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Prior
to its next scheduled proposal call, the CNMS will
accept only Rapid Access proposals for limited access
to
conduct time-sensitive research. Read more..
This
is an example of our most recent Call for Proposals
The Call closed on May 1, 2009
Call
for User Proposals: High-Impact Nanoscience Research
Center for Nanophase
Materials Sciences
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Successful
applicants will be able to use CNMS facilities
starting August 1, 2009
The
Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at Oak
Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is soliciting
proposals for user-initiated nanoscience research that
will make effective use of CNMS facilities and staff
expertise. The CNMS nanoscience research program provides
users with access to a broad range of capabilities
for nanomaterials design, synthesis, characterization,
and theory/modeling/simulation in order to carry out
studies
that will significantly
advance our understanding of nanoscale phenomena and
develop functional nanomaterials systems. Access is
provided at no cost to users, for research that is
in the public domain and intended for publication in
the open literature.
Scientifically
high-impact proposals are sought that take advantage
of any of the CNMS research capabilities listed below.
In particular, prospective users are encouraged to submit
proposals that utilize and exploit synergies of research
capabilities in two or more of the areas listed below,
and proposers of experimental nanoscience research are
encouraged to request theory/modeling/simulation collaborations
as appropriate.
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| Macromolecular
Nanomaterials |
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Synthesis
and molecular level characterization of organic and hybrid
nanophase materials and interfaces, including polymers and
biologically inspired systems; deuterated molecules and polymers
for neutron scattering studies.
Highlighted
capabilities:
Rheology
Controlled free-radical polymerization
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Multiscale Functionality |
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Synthesis and characterization of inorganic and hybrid nanomaterials including carbon and oxide nanostructures, and catalytic nanomaterials and systems; Advanced characterization of nanoscale functionality by spectroscopy, scattering, and reaction methods.
Highlighted
capabilities:
Computerized microactivity high-pressure catalytic reactor
In situ x-ray diffraction
Controlled atmosphere dual glove box evaporator system for
wet/dry assembly of
organic/inorganic/metal multilayered heterostructures
Calibrated OLED efficiency measurement
Photomodulated AC Impedance Spectroscopy
Ultrafast (40 fs) tunable pump-probe laser spectroscopy
Operando FTIR and in situ tunable micro- / macro-Raman spectroscopy
A pair of nanomanipulators installed in the CNMS FEG-SEM specimen chamber provides
new
capabilities for in situ interaction, mechanical and electrical sample characterization
with
10 nm precision
Access to a JEOL 2200FS-AC aberration-corrected electron microscope (ACEM) for
the analysis
of nanostructured materials
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Scanning Probes |
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Advanced
scanning probe capabilities to study the effects of reduced
and experimentally variable dimensionality; magnetism, transport,
and ferroelectricity in nanostructured materials.
Highlighted
capabilities:
Scanning
Electron Microscope with Polarization Analysis (SEMPA), used
to characterize magnetic
domain structures under external magnetic
field.
PLD growth of ultrathin
oxides with in situ characterization by variable temperature
AFM, STM,
PFM, LEED, RHEED, and XPS
Ambient and liquid
force-based scanning probes with electrical and electromechanical
spectroscopies including Band Excitation and Switching Spectroscopy
PFM
NanoTA: ambient scanning probes-based technique for local thermal analysis of
materials.
This technique creates maps of phase transition temperatures (for example glass
transition
for polymeric materials) and temperature-dependent mechanical properties of the
materials
Magnetic property measurement system
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Nanomaterials Theory Institute |
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Integrated
support for experimental research; development of theoretical
and computational nanoscience methods to address Grand Challenges
of quantum correlations and transport in nanostructures,
multi-scale modeling, nanomaterials design, and virtual synthesis;
user-proposed Nanoscience
Focused User Laboratories (NanoFocULs) aimed at development
and dissemination of community-based methods/codes for user-initiated
research.
Highlighted
capability:
Support for large-scale molecular
dynamics and ab initio electronic structure calculations
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Nanofabrication
Research Laboratory |
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10,000-ft2 cleanroom environment for nanoscale patterning, nanomaterials processing, and development of controlled synthesis and directed assembly methods; functional integration of soft and hard materials.
