External Funding Opportunities
***Limited Submission***
NIH / National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Program: Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) (R25 — Education Projects
NOFO #: PAR-22-220
Synopsis: Supports institutions by providing the resources to support and provide research experiences and courses for skills development to research-oriented postbaccalaureate participants from diverse backgrounds who upon completion of a one-year research education program are likely to successfully transition into and complete rigorous research-focused doctoral degree programs (e.g., Ph.D. or M.D. / Ph.D.) in biomedical fields relevant to the NIGMS mission This NOFO is intended to enable the development and implementation of evidence-informed approaches to biomedical research education and mentoring to enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce. Program activities should build upon the strengths and assets of PREP participants and should not reflect deficit-models (i.e., those that focus primarily on remediation of perceived weaknesses) of career development.
Award details: Maximum budget request is $400K for direct cost for a maximum project period of 5 years.
USC Internal Announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/par-22-220/
External announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-22-220.html
USC Internal due date: July 29, 2024.
External due date: January 31, 2025.
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***Limited Submission***
NSF / Most Directorates (including BIO, GEO, MPS, STEM, TIP, SBE and others)
Program: Eddie Bernice Johnson Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) Initiative
Solicitation #: NSF 22-622
Synopsis: Supports projects that: a) contribute rigorous research to the knowledge base about broadening participation in STEM and b) motivate and accelerate collaborative efforts to advance equity, sustain systemic change, and demonstrably broaden participation in STEM, especially in STEM fields that lack diversity. Researchers and practitioners with experience and expertise in institutions committed to broadening participation are strongly encouraged to consider this opportunity. Proposals must align with the four INCLUDES key principles: (1) broadening participation in STEM, (2) enabling sustainable change in systems, (3) scaling up outcomes in ways that advance equity, and (4) building collaborative infrastructure. These key principles should be integrated throughout proposals and should align with the proposed activities.
Award details: $5.5M funding for 10-15 across all project categories each year.
USC Internal Announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/nsf-22-622-2/
External announcement on website: https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/nsfs-eddie-bernice-johnson-inclusion-across-nation/nsf22-622/solicitation
USC Internal due date: August 2, 2024
External due dates: Network Connectors: October 22, 2024; Design and Development Launch Pilots and Collaborative Change Consortia: October 22, 2024; Alliances: Fourth Tuesday in October 2025 and every other year, thereafter.
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Pen America
Program: 2025 Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children’s and Young Adult Novelists
Synopsis: Supports writers of children’s or young adult fiction for a novel-in-progress, and whose work is of high literary caliber and assists a writer at a crucial moment in their career to complete their novel. The novel in progress must not be published before April 2025. Candidates must have published one or more novels for children or young adults that have been warmly received by literary critics, but have not generated significant sales. The author of the winning manuscript, selected blindly by judges unaware of nominees’ names.
Award details: $5K
Announcement on website: https://pen.submittable.com/submit/289101/2025-pen-phyllis-naylor-grant-for-childrens-and-young-adult-novelists
Submission due date: August 1, 2024.
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Corning Museum of Glass
Program: David Whitehouse Research Residential Artists
Synopsis: Supports scholars who are interested in taking a deep dive into glass topics to further their knowledge or to provide research for a project to utilize the Museum’s resources, including the permanent collections and the holdings of the Rakow Research Library, to inform their research. The David Whitehouse Research Residency for Artists is not a glassmaking residency; no provisions are made for artists to create work at The Studio. The residency is named after David Whitehouse, a highly regarded scholar who worked to build the resources of the Rakow Library and was a major supporter of artists working in glass.
Award details: Transportation and room and board are provided for awardees for the 3-week residency that may be scheduled any time during the year.
Announcement on website: https://people.cmog.org/david-whitehouse-research-residency-artists
Submission due date: August 31, 2024.
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Conference on College Composition & Communication (CCCC)
Program: 2024-2025 Emergent Researcher Awards
Synopsis: Supports early-career researchers for topics that advance the mission of CCCC, including (partial)
- Research that produces knowledge about language, literacy, communication, rhetoric and the teaching assessment, and technologies of writing at the postsecondary level and beyond;
- Social, racial, and linguistic justice and counterstory as research method and genre approaches to instruction in rhetoric, language, and literacy;
- Historiography
Researchers that have not received previous funding from CCCC for research are eligible to apply. Especially encouraged to apply are researchers who have not had the opportunity to engage in funded research, and those who do not have research funding from their institution. Applicants must have CCCC membership at the time of proposal submission.
