Materials Innovation Platforms

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, specifically its Division of Materials Research (DMR), is soliciting proposals under its 2025 Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP) competition. Established in 2015, the MIP program aims to significantly accelerate advances in materials research by supporting mid-scale research infrastructure, cutting-edge experimental tools, and collaborative, transdisciplinary teams. This initiative aligns with the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI), striving to double the speed and reduce the cost of discovering, developing, and deploying new materials. The 2025 competition focuses on alloys, amorphous, and composite materials, excluding proposals centered on biomaterials and polymer research. MIP grants support scientific ecosystems that integrate in-house research, user facilities, and robust knowledge-sharing frameworks. These platforms emphasize closed-loop processes among materials synthesis, characterization, and modeling/simulation to enable iterative innovation. Proposals should emphasize convergence across scientific disciplines, user engagement, and data sharing mechanisms. NSF encourages participation from underrepresented and underserved communities in STEM and prioritizes proposals from institutions that support diverse educational populations. The funding opportunity offers cooperative agreements for 6-year projects with budgets ranging from $18 million to $30 million, depending on project scope and justification. While $16 million in funding is anticipated for Fiscal Year 2026, awardees will receive funding annually. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based accredited institutions of higher education, which must submit proposals on behalf of their faculty. Each project must be led by a team of at least three senior personnel with complementary expertise. Organizations and individuals may only participate in one proposal each. Institutions that received a MIP award as a lead in 2019 are ineligible to reapply as lead institutions in this cycle. Proposals must be submitted through Research.gov or Grants.gov by May 15, 2025. No letters of intent or preliminary proposals are required. Submissions must follow the guidelines outlined in the current NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Required components include detailed project descriptions, infrastructure and instrumentation plans, user facility operations, training and outreach strategies, and a comprehensive management plan. Additionally, applicants must email a spreadsheet listing senior/key personnel to mip@nsf.gov immediately after proposal submission. Evaluation of proposals will be based on NSF’s merit review criteria—intellectual merit and broader impacts—along with solicitation-specific criteria assessing knowledge sharing, research integration, infrastructure uniqueness, and user engagement. Proposals will undergo panel and ad hoc reviews, followed by a reverse site visit for finalists. Awards are expected to be announced following this process, subject to availability of funds and satisfactory review outcomes.