NSF DMR: Division of Materials Research Guide

The NSF Division of Materials Research (DMR) is an operational division within the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (NSF MPS) at the U.S. National Science Foundation. DMR finances foundational, curiosity-driven investigations across materials science and engineering. It supports basic research into the synthesis, structure, and properties of matter to underpin technologies in quantum devices, semiconductors, and biomaterials.

What it is and who runs it

The NSF Division of Materials Research (DMR) oversees the federal portfolio for basic materials science across U.S. academic and non-profit institutions. Operating within the NSF MPS Directorate, the division is managed by a Division Director alongside disciplinary Program Directors who administer review panels and award recommendations.

DMR coordinates two main funding streams:

Topical Materials Research Programs: Core individual-investigator and small-team grants supporting eight materials disciplines.
Centers and Facilities: Multi-investigator platforms including NSF MRSEC centers, Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer Our Future (DMREF), Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP), and user facilities like the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab) and Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS).

Eligibility (summary, with the official source)

Eligibility rules for core DMR grants are established by the primary MPS Materials Research Programs solicitation (NSF 26-521). As described on the official page on 2026-11-07, eligible submitters and investigators must satisfy these criteria:

Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Accredited two- and four-year U.S. colleges and universities (including community colleges) acting on behalf of faculty members.
Non-Profit, Non-Academic Organizations: U.S. independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies associated with research activities.
Principal Investigator (PI) Limit: An investigator may serve as PI or Co-PI on only one proposal per fiscal year across all eight core materials programs under NSF 26-521. NSF fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30. Any subsequent proposal listing the same individual as PI or Co-PI within the same fiscal year is returned without review.
Exceptions: The one-proposal restriction does not apply to conference proposals, supplemental funding requests, or exploratory mechanisms (EAGER, RAPID, RAISE), provided the PI obtains prior approval from a cognizant DMR program officer.

What it funds or requires

Core funding under solicitation NSF 26-521 represents an anticipated $100,000,000 annual investment supporting approximately 200 to 300 standard or continuing grants. The solicitation unifies eight core topical programs:

Biomaterials (BMAT): Biological, bioinspired, and synthetic materials interacting with biological systems.
Ceramics (CER): Inorganic glasses, structural ceramics, and carbon-based materials.
Condensed Matter and Materials Theory (CMMT): Theoretical, computational, and data-intensive materials modeling.
Condensed Matter Physics (CMP): Quantum phenomena, superconductivity, and low-temperature physical behavior.
Electronic and Photonic Materials (EPM): Semiconductors, optical media, and quantum information materials.
Metals and Metallic Nanostructures (MMN): Structure-property dynamics in metallic alloys and nanocrystals.
Polymers (POL): Synthesis, macromolecular physics, and assemblies of polymeric systems.
Solid State and Materials Chemistry (SSMC): Exploratory synthesis of inorganic and hybrid solid-state architectures.

Research must be foundational; near-term commercial translation is not required. Mandatory submission requirements include:

Project Distinctness: The Project Description must explicitly document how the proposed research differs from current or pending NSF projects held by the PI.
Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMSP): Every proposal must generate a DMSP via the Research.gov web tool, detailing digital repositories, open code, and metadata alignment with FAIR materials data frameworks and platforms like NOMAD or Materials Data Facility.
Suggested Reviewers: Proposers must upload a Single-Copy Document naming at least four conflict-free reviewers (no collaborators within 48 months or co-editors within 24 months).

Application or compliance steps

Preparing a compliant DMR submission involves six operational steps:

Topical Fit Check: Send a one-page project brief to the cognizant DMR Program Director (e.g., [email protected] or [email protected]) to ensure scope alignment.
Portal Initiation: Initiate the proposal on Research.gov. Multi-institutional collaborative submissions must use Research.gov exclusively.
Project Narrative: Prepare the Project Summary (with explicit Overview, Intellectual Merit, and Broader Impacts sections) and the 15-page Project Description.
Research.gov DMSP Builder: Complete the Data Management and Sharing Plan using the native Research.gov web tool.
Personnel and Single-Copy Uploads: Submit SciENcv biosketches, Current and Pending Support forms, COA tables, and the four suggested reviewers.
Institutional Submission: Route the completed package through your Sponsored Projects Office for Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) sign-off.