Award details: $5K
Announcement on website: https://cccc.ncte.org/cccc/awards/emergent-research
Proposal due date: September 1, 2024.
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American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)
Program: 2024-2025 Fellowship and Grant Competitions
Synopsis: Supports research across all fields of the humanities and interpretive social sciences. ACLS is now accepting applications for fellowship and grant programs with September, October, and early November deadlines. Other programs, including The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies, ACLS Digital Justice Grants, and the Luce / ACLS Program in China Studies, will begin accepting applications in the coming months. ACLS offers fellowships for categories of interested scholars including postdoctoral, faculty, and dissertation fellowships. For the purposes of this posting in the Weekly, we are referring to the ACLS fellowships across the humanities and interpretative social sciences and across the spectrum of postdoctoral scholars in all career stages. We will announce other ACLS funding opportunities in coming weeks.
Award details: $60K for six to twelve months devoted to full-time research and / or writing, to be initiated between July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026, and to be completed by December 31, 2026. Six months of the fellowship tenure must be consecutive, but any remainder of the fellow’s award term can be taken separately at a later date within the eligible award window.
Announcement on website: 2024-2025 Fellowships and Competitions
Application due date: September 25, 2024.
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The American Geographical Society (AGS)
Program: Scholar-Internship Program (for undergraduate and graduate students)
Synopsis: Supports undergraduate and graduate students interested in spreading geographical awareness through blogging, social media, and mapping. Interns have the opportunity to become involved with many of AGS’s unique Initiatives, developing real-world experience in geographic and geospatial areas and strengthening their skills. Undergraduate and graduate students who are currently enrolled in an accredited program and have maintained a grade point average of at least 3.2 are eligible to apply. Students work remotely from anywhere in the U.S. During the Spring and Fall semesters, the internship runs for 15 weeks, with 15 hours per week. The Summer internship runs for 12 weeks with 35 hours per week.
Award details: Upon completion of the internship, students will be awarded a scholarship.
Announcement on website: https://americangeo.org/initiatives/student-scholar-internship/
Application due date: AGS is currently accepting applications for Fall 2024.
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International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG)
Program: Research on Mental Health Problem Comorbidities with Gambling Disorder
Synopsis: Supports research to advance understanding of the role that comorbidity (substance use, mood, anxiety, and personality disorders) plays in the etiology of problem gambling symptoms, progression to gambling disorder, access to treatment, treatment utilization and types of recovery from the disorder (whether natural or treated). The ICRG is open to proposals addressing these and other issues concerning the comorbidity of gambling disorder with other mental disorders.
Award details: $75K plus up to 25% of direct cost for F&A costs per year for 2 years. Total grant for 2 years may not exceed $187.5K.
Announcement on website: https://www.icrg.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/RFA-Mental-Health-Comorbidities-and-Gambling_FINAL-1.pdf
Application due date: August 15, 2024.
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Internet Society Foundation
Program: The Building Opportunities / Leveraging Technologies
BOLT Grant Program
Synopsis: Supports teams of creatives, technologists, researchers, and social/cultural workers to design and build prototypes and pilots that will bring into reality innovative solutions to Internet connectivity particularly among communities where current technologies are unavailable or not readily accessible. Teams’ focus areas ought to be on building technical and social innovations related to Internet connectivity that strive to be:
- Cost-reducing
- Environmentally sustainable
- Trust-enhancing
- Relevant to users and community
- Imagining and engaging in experimentation and play
- Accessible
Award details: Awards are $300K for projects that are up to 18 months duration.
Announcement on website: https://www.isocfoundation.org/grant-programme/bolt-grant-program/
Application due date: August 6, 2024.
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Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Program: Career Awards at the Scientific Interface
Synopsis: Supports the early career development of researchers who are transitioning from training environments in the physical, mathematical, computational sciences and / or engineering into postdoctoral work in the biological sciences, and who are dedicated to pursuing a career in academic research. The award is to bridge advanced postdoctoral training and the first three years of faculty service. These awards are open to U.S. and Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents.
Award details: $560K over 5 years.
Announcement on website: https://www.bwfund.org/funding-opportunities/interfaces-in-science/career-awards-at-the-scientific-interface/
Application due date: September 4, 2024.
