Project Grant 2619545
- The National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded a $522,673 Project Grant to the University of Chicago from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2024. The grant supports research titled "Optically-Controlled Neuromodulation with Silicon Carbide-Based Nanostructures" under the NSF Engineering program (CFDA 47.041). The grant aims to develop optically-controlled neuromodulation technologies using silicon carbide...
- Federal Project Grant Award Summary Massachusetts Institute of Technology received a $325,000 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), effective August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2028. This collaborative research initiative will develop 3D-integrated micro-photometer chips designed to advance in vivo deep-brain fluorescence imaging for neuroscience research. The...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems awarded the University of California, San Diego $500,000 on October 1, 2026, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to develop nature-inspired, three-dimensionally architected photonic surfaces that leverage light to nondestructively map structural properties of biological fibrous tissue onto a quantitative color response. The photonic surfaces, drawing inspiration from structural color mechanisms found...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry awarded the University of Illinois $600,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to develop a multifunctional nanoscale electrochemical scanning probe platform for measuring real-time neurotransmitter secretion at living cells. The project integrates nanoelectrochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, and electrophysiology to investigate cell-to-cell communication at nanometer resolution, with...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded the University of Illinois $574,042 on August 15, 2026, to develop plasmonic nano-assemblies with fluorescent nanodiamonds and photonic metamaterial enhancement for spectroscopic detection of biomolecules, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041). The project will fabricate hybrid nanoassemblies composed of metal nanoparticles and nanodiamonds coupled with photonic crystals to...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded the University of Illinois $395,787 on May 1, 2026, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to interrogate the fundamental mechanisms of mechanical neuromodulation at the nanoscale. The research will develop a laboratory tool that applies highly controlled mechanical forces to specific regions of individual neurons and monitors their response in real time, using light to...
- Summary The National Science Foundation's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) awarded a five-year CAREER Project Grant of $583,679 to the University of California, Davis, effective May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2030. The award funds development of a novel microscopy system called Correlative, Simultaneous Microscopy of Optical Signatures (COSMOS) designed to enable non-invasive, concurrent imaging of fluorescence, second harmonic generation (SHG), and quantitative phase signals from a single...
- The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded $430,109 to The Regents of the University of California, operating Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, on June 1, 2026, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) to develop deeply subwavelength near infrared imaging technology using avalanching nanoparticles. The project addresses fundamental limitations of live-cell optical microscopy by creating avalanching nanoparticles (ANPs) that upconvert incident...
- The National Science Foundation Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences awarded the University of California, Berkeley $951,106 on June 1, 2026, under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) to investigate how microtubule-associated proteins regulate kinesin motor proteins in intracellular transport. The research combines structural biology, biophysics, and protein engineering to determine how specific microtubule-associated proteins (tau, MAP7, MAP9, and doublecortin) control...
- The National Science Foundation awarded a $400,236 Project Grant to the University of California, Davis under the Engineering (47.041) federal grant program. The five-year award will support the development of a portable nanosensor for the ultrasensitive optical detection of airborne agents. Key deliverables include the creation of a novel sensor featuring nanomaterials that can be activated with light to selectively capture and detect volatile organic compounds. The sensor is designed for...
The National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded the University of California, Berkeley $648,730 on July 15, 2026, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to develop single-chirality neurochemical probes for simultaneous imaging of neuromodulators in living neurons. The project will engineer fluorescent nanosensors based on single-chirality carbon nanotubes and integrate them with custom near-infrared microscopes to image dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin release at synaptic scales. The research team will first create separate monochromatic sensors with distinct emission profiles, then integrate these into a multi-channel microscope capable of real-time acquisition. Using this platform, the project will quantify neuromodulator release and reuptake kinetics in primary neurons and observe crosstalk patterns in engineered neural tissues. The near-infrared imaging approach provides improved tissue transparency compared to conventional imaging methods. The award supports research performed at Berkeley, California, from July 15, 2026, through June 30, 2029. Educational and outreach activities for K-12 students, undergraduates, and local public schools will accompany the research, with hands-on programs focused on optics and neuroscience designed to increase public understanding of brain health and neurotechnology.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $648.7k | 7/17/26 |