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ECosystem for Leading Innovation in Plasma Science and Engineering (ECLIPSE)

Important information about NSF’s implementation of the revised 2 CFR

NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website. These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Supports translational research and workforce development at the interface of fundamental plasma science and technological innovation.

Supports translational research and workforce development at the interface of fundamental plasma science and technological innovation.

Synopsis

Plasma science is a transdisciplinary field of research where fundamental studies in many disciplines, including plasma physics, plasma chemistry, materials science, and space science, come together to advance knowledge for discovery and technological innovation.  The primary goal of the ECosystem for Leading Innovation in Plasma Science and Engineering (ECLIPSE) program is to identify and capitalize on opportunities for bringing fundamental plasma science investigations to bear on problems of societal and technological need within the scope of science and engineering supported by the participating NSF programs.

The ECLIPSE meta-program has been created to foster an inclusive community of scientists and engineers, an ecosystem spanning multiple NSF Directorates, in the pursuit of translational research at the interface of fundamental plasma science and technological innovation.  The ECLIPSE program builds on the long history of NSF leadership in supporting multi-disciplinary research in plasma science and engineering, and is intended to enhance organizational unity within NSF, and potentially with other funding agencies, in considering proposals and supporting projects that may otherwise struggle to find a natural home within the existing hierarchy of Directorates, Divisions, and programs within the Foundation.

Examples of topical areas within the scope of the ECLIPSE program include but are not limited to:

  • Plasma surface interactions, with applications to, e.g., advanced manufacturing, materials processing, and catalysis.
  • Atmospheric pressure plasmas and microplasmas with applications to, e.g., microelectronics, plasma agriculture, environmental remediation, and other clean and decarbonized energy goals enabled by electrification of the chemical industry.
  • Dusty plasmas with applications to, e.g., development of nanomaterials, aerosols, and functionalized surface coatings.
  • Novel sensor development for highly non-equilibrium plasmas with applications to, e.g., cubesat-based geospace measurements and industrial plasma diagnostics.
  • Novel computational modeling for multi-component and/or multi-phase plasma systems with applications to, e.g., space weather prediction and plasma reactor design.
  • Novel studies of plasmons in nano-photonics and nano-optics with applications to, e.g., sub-THz wireless communication and photocatalytic chemical processes.
  • New chemical measurement science for characterizing processes occurring in plasmas and using plasmas as part of measurement systems with applications to, e.g., analysis of environmental contaminants or identification of forensic evidence.
  • Study of fundamental chemical reactions and mechanisms in plasmas with applications to, e.g., novel chemical synthesis.

Proposals submitted for consideration by this program should address societal or technological needs within the scope of science and engineering supported by the National Science Foundation.  Proposals addressing technology development primarily supported by other US government funding agencies are not eligible for consideration and may be returned without review.  Proposers are strongly encouraged to contact the cognizant Program Officers if they are unsure of the suitability of a project to this program.

Proposals submitted for consideration by the ECLIPSE program should satisfy the following criteria:

(1) clearly articulate the fundamental scientific and/or engineering challenge in plasma science and engineering that may be relevant to more than one NSF program; and

(2) provide a substantive discussion of how a resolution of the stated scientific and/or engineering challenge will address specific societal and/or technological needs identified as priorities by the research communities, policymakers and/or other stakeholders. Depending on the nature of the proposal, the latter may be described as the Intellectual Merit or the Broader Impact of the proposed activity.  

The program encourages inclusion of specific efforts to increase the diversity of the ECLIPSE community and to broaden participation of under-represented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as Broader Impacts of proposed work.  The program welcomes proposals from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and institutions in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions, along with collaborations between these institutions.  Proposers are also encouraged to address how the proposed efforts may enhance workforce development towards STEM careers associated with the field of plasma science and engineering.

The ECLIPSE program is not intended to replace existing programs.  A proposal that is requesting consideration within the context of ECLIPSE should begin the title with the identifying acronym "ECLIPSE:" and should be submitted to one of the "Related Programs" listed below. In choosing the most relevant program, proposers are advised to read program descriptions and solicitations carefully and to consult with cognizant Program Officers in advance of proposal preparation. Proposal submissions outside of the scientific scope of the receiving program may be transferred to a different program or may be returned without review. Proposers should ask for consideration and review as an ECLIPSE proposal only if the proposal addresses both of the criteria listed above.  Proposals marked for consideration by the ECLIPSE program that do not address both of these criteria may be returned without review or reviewed within the context of an individual program. Supplement requests to existing awards within a program that address both of the above criteria may also be considered.

Information Sharing with other Funding Agencies

When permitted under an MOU between NSF and another funding agency, NSF may share information from proposals for consideration of joint funding and may invite employees of such organizations to attend merit review panels as observers.

Program contacts

The ECLIPSE program includes the Directorate for Engineering (ENG), including Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET), Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS), and Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI); the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), including Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS); the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), including Division of Chemistry (CHE) and Division of Physics (PHY); the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU), including Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES); and Office of Integrative Activities (OIA).

The Program Officers listed below are the appropriate contacts for the ECLIPSE program within their respective Divisions.

Name Email Phone Organization
Harsha Chelliah
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-7281 ENG/CBET
Kelsey D. Cook
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-7490 MPS/CHE
Khershed P. Cooper
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-7017
Luis A. Cubano
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-7941 EDU/EES
Casonya M. Johnson
eclipse@nsf.gov (703)292-2658 OD/OIA
Richard Johnson
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-9037 MPS/CHE
Rosa Lukaszew
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-8103 ENG/ECCS
Vyacheslav (Slava) Lukin
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-7382 MPS/PHY
Carleitta L. Paige-Anderson
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-2816 EDU/EES
Rohit Ramachandran
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-7258 ENG/CBET
Mangala Sharma
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-4773 GEO/AGS
Catherine Walker
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-7125 ENG/CBET
Jeremiah D. Williams
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-4687 MPS/PHY
Yolander R. Youngblood
eclipse@nsf.gov (703) 292-2757 OD/OIA

Awards made through this program

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