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Simons Foundation
Program: SFARI — Supplement to Enhance Equity and Diversity (SEED)
Synopsis: Supports existing grants for the recruitment of new lab members from American underrepresented minority groups at the postdoctoral level. The goal of the award was to increase diversity and fight inequity. For the purposes of the supplement, eligible groups included the following: African American/Black; Latin American/Hispanic; Native American/Alaskan Native; Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander (including Filipino). PIs must have at least 18 months remaining on a current SFARI grant.
Award details: PIs may request up to $100K per year for up to three years. Supplement covers the full salary and fringe benefits of the selected postdoctoral research associate, travel and other professional development opportunities for the postdoc, and the associated indirect costs. Funds may also be used to purchase additional lab supplies needed to accommodate the research plan but are limited to $10K per year.
Announcement on website: https://www.sfari.org/grant/sfari-seed-rfa?tab=rfa
Application due date: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all supplements have been awarded.
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National Endowment for the Humanities
Program: Spotlight on Humanities in Higher Education
Synopsis: Supports the exploration and development of small projects that would benefit underserved populations through the teaching and study of the humanities at small and medium-sized colleges and universities. The program supports activities including but not limited to curricular or program development, expert consultations, speakers’ series, student research, creation of teaching resources, and community engagement. Projects may benefit students, faculty, the institution or organization, and / or the community.
Award details: $25K for one-year Exploration projects, $60K for two-year Development projects
Announcement on website: https://www.neh.gov/program/spotlight-humanities-higher-education
Next due date (anticipated): October 1, 2024.
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National Endowment for the Arts
Program: Translation Project Fellowships
Synopsis: Supports projects for the translation of specific works of prose, poetry, or drama from other languages into English. The work to be translated should be of interest for its literary excellence and merit. translation projects that feature languages, perspectives, and writers that are not well represented in English, as well as work that has not previously been translated into English are encouraged.
Award details: Grants range from $10K to $25K as determined by the NEA.
Announcement on website: https://www.arts.gov/grants/translation-project-fellowships
Application due date: January 16, 2025. Project commences anytime between January 1, 2026 and January 1, 2027 and may extend up to 2 years.
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National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
Program: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF)
Grants.gov Opportunity #: O-NIJ-2024-172214
Synopsis: Supports two American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) Fellows at NIJ. The AAAS STPF Fellow, as mutually agreed, will be assigned responsibilities across NIJ’s science offices depending on the interests of the science offices and the interests of the Fellows. Regardless of placement, the Fellows will have the opportunity to work across offices. The Fellows will have opportunities to engage in a range of science (including social and behavioral science), technology, engineering, and mathematics research development and evaluation projects.
Award details: $315K for one year.
Announcement on website: https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/o-nij-2024-172214.pdf
Step-1 Application grants.gov due date: July 24, 2024.
Step-2 Application JustGrants due date: July 31, 2024.
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Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) — Information Innovation Office
Program: Intelligent Generation of Tools for Security (INGOTS)
Funding Opportunity Number – HR001124S0033
Synopsis: Supports projects that will advance the state of the art in the field of vulnerability research for modern complex systems by developing novel techniques and technologies (1) related to the creation, modification, modeling, and analysis of exploit chains, and (2) on the use of exploit chains as tools for establishing system-centric assessments of security posture. The following three technical areas (TA) are intended address the unique challenges posed by advancing the state of the art in the creation and application of exploit chains
- TA1 – Exploit Chain Synthesis and Automation will center on topics surrounding the synthesis of exploit chains from their component exploits and primitives and will explore issues related to the formalization of exploit chain theory, the identification and characterization of exploits and primitives, and the automation of chain synthesis.
- TA2 – Exploit Chain Modeling and Analysis will address the modeling and analysis of exploit chains and the systems they impact, exploring both the context and interdependencies defined within exploit chains, as well as in their relationship to a given system, and answer questions related to scale and mutability.
- TA3 – Test, Evaluation, and Integration will establish the necessary infrastructure to conduct the test and evaluation of TA1/TA2 capabilities in support of this goal and will help guide program research through creation of hackathon challenge problems.
Award details: Procurement contract or other transaction for prototype will fund multiple awards for up to a 36-month project period in 12-month phases.
Announcement on website: INGOTS
Abstract due date (required): July 18, 2024.
Full proposal due date: August 27, 2024.
