SRC Research Funding Opportunities
SRC manages multiple research programs that vary in funding structure. FCRP and NRI fund research exclusively at the level of large multi-university centers, while GRC funds research in both multi-university and single-university settings.
GRC Funding Opportunities
Current Calls
- Integrated Systems Design (ICSS) - Due: January 25, 2012 - 3PM ET/12PM PT
- Circuit Design (ICSS) - Due: January 25, 2012 - 3PM ET/12PM PT
Archived Calls
View archived calls for GRC white papers.
Anticipated Calls
- Device Sciences (DS) - Compact Modeling - opens June 2012
About GRC Funding Opportunities
As a mission-driven research consortium, GRC funds research to address a member-defined research agenda. GRC addresses the broader agenda of the industry through its core research program, and the specific research agenda of individual members through its custom research program. While selections of core research projects are made by member community representatives familiar with the technical area in focus, selection of custom research projects are made by individual, eligible member companies. Custom research currently comprises about one-fifth of the overall research budget.
GRC may issue a call for white papers; promising projects result in requests for proposal. The typical result of a successful research proposal is a multi-year research contract with an initial 12-month funding term. At the end of the research contract period, researchers may re-compete for new support. Alternatively, GRC may issue a call for grant applications; in this case, successful submissions are funded as grants.
GRC White Papers
A white paper represents the initial step in a process that could result in the awarding of a research contract. Selected white papers will be followed by requests for proposal. Calls for white papers are made by each Science Area as research needs are identified and as funds are available.
The response to the call should briefly address context, rationale, novelty, approach, anticipated results, engagement with industry, student participation, and funding requirements. See the call document for an explanation of these terms and for specific submission instructions.
Selection decisions are made by a review committee comprised of member company advisors and the technical staff.
GRC Research Proposals
Proposals must be submitted online on receipt of an SRC Request for Proposal. Refer to the GRC Proposal Submission Guide. Following the selection of a white paper by the review committee, a Request for Proposal is e-mailed to the researcher with the deadline for submission, a link to online proposal submission, and any proposal-specific instructions. Research proposals provide sufficient information to permit an evaluation of the intended research—its technical merits, innovative approach, and relevance to the GRC research agenda. Research proposals, in turn, are evaluated by a review committee comprised of member company advisors and the technical staff. Selected research proposals are awarded research contracts.
Authors of research proposals may presume general technical knowledge in the field by reviewers, but should not assume that the merits of the proposed research are obvious. The capability of the institution to adequately support the proposed research and the technical expertise of the researchers to conduct this research should be justified.
GRC Grant Applications
GRC provides some funding as grants—unrestricted, non-overhead bearing gifts to universities. Since grants are unrestricted, the grant is given with the condition that it be free of overhead; the intent is to maximize benefit to the recipient. GRC encourages the recipient to use the funds for beneficial purposes to further their research, equip labs, or support students. Calls for grant applications are made by each Science Area as research needs are identified and as funds are available.
Grant application submissions should address context, rationale, novelty, approach, and anticipated results. See the call document for an explanation of these terms and for specific submission instructions.
GRC Funding decisions are made by a review committee comprised of member company advisors and the technical staff.
Intellectual Property
GRC desires to protect intellectual property rights vesting in you and your university emanating from sponsored research. In return for sponsoring research, GRC member companies receive a royalty-free, nonexclusive, worldwide license to intellectual property (including software, copyrights, patents, mask registrations). Universities own and are free to license this intellectual property to companies outside the GRC community to generate revenues. If you have any questions, please contact the SRC Contracts and Intellectual Property Office at 919-941-9400 or send a note.
Background Intellectual Property
Background Intellectual Property (BIP) is defined as patents, patent applications, or computer software of any party that is required to practice the anticipated results of the research. GRC funds University research on the condition that GRC Member companies will have the freedom to practice the results of the research. The existence of BIP of any party can seriously impair or even block the ability of GRC Members to exercise this freedom to practice. Therefore it is important that GRC be informed as early as possible of the extent, if any, that your proposed research requires the use of BIP. If you have any questions, please contact the SRC Contracts and Intellectual Property Office at 919-941-9400 or send a note.
GRC Research Customization Program Proposals
An alternate mechanism for obtaining research funding from GRC is under the Research Customization Program. Member companies are allowed to fund a percentage of their research dollars under this program, which gives them more control over the selection process. Some projects funded under this program were never submitted as white papers and some RCP projects are based on white papers that were rejected under the traditional review process.
Proposals for RCP projects must be submitted online. To initiate this process, contact the Online Proposal Administrator.
FCRP Funding Opportunities
A Focus Center is a team of U.S. universities that conduct exploratory research on silicon-based integrated circuits to address gaps and barriers anticipated in the development of certain technologies, as outlined by the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS). The ITRS is a 15-year projection of the semiconductor industry's technology requirements designed to ensure continued advances in the performance of integrated circuits. The roadmap helps identify future barriers to meeting the industry's requirements and guides R&D investment decisions. All research conducted by Focus Centers will be pre-competitive and use cross-disciplinary, broad-based resources to enhance the transfer of technology from universities to industry. Focus Centers will target long-range research -- eight years and beyond.
FCRP contracts are rebid or renewed every three years. The program is reviewed every year and adjusted, if necessary, to adapt to changes in technology developments. In addition each center conducts annual technology reviews, sponsors provide feedback at these reviews to guide research directions.
Within the current three-year phase of the Program, U.S. university professors who have interest in participating in the research are encouraged to contact one or more of the Center Directors to relay that interest and to discuss the timing of the next call for white papers.
NRI Funding Opportunities
Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond (NEB)
A Joint Activity between NSF and NRI. The National Science Foundation (NSF), through its Directorates for Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and Computer & Information Science & Engineering, together with the semiconductor industry’s Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI) plan to jointly support innovative research and education activities on the topic of Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond (NEB). These activities will be supported as interdisciplinary research team awards.
The goal of this solicitation is to advance the forefront of computation, information processing, sensor technologies, and communications infrastructure beyond the physical and conceptual limitations of current technologies. Continuing evolution of electronics beyond the scaling limits of Moore’s Law will require broad thinking across multiple disciplines. The program is intended to support proposals by interdisciplinary teams of investigators committed to exploring innovative research concepts in nanoelectronics involving fundamental challenges from novel materials, chemistry, and logic devices, to circuit designs and systems architectures, algorithms, and perhaps entirely new paradigms of computation, sensing, and processing of information. Proposals may also address additional challenges arising from increasing functionality through heterogeneous integration of novel devices and technologies. Proposals should discuss effective ways in which education of the workforce and broadening participation are integrated within the proposed research activities.