Chemical and Biological Separations

The Chemical and Biological Separations (CBS) program supports fundamental research on novel methods and materials for separation processes. These processes are central to the chemical, biochemical, materials, energy, and pharmaceutical industries. A fundamental understanding of the interfacial, transport, and thermodynamic behavior of multiphase chemical systems as well as quantitative descriptions of processing characteristics in the process-oriented industries is critical for efficient resource management and effective environmental protection. The program encourages proposals that address emerging research areas and technologies, have a high degree of interdisciplinary thought coupled with knowledge creation, and integrate education and research.Areas of emphasis include separation of biological molecules and separations that lead to environmentally benign processing. Much of the current work involves the investigation of new membrane materials such as novel polymers, zeolites, mixed matrix materials, carbon nanotubes, biological and biomemetic materials, and glasses. Projects on modeling transport processes - - especially at the molecular level - - in membranes are supported by the program. For the hydrogen economy, membranes that selectively transport atomic, molecular, or ionic hydrogen and oxygen are required. Current membrane materials often lack sufficient selectivity to eliminate critical contaminants from the hydrogen stream. Membrane materials to prevent fuel crossover in fuel cells are also being sought. Adsorption on materials ranging from hydrogels to micas is being studied. New processes for drinking water purification rely on the development of new materials for membranes and adsorbents, which are supported by CBS.Research topics in CBS include fundamental molecular-level work on: * Biochemical separations and purification processes * Microporous and novel molecular-recognition adsorbents * Self-assembly in the synthesis of adsorbents and membranes * Nanostructured materials for separations * Fuel-cell membranes * Biorenewable resource separation processes * Biomimetic materials for separations * Chiral separations * Separations for environmentally benign processing * Novel polymeric and ceramic membranes * Hybrid separation processes * Control and separation of organic crystalline materials * Separations using ionic liquids * Purification of drinking water * Membranes for ion-selective sensors * Adsorption and chromatography * Field (flow, magnetic, electrical) induced separations * Separation of molecular constituents from blood * Thermodynamics and transport simulations for the design of separation processes * Combinatorial design of separation systems * Rational ligand design for separationsThe duration of unsolicited awards is generally one to three years. The average annual award size for the program is $80,000. Small equipment proposals of less than $100,000 will also be considered and may be submitted during these windows. Any proposal received outside the announced dates will be returned without review.The duration of CAREER awards is five years. The submission deadline for Engineering CAREER proposals is in July every year. Please see the following URL for more information: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08051/nsf08051.jsp.Proposals for Conferences, Workshops, and Supplements may be submitted at any time, but must be discussed with the program director before submission.Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) and EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) replace the SGER program. Please note that proposals of these types must be discussed with the program director before submission. Further details are available in the PAPPG download, available below. Please refer to the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), January 2009, (NSF 09-1) when you prepare your proposal.