AFRL/AFOSR-Taiwan NSTC Frontiers in Materials and Nanostructures: AI-Driven Discovery, Quantum Geometry, and Energy-Efficient Information Technologies 2027-2030
🏛 Air Force Office of Scientific Research
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 28, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for US-Taiwan research collaborations in materials, nanostructures, and emerging technologies. Applicants must form paired teams: one investigator from a US institution or Department of Defense lab, and one from a Taiwan institution. Each pair submits a single joint pre-proposal. Teams conduct basic science research over three years in focus areas such as AI-driven discovery, quantum geometry, and energy-efficient information technologies. Open competition; all qualifying US-Taiwan teams welcome to apply.
Eligible US institutions include universities, research centers, and DoD facilities. Taiwan investigators must be affiliated with recognized Taiwan research institutions. The program specifically aims to advance nanoscience and materials research through international collaboration.
Pre-proposals serve as initial applications. Successful teams advance to full proposal stage. Award amounts range from $150,000 to $450,000 over the three-year performance period.
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Program description
This is a special Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement (NOFO) sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), which will hereafter generally be referred to as “we, us, our, or AFOSR.” We announce the solicitation for a three-year program entitled “Frontiers in Materials and Nanostructures: AI-Driven Discovery, Quantum Geometry, and Energy-Efficient Information Technologies.”
The US Air Force-Taiwan Nanoscience Program is one of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research’s (AFOSR) International Research Initiatives. This international program is focused on shaping the direction and advancing the state-of-the-art in nanoscience research. Starting in 2002, grants were provided to Taiwan investigators to focus on basic research in specific nanoscience areas of interest as described by program managers at AFOSR or at the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL). In 2011 the program evolved to become a collaborative effort to pair US and Taiwan investigators to conduct basic science research on topics of common interest. In order to continue to provide opportunities for scientists to collaborate in emerging technology areas and to leverage their intellectual resources, AFOSR and NSTC are offering a new program dedicated to frontiers in materials and nanostructures in a variety of topic areas.
This is an open call with open competition; therefore, all applications are welcome. Initial applications (pre-proposals) must have two investigators – one from a US institution or DoD Lab, and one from a Taiwan institution. Teams consisting of a US investigator and his/her counterpart from Taiwan are invited to submit a joint pre-proposal (white paper) indicating what their collaboration could accomplish with three years of funding. Each US-Taiwan pair is to submit only one pre-proposal. The same pre-proposal is to be submitted to both AFOSR and NSTC. Please see the Eligibility section below for further details.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Applicants should be alert for any amendments that may modify the announcement. Amendments to the original Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will be posted to the Grants.gov Webpage: https://www.grants.gov/.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Pre-proposal/White Paper (initial submission stage)
- Investigator CVs (US and Taiwan investigators)
- Institutional affiliations and contact information
- Research objectives and collaboration plan
- Estimated budget and timeline overview
Program contact
- 👤 Daniel P Smith Procurement Analyst
- 📧 alexander.kamrud.1@us.af.mil
- 📞 703-588-8494
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 12.800 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$702,109,658
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$536,656,761
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$348,044,513
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$142,187,360
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$139,955,119
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$76,955,949
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$61,554,981
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$49,606,438
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$41,621,494
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$41,026,997
Top States by Funding
- CA 17 awards $132.7M
- OH 4 awards $99.2M
- MA 6 awards $63.2M
- TX 4 awards $32.0M
- PA 4 awards $31.2M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
You need a US investigator from a US institution or DoD Lab paired with a Taiwan investigator. Each pair submits one joint application. Both investigators must actively participate in the research collaboration.
What topics does this grant support?
Focus areas include AI-driven discovery in materials, quantum geometry, energy-efficient information technologies, and emerging nanoscience topics. Basic science research is prioritized over applied work.
What is the deadline?
The pre-proposal deadline is February 19, 2027. This is a fixed deadline; late submissions are not accepted. Successful teams will later submit full proposals on a separate timeline.
How much funding can I receive?
Individual awards range from $150,000 to $450,000 over three years. The total program pool is $3.6 million across all awards.
Do I need to provide cost-sharing?
No cost-sharing is required. Your full project budget can be requested from the grant.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Form your US-Taiwan team early. Establish clear research objectives and collaboration plans before drafting the pre-proposal.
- Focus on basic science with genuine two-way collaboration. Avoid proposals where one side is clearly dominant or supporting the other's independent work.
- Align your research topic to AFOSR/NSTC strategic priorities in nanoscience and materials. Reference program focus areas explicitly in your proposal.
- Prepare separate submissions for both AFOSR and NSTC simultaneously. Coordinate language and formatting to meet both agencies' requirements.
- Highlight the intellectual value of the US-Taiwan partnership. Explain what each team brings and why the collaboration advances the science beyond solo efforts.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Submitting without a confirmed Taiwan partner or clarifying collaboration roles upfront. Vague research objectives that don't align with stated AFOSR/NSTC focus areas. Treating the Taiwan investigator as support staff rather than true co-investigator with joint leadership.
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