010 Seed Funding proposals are due April 30 with selected teams invited to make 30-minute presentations to the Executive Committee of the CEM in mid-August, 2010. The anticipated start date is 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.

ENCOMM will present an open workshop exploring what makes a successful IRG in early February in the Physics Research Building . Details will be posted as they become available.  UPDATE: This Workshop is scheduled for FEBRUARY 19th, 4-5pm, Room 4138 Physics Research Building, 191 West Woodruff Avenue.

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.


The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) at the Ohio State University (OSU), titled Center for Emergent Materials (CEM), performs integrated research on emergent materials and phenomena in magnetoelectronics. The aim of the CEM is to lay down the scientific foundation for building future spin- and oxide-based electronic devices that can perform multiple functions, and energy-efficient, fast computers that have integrated memory and logic.