Highlighted
capabilities:
E-beam
lithography (20-nm linewidth)
Dual-beam SEM/FIB with Raith lithography
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Bio-Inspired Nanomaterials |
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Full
capabilities to manipulate and image hydrated biological
samples; synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanofiber
arrays; integration of engineered nanomaterials with biological
systems.
Highlighted
capabilities:
Biocompatible
AFM-based lithography, e.g., patterning of SAMS on substrates
Multimodality
(AFM, confocal, epifluorescence, etc.) live-cell imaging,
with special emphasis on
imaging cell-nanomaterial interfaces
and stochastic processes in cells |
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| The CNMS website provides detailed descriptions of specific CNMS
Research Capabilities that are offered to users, and
this list of capabilities is duplicated in checklist form
on the downloadable CNMS
User Proposal Form. Prospective
users are invited and strongly encouraged to contact CNMS
staff members in the respective research areas to discuss
their proposal ideas and learn more about the specific
capabilities of interest to them.
Design
and Synthesis of Materials for NEUTRON SCATTERING.
The CNMS can assist its users in developing
separate proposals to use the new neutron scattering
facilities at ORNL through the ORNL Neutron
Science Program http://neutrons.ornl.gov/neutron_science/,
which began providing access to beamlines
at both the Spallation Neutron Source and the High
Flux Isotope Reactor in 2007. The CNMS offers two
types of sample design and synthesis capabilities
to encourage forefront neutron scattering
investigations:
- Organic
and polymer synthesis capabilities are available
to prepare deuterated small molecules, monomers,
and polymers for neutron scattering studies.
- The
CNMS offers design and synthesis capabilities
for
multilayered oxide heterostructures grown with
atomic-layer control, and is soliciting user proposals
to explore growth methods and provide samples sufficiently
thick for fundamental neutron scattering investigations
of the origins of cooperative phenomena in artificial
crystals.
The deadline
for submission of user research
proposals is May
1, 2009.
Please review the Guidelines for Submission
of a CNMS User Research
Proposal (below) and the Instructions
for Submitting a Proposal. Approved projects
will be granted access to CNMS facilities during
the period August 1, 2009 through July
31, 2010.
The CNMS also encourages the nanoscience
community to participate in and/or
propose topics for the CNMS Computational
Nanoscience Focused User Laboratories (NanoFocULs), which are
intended to make available and rapidly develop powerful community-based
software and methods for user-initiated research projects.
The CNMS is a highly collaborative national user research
facility dedicated to the synthesis, characterization,
theory/modeling/simulation,
and design of nanoscale materials, and their integration into functional
systems. The CNMS cannot provide direct research funding to users.
Guidelines
for Submission of a CNMS User Research Proposal
- Content:
Each user proposal must describe clearly and
specifically which part of the work is to be
done using CNMS facilities: What CNMS tools and
expertise will be needed to carry out which steps
and on what timeline? Each user proposal must
also clearly define the expected outcomes from
the CNMS component: What are the targets or milestones
that the CNMS contribution must meet in order
for the overall research project to succeed?
Please keep in mind that you are proposing a
specific user project; describe the overall research
program only so far as is necessary to establish
the context and impact of the user proposal.
- Priority
must be given to proposals that lie within current
CNMS Capabilities.
Proposals that require capabilities from more than one area are encouraged, as are requests for theory/modeling/simulation support for experimental projects.
- Proposals
will be reviewed by selected members of the CNMS
Proposal Review Committee (according to subject
area) using evaluation criteria proposed by the
IUPAP in its recommendations on the operation
of user facilities. Please see the DOE NSRC Evaluation
Criteria and Process and Evaluation
Criteria for CNMS Research Proposals.
- Prospective
users are encouraged to contact one of the staff
members listed for each set of related research
capabilities
to discuss the suitability of any particular
CNMS capability for the proposed research. General
questions about the proposal process can be directed
to the CNMS User Program Manager, Dr.
Tony Haynes.
 Go
to Instructions for Submitting
a Proposal
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