Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP)

The National Science Foundation’s Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP) program funds mid‑scale, interdisciplinary research infrastructure that integrates materials synthesis, processing, characterization, theory, modeling, simulation, and data‑science tools. The third competition (2025) will accept proposals focused on alloys, amorphous, and composite materials; biomaterials and polymers are excluded. Each award supports a “platform” that serves both a user community and in‑house research, fostering collaborative ecosystems, shared data, and rapid material discovery aligned with the Materials Genome Initiative. Up to three awards are anticipated, with total estimated funding of $16 million and individual award ceilings of $30 million. Proposals must be submitted by U.S. higher‑education institutions and led by a senior team of at least three key personnel covering the full materials research spectrum. • Focus areas: alloys, amorphous materials, composites (2025 competition) • Funding mechanism: Cooperative Agreement (RFP) • Estimated total funding: $16 M; award ceiling $30 M, floor $18 M • Number of awards: 3 • Eligibility: U.S. institutions of higher education; PI team of ≥3 senior scientists • Duration: not specified (typical NSF MIP awards run several years) • Submission window: 2026‑10‑09 to 2026‑10‑10 (archived) • Contact: Z. Charles Ying, [email protected], (703) 292‑8428