NSF Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC)

Please provide the following:

1. PI – Name, department, and contact information
2. Co-PIs – Name, department, and institution
3. Participating Institutions
4. Project title 

Eligible Sub-Fields: The PFC program supports all sub-fields of physics within the purview of the Division of Physics:

• Atomic
• Molecular
• Optical
• Plasma
• Elementary Particle
• Nuclear
• Particle Astrophysics
• Gravitational
• Biological Physics

Questions should be sent to [email protected]

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RFP:  https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2019/nsf19578/nsf19578.htm

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For a list of current limited submission programs please visit:https://research.columbia.edu/content/limitedsubmissions#text-6028

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Program Synopsis: The Physics Frontiers Centers (PFC) program supports university-based centers and institutes where the collective efforts of a larger group can enable transformational advances. The program aims to foster major breakthroughs at the intellectual frontiers of physics: 

• by providing needed resources such as combinations of talents, skills, disciplines, and/or specialized infrastructure, not usually available to individual investigators or small groups,
• in an environment in which the collective efforts of the larger group can be shown to be seminal to promoting significant progress in the science and the education of students.

The program supports all sub-fields of physics within the purview of the Division of Physics: atomic, molecular, optical, plasma, elementary particle, nuclear, particle astro-, gravitational, and biological physics. It will also consider Interdisciplinary projects at the interface between these physics areas and other disciplines and physics sub-fields, although the bulk of the effort must fall within one of those areas listed above.

The successful PFC activity will demonstrate:

1. the potential for a profound advance in physics;
2. creative, substantive activities aimed at enhancing education, diversity, and public outreach;
3. potential for broader impacts, e.g., impacts on other field(s) and benefits to society;
4. a synergy or value-added rationale that justifies a center- or institute-like approach.

The NSF anticipates making 3 to 5 awards ranging in size between $1.0 million/year and $5.0 million/year for five years, with an option for a one-year extension, contingent on satisfactory review, during which the PFC is eligible to apply for renewal.

PFC Characteristics: The Principal Investigators should tailor a PFC-supported unit are  to most effectively address the chosen physics goals. Therefore, every unit will differ. Some may be centers; others may be institutes. Some may be stand-alone efforts; others may be intellectually-connected parts of a larger unit. Whatever the type of organization, the PFC-supported unit will have some or all of the following characteristics of successful units of similar size and complexity in physics and other fields. In no particular order, these are:

1. combine talent, skills, or facilities required for a major advance in physics;
2. combine groups, departments, institutions, etc. required to make a major advance in physics;
3. provide critical mass or specialized infrastructure needed for an advance by the unit, and often the broader field;
4. provide the context and/or organization to bring together leaders and students to initiate work in a promising new area, a new interdisciplinary field, an important application, or a new facility of strategic importance to physics; 
5. foster field-wide exploration of frontier research within the community at large;
6. make available specialized infrastructure to others; and
7. create innovative projects to promote education, the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in science, and public outreach using the center as a focal point