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Department of Energy (DoE) – Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy ARPA-E
Program: Technologies to Emend and Obviate Synthetic Nitrogen’s Toll on Emissions (TEOSYNTE)
Funding Opportunity #. DE-FOA-0003405
Synopsis: Supports plant and microbial bio-design strategies that lower the application of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer on corn and sorghum fields while maintaining crop yields and reducing 50% of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Lowering the requirements of synthetic N fertilizer will also lower costs to farmers, as the cost of fertilizer is a significant portion of the operating expenses of a farm. This program will enable technologies to reduce N fertilizer consumption and N2O emissions. These technologies will transform agriculture and lower the N2O contribution to the carbon intensity (CI) of ethanol produced today for light duty vehicles and in the future for sustainable aviation fuel. The TEOSYNTE program is comprised of three main technical categories of interest (A, B, and C) for a reduction of N application and N2O emissions reduction
- Category A: Crop breeding and genetic engineering approaches that alter plant physiology or plant architecture to reduce the requirement of applied N or to prevent N loss to the environment.
- Category B: Microbial approaches to increase the delivery of N to plants.
- Category C: Systemic approaches to facilitate delivery of N by designed interactions between plant and microbe.
Award details: Federal share of awards may vary between $1M to $10M.
Announcement on website: Technologies to Emend and Obviate Synthetic Nitrogen’s Toll on Emissions (TEOSYNTE)
Concept paper due date: August 13, 2024.
Full application due date: TBD
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Department of Energy (DoE) — Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy ARPA-E)
Program: Nuclear Energy Waste Transmutation Optimized Now (NEWTON)
Funding Opportunity #: DE-FOA-003418
Synopsis: Supports the research and development of technologies that enable the transmutation of used nuclear fuel (UNF) to alleviate the impact of storage in permanent disposal facilities. This NEWTON program seeks to fund the development of novel technologies that increase the overall capacity factor, power output, and efficiency of particle generation systems (including but not limited to proton, neutron, and / or photon), by reducing beam trip magnitude and duration (referred to as loss of beam). Additional technologies will focus on increasing the throughput of transmutation by developing target materials that maximize transmutation rates and are easily processable to remove the transmuted material. The NEWTON program seeks to enable the economic viability of transmutation at a scale that will significantly reduce the mass, volume, activity, and effective half-life of the existing stockpile of commercial UNF to be disposed of in a geological repository. There are 3 categories of interest
- Category A — Improved efficiency and reliability of particle generation and acceleration;
- Category B — Transmutation Targets;
- Category C — Capability Teams will provide support to Category A and B performers on integration of designed components into systems.
Award details: Federal share will range from $1M to $10M. $40M program funds anticipated to be available.
Announcement on website: NEWTON
Concept paper due date (required): August 16, 2024.
Full applications due date (invited / encouraged): TBD
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Department of Defense (DoD) / Defense Health Program
Program: Academy of Kidney Cancer Investigators – Early-Career Scholar Award
Funding Opportunity Number: HT942524KCRPAKCIECSA
Synopsis: Supports early-career investigators (< 5 years from last postdoc position) with funding, networking and collaborative opportunities, and research experience necessary to develop and sustain a successful, independent career at the forefront of kidney cancer research. This award also provides support and protected time for the ECS for intensive research under the guidance of a Designated Mentor experienced in kidney cancer research. Each awardee and Designated Mentor will join the existing Academy of Kidney Cancer Investigators (AKCI), a virtual research capacity building and research mentoring platform that consists of Early-Career Scholar (ECS) / Designated Mentor pairs from different institutions and an Academy Leadership Team.
Proposals should include preliminary data and investigators must select a disease subtype, including Wilms tumor, Angiomyolipoma, von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) associated with kidney cancer, as well as other subtypes listed in the solicitation. Also, Each investigator ought to address at least one focus area described in the solicitation 3 of which we note here (partial)
- Conduct basic biology research to better understand etiology and cancer progression, metastatic disease, refractory disease and therapeutic resistance, genetic and environmental risk factors, and the prevention of kidney cancer.
- Identify and implement strategies to mitigate health disparities, such as access to health care,
social and cultural factors, environmental factors, and biological contributors.
- Increase capacity and multi-disciplinary research through support and development of the next generation of kidney cancer researchers to improve patient care.
Award details: The maximum award is $725K for direct costs for 4 years. The maximum allowable funding for the Designated Mentor and the Other Mentor is $30K per year in direct costs.
Announcement on website: AKCI
Letter of Intent due date: September 24, 2024
Application due date: October 21, 2024.
