This
is an example of our most recent Call for Proposals
The Call closed on May 2, 2008
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, 2008
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 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.
Attention: The CNMS
Proposal Form has been significantly revised
in order to accelerate the review and approval
process. Older versions of the proposal
form will not be accepted in this
review cycle.
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| Macromolecular
Nanomaterials |
| |
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
capability:
Rheology
and mechanical analysis of polymers and composites |
Catalytic Nanosystems |
| |
Synthesis
and characterization of inorganic and hybrid nanomaterials
with emphasis on catalytic performance for energy applications.
Highlighted
capabilities:
Computerized microactivity high-pressure catalytic reactor
In situ x-ray diffraction
Nano-zetameter with high-temperature capability |
Functional Hybrid Nanostructures |
| |
Laser,
chemical, and CVD synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials including
carbon nanotubes, nanoscale oxide heterostructures, and related
structures; tunable (including ultrafast) laser spectroscopy
of nanostructures with high spatial resolution.
Highlighted
capabilities:
Optoelectronic
characterization of nanomaterials and composites (AC Impedance,
I-V, and UV-VIS-NIR)
Ultrafast (40 fs) tunable pump-probe laser spectroscopy
Tunable microRaman spectroscopy
|
Scanning Probes & Nanoscale Physics |
| |
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,
LEED, RHEED, and XPS
Ambient and liquid
force-based scanning probes with electrical and electromechanical
spectroscopies including SS-PFM
|
Electron Microscopy, Neutron and X-ray Scattering |
| |
Evolution
of atomic-level and nanoscale structure and dynamics with
varying environments and nano-manipulation.
Highlighted
capabilities:
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 |
Nanomaterials Theory Institute |
| |
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 ab initio electronic structure
calculations
|
Bio-Inspired
Nanomaterials |
| |
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 |
Nanofabrication
Research Laboratory |
| |
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
Process Design |
| |
| 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 selected beamlines
at both the Spallation Neutron Source and the High
Flux Isotope Reactor in 2007. The CNMS offers or
is developing 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
2, 2008.
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, 2008 through July 31,
2009.
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 Coordinator, Dr.
Tony Haynes.
 Go
to Instructions for Submitting
a Proposal
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