Typical timeline phases (no calendar dates as facts)

DMR proposal evaluation follows the standard NSF merit review lifecycle:

Submission (Accepted Anytime): Core programs under NSF 26-521 operate with no fixed deadlines; submissions are accepted year-round.
Administrative Screening (Weeks 1 to 3): Compliance checks confirm margin limits, reviewer lists, DMSP inclusion, and the one-proposal-per-year PI limit.
Peer Review (Months 1 to 4): Proposals undergo ad hoc mail review and panel discussions evaluating Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts.
Program Director Recommendation (Months 4 to 6): The Program Director recommends funding or declination based on peer evaluations and budget availability.
Division Concurrence and Award (Months 5 to 7): DMR leadership concurs, and the Division of Grants and Agreements (DGA) obligates funds.

Common mistakes

Applicants to DMR core programs should avoid several frequent procedural errors:

Exceeding Annual PI Limits: Submitting more than one proposal per fiscal year to the eight core programs, triggering immediate administrative return.
Vague Broader Impacts: Proposing generic educational outreach lacking institutional integration, clear timelines, or assessment metrics.
Missing Distinctness Narrative: Omitting the required text detailing how the scope separates from active NSF grants.
Off-Platform DMSP Preparation: Submitting an externally drafted PDF rather than generating the DMSP via the required Research.gov tool.
Conflicted Reviewers: Listing recent co-authors (within 4 years) or mentors in the suggested reviewers document.
Using Grants.gov for Collaborations: Attempting multi-institutional collaborative submissions on Grants.gov instead of Research.gov.

Related programs (table)

DMR provides multiple funding tracks suited to different team structures and research scopes:

Program / Mechanism	Primary Scope	Typical Structure	Solicitation / Submission Window
Core Topical Programs (TMRP)	Single-investigator and small-team foundational research across 8 core fields.	Standard grants, $100,000–$250,000/year over 3 years.	NSF 26-521 (Accepted anytime).
MRSEC Centers	Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) tackling center-scale materials problems.	Cooperative agreements, $3M–$5M/year for 6 years.	Biennial competition.
DMREF (Materials Genome)	Collaborative teams uniting synthesis, computation, and data science.	Interdisciplinary awards, $1.5M–$2.5M over 3–4 years.	Biennial competition.
Materials Innovation Platforms (MIP)	National user facilities combining staff research with open instrument access.	Mid-scale facilities, up to $25M over 5 years.	Periodic targeted solicitations.
PREM Partnerships	Collaborations between minority-serving institutions and DMR centers.	Institutional development grants, $600,000–$1M/year.	Dedicated PREM solicitation.

FAQ

Does the NSF Division of Materials Research have fixed annual deadlines for core grant proposals?

No. Under solicitation NSF 26-521, proposals to the eight core materials research programs are accepted anytime without fixed annual submission deadlines.

How many proposals can a PI submit to DMR per year?

Investigators may serve as PI or Co-PI on only one proposal per federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30) across all eight core programs under NSF 26-521. Additional submissions during that fiscal year are returned without review.

What are the two core criteria used to evaluate NSF DMR proposals?

DMR proposals are evaluated using the National Science Board merit review criteria: Intellectual Merit (advancing knowledge) and Broader Impacts (societal benefits and broader outcomes).

Can industrial partners participate in DMR projects?

Yes. University researchers can partner with industry colleagues through standard collaborations or the Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) track within core solicitations.

Sources

National Science Foundation (NSF). “NSF 26-521: MPS Materials Research Programs (MPS Materials) Program Solicitation.” August 17, 2026. https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/mps-materials-mps-materials-research-programs/nsf26-521/solicitation (Read 2026-11-07).
National Science Foundation (NSF). “MPS Materials Research.” Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. https://new.nsf.gov/mps/dmr (Read 2026-11-07).
National Science Foundation (NSF). “Biomaterials (BMAT) Funding Opportunity.” https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/bmat-biomaterials (Read 2026-11-07).