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NSF / Across Most Directorates (including BIO, GEO, MPS, STEM, TIP, SBE and others)
Program: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
Solicitation #: 24-591
Synopsis: Supports and recognizes outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. The GRFP provides three years of support over a five-year fellowship period for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. NSF actively encourages submission of applications from the full spectrum of diverse talent that society has to offer which includes underrepresented and under-served communities. Among the list of eligibility criteria, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; have completed no more than one academic year (according to institution's academic calendar) while enrolled in a graduate degree program (non-degree coursework must be clearly identified in the transcript and does not count toward this limit); and intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in a research-based Master's or doctoral degree program in an eligible Field of Study in STEM or STEM education. Please consult the solicitation for full list of requirements.
Award details: Awards are $53K each year to the GRFP institution to cover the Fellow stipend and Cost of Education allowance for each NSF Graduate Research Fellow "on tenure" at the institution.
Announcement on website: GRFP
Application due dates: Chemistry, Geosciences, Mathematics and Physical Sciences and Physics and Astronomy: October 15, 2024; Life Sciences: October 16, 2024; Engineering: October 17, 2024; Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Materials Research; Psychology; Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, STEM Education and Learning: October 18, 2024. Please Note: Applications must be submitted by the prospective Fellow.
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NIH / National Institute of Mental Health
Program: Genetic Architecture of Mental Health Disorders in Ancestrally Diverse Populations
NOFO #: PAR-24-240
Synopsis: Supports coordinated efforts to accelerate gene discovery for psychiatric disorders in cohorts of non-European ancestry to ultimately advance the goal of global mental health equity. Projects should apply cutting-edge genome-wide approaches and incorporate clinical assessments, including structured clinical interviews (e.g., Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM] [SCID], Diagnostic Interview for Genetics Studies [DIGS], Family Interview for Genetic Studies [FIGS]), and other phenotypic instruments as appropriate. Specifically, the next phase of the Ancestral Populations Network (APN-2) seeks to expand the previous APN-1 phase scientific accomplishments, by supporting studies that (i) aim to further enhance and broaden previous supported genomic and phenotypic characterization of non-European ancestry populations worldwide (including both US and non-US based), (ii) propose studies that aim to diversify previously supported NIMH genomics discovery efforts, by targeting new, non-European populations, with broader inclusion of psychiatric disorders and phenotypes of relevance to serious mental illnesses, and/or (iii) propose novel genome-wide characterization by technologies or analytical pipelines not used previously in APN-1.
Award details: Requested budgets must reflect the actual needs and costs of a maximum 5-year project. Caveat: Applicants requesting $500K or more in direct costs in any year must contact a Scientific/Research Contact at least 6 weeks before submitting the application and follow the Policy on the Acceptance for Review of Unsolicited Applications that Request $500K or More in Direct Costs as described in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-24-240.html
Application due dates: Multiple due dates through 2026. Next due date is October 11, 2024.
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Corporate and Foundation Relations
(if interested, please contact Kerri Bennett at <kerriben@usc.edu>)
Amcor
Program: AI / ML model development for packaging design
Synopsis: Supports projects to develop an AI model that automates the packaging design. While Amcor has a database of successful preform designs and their corresponding container outcomes, this valuable data has not been utilized to streamline or enhance the design process automatically.
Award details: Provides funding for model development. Final funding amounts to be discussed at the appropriate stage of engagement.
Announcement on website: AI / ML model development for packaging design
Proposal due date: July 31, 2024.
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BASF
Program: Processes for pigment separation from recycled thermoplastic polyurethane
Synopsis: Supports a scalable, ideally continuous process that can efficiently separate different inorganic and organic pigments and dye components from a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix. This process should also maintain the basic macroscopic properties of TPU, such as tensile strength and resistance to abrasion. Solutions of interest include (1) A high throughput separation process, specific for dyes and pigments; and (2) A high throughput separation process, with minimum environmental impact.
Award details: Funding is proposal dependent, but an accepted proposal could expect support in the range of $20,000 - $100,000 (milestone dependent) with the potential for follow-on funding.
Announcement on website: Pigment separation process
Proposal due date: July 31, 2024.
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BASF
Program: High throughput screening for testing adhesion of adhesives or coatings
Synopsis: Supports the development of an innovative fast adhesion screening test capable of evaluating the adhesion properties of 20-50 samples daily, that would allow efficient screening of a large number of model recipes, advancing our understanding of the factors that influence adhesion in specific applications. Innovative testing technology or a combination of methods that can evaluate adhesion for adhesives and coatings
Award details: Funding for partners would depend on the technical readiness level, “exclusivity”, and the general terms of the collaboration.
Announcement on website: High throughput screening for testing adhesion of adhesives or coatings
Application due date: July 31, 2024.
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