Materials Innovation Platforms | 19 526

Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP) - NSF (DMR) FAQ

What is the NSF Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP) program?

The NSF Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP) program is a mid-scale infrastructure funding opportunity run through the NSF Division of Materials Research (DMR). Its purpose is to accelerate progress in materials science by building and operating shared, cutting-edge research platforms that function like user facilities.

What is the main goal of a Materials Innovation Platform?

The main goal is to create a shared research platform that can support a broad external user community while also enabling substantial in-house research by the platform team. NSF positions MIPs as a way to address materials research problems that are too complex for isolated labs and require coordinated interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work plus access to advanced capabilities.

What does it mean that MIPs operate like "user facilities"?

In this context, "user facilities" means the platform is structured to serve a broad community beyond the host team. The platform is expected to run an organized external user program that provides community access to specialized capabilities, while the platform's own researchers also conduct significant in-house research.

What kinds of capabilities are MIPs expected to provide?

MIPs are intended to provide access to resources that typically exceed what a single lab can maintain, including advanced instrumentation, specialized fabrication and processing capabilities, and sophisticated computational resources. The platform is described as an integrated scientific ecosystem rather than simply a collection of equipment.

How is the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) related to MIPs?

Alignment with the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) is a central expectation. MGI promotes faster and cheaper development of advanced materials by integrating experimentation and computation in an iterative workflow. MIPs are meant to embody this approach through tightly integrated experimentation, computation, and data practices.

What is a "closed-loop" research cycle in the MIP context?

A "closed-loop" cycle refers to continuously connected workflows linking materials synthesis and processing, materials characterization, and theory/modeling/simulation. Instead of treating these as separate steps, the platform is designed so experimental results inform models, models guide new experiments, and shared infrastructure and coordinated workflows accelerate the iterative process.

Does the solicitation expect the platform to incorporate data science?

Yes. The solicitation emphasizes the growing role of data science in materials research and implies that platforms should include robust approaches to data generation, management, and sharing. It also suggests that machine-learning-driven discovery may be part of the operating model.

Is an MIP mainly an equipment purchase or something broader?

It is broader. NSF describes each MIP as a full scientific ecosystem. That ecosystem includes dedicated in-house researchers, a structured external user program, and additional contributors who together form a community of practice.

What is the expected approach to sharing results and resources?

A key deliverable is knowledge sharing at scale. Users and platform staff are expected to share tools, codes, samples, datasets, and practical know-how so others can reproduce results, build on prior work, and collaborate more effectively.

How does the program relate to education and workforce development?

NSF frames MIPs as enabling new modalities of research and education/training. The platform is expected to function as a hub for workforce development, cross-disciplinary training, and community-building that helps researchers learn new methods and work across traditional boundaries.

What kinds of scientific outcomes is NSF aiming for?

The larger goal is to accelerate discovery and development of new materials and novel materials phenomena or properties, with an eye toward eventual deployment that addresses national needs.

Does the scientific theme stay the same every year?

No. The scientific theme can change from one competition to the next. Proposals are expected to align with the specific focus stated in the relevant solicitation cycle.

Can you give examples of how the theme has changed in past competitions?

Historically, the first competition (2015) focused on new bulk and thin-film crystalline hard materials. The second competition (2019) shifted toward the convergence of materials research with the biological sciences to develop new materials.

What is the funding opportunity number for the opportunity described here?

The funding opportunity number provided is 19-526.

What type of funding instrument is used for this opportunity?

The instrument is a discretionary grant.

What is the funding category and CFDA listing?

The category is Science and Technology/Research and Development. The CFDA number listed is 47.049.

When was this opportunity posted, and what was the closing date?

The original posting date was November 8, 2018, and the original closing date was February 4, 2019.

How many awards was NSF expecting to make?

NSF anticipated making about three awards.

What is the maximum award size (award ceiling) mentioned?

The award ceiling is listed as up to $25,000,000.

What does the large award ceiling suggest about the scale of projects NSF wants?

The ceiling reflects the program intent to support substantial shared infrastructure, facility-like operations, and community user support, rather than typical single-investigator projects.

Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the solicitation's additional eligibility text. This typically indicates applicant types may extend beyond a narrow category and may include institutions capable of operating a national or community-serving research platform.

Where are the detailed eligibility requirements found?

The detailed requirements are referenced as being in the solicitation's "additional eligibility" text.

What role does interdisciplinary collaboration play in an MIP?

It is central. NSF highlights that modern materials challenges often require tightly coordinated interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration, supported by shared infrastructure and coordinated workflows that bring multiple areas of expertise together.

What distinguishes an MIP from an isolated lab-based research project?

MIPs are designed to serve a broader community, integrate multiple parts of the research cycle in a closed-loop workflow, and operate as a coordinated ecosystem with shared tools, data, and know-how. They are intended to create outsized advances by anchoring a community around emerging or high-impact directions.