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Nanotechnology (N)

A finished sample from Branch Technology LLC of a complex shape 3-D printed like nature.

Technology topic

Nanotechnology (N)

The Nanotechnology topic addresses the creation and manipulation of functional materials, devices and systems with novel properties that are achieved through the control of matter at a submicroscopic scale (from a fraction of nanometer to about 100 nanometers). This includes, but is not limited to, innovative hierarchical nanostructures, nanolayered structures, nanowires, nanotubes, quantum dots, nanoparticles, nanofibers and other nanomaterials and biomaterials and their composite structures.

Sub-Topics

N1. Nanomanufacturing





Application process for Nanotechnology (N) funding

Eligibility for Nanotechnology (N) funding +
  • Your company must be a small business (fewer than 500 employees) located in the United States.
  • At least 50% of your company’s equity must be owned by U.S. citizens or permanent residents. NSF does not fund companies that are majority-owned by multiple venture capital firms, private equity firms, or hedge funds, to participate in SBIR and STTR.
  • All funded work, including work done by consultants and contractors, needs to take place in the United States.
  • The project’s principal investigator (tech lead) must be legally employed at least 20 hours a week by the company seeking funding. The principal investigator doesn’t need any advanced degrees.
  • The principal investigator needs to commit to at least one month (173 hours) of work on a funded project per six months of project duration.

Evaluation Criteria: What We Look for When Evaluating Nanotechnology (N) proposals +

Take our project assessment to see if your work might be a good fit for NSF funding.

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