Project Grant DESC0026521

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry awarded the University of California, Los Angeles $600,001 on February 15, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to conduct experimental and theoretical investigations of organic reaction rates and mechanisms. Professor Kendall N. Houk and his team will use quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics computer calculations to understand factors controlling chemical reactivity, explore detailed reaction...

This three-year Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemistry, totaling $413,144, supports collaborative research between Columbia University and Utah State University on surface-specific aerosol chemistry. The researchers will apply unique laboratory methods—surface-specific sum frequency generation and highly-sensitive hyperRaman scattering—together with gas-particle chemical kinetics studies, to characterize processes unique to aerosol surfaces. They will...

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded the University of Rochester $482,077 on May 1, 2026, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to develop mechanistic understanding and design principles for thermally coupling tandem catalytic reactions to reduce external heating requirements in industrial chemical manufacturing. The research will investigate thermal coupling at micro- and nanoscale using photoluminescent...

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry awarded the University of Notre Dame $580,000 on September 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to support Professor Emily Tsui's research on the surface chemistry of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals. Tsui's team will characterize oxidation and reduction reactions at metal chalcogenide semiconductor nanocrystal surfaces using solution-phase infrared and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to...

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry awarded $692,909 to the University of Maryland, College Park on March 1, 2026, under the Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods Program to develop theoretical methods for simulating chemical reactions catalyzed by transition-metal surfaces. Dr. Hong-Zhou Ye and his research group will integrate advances in quantum chemistry theory and software development to create computational tools capable of reliably predicting catalytic...

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry awarded Brigham Young University $475,422 on August 15, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to develop fundamental theories about how atomic momentum controls pathways and product selectivity in transition metal-oxo chemical reactions. Professor Daniel Ess of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is using quasi-classical ab initio molecular dynamics trajectories combined with quantum mechanical...

Under this $575,000 Project Grant awarded September 1, 2025, by the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemistry (Mathematical and Physical Sciences program, CFDA 47.049), Professor Haimei Zheng at the University of California, Berkeley will conduct fundamental research on copper-based bimetallic nanocatalysts for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (CO2RR). The primary deliverable is the development and validation of in-situ operando electrochemical liquid cell transmission electron...

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded the Regents of the University of California at Riverside $456,986 on September 1, 2026, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to develop a grand-potential framework for multiscale modeling of thermocatalytic reactions. The research will integrate first-principles calculations with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to overcome limitations in modeling gas-phase...

The National Science Foundation Division of Materials Research awarded Stony Brook University (through its parent entity The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York) $566,556 on September 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to uncover reaction pathways in solution-phase materials synthesis. The project, led by Dr. Karena Chapman and her research group, combines time-lapse optical imaging, X-ray measurements, and custom reactors to...

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry awarded Rice University $204,888 on July 15, 2026, under the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site program to operate a ten-week summer research program in chemical nanoscience for ten undergraduate students annually from 2027 through 2029 in Houston, Texas. The program, titled Research and Leadership Enabling Advanced Discoveries (RLEAD) in Chemical Nanoscience, places participants in collaborative research projects spanning...