The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking proposals for its Precision Measurement Grant Program (PMGP), which provides funding for innovative measurement research. The program supports experiments to measure physical properties and fundamental constants with high precision.
NIST established the PMGP to advance its mission of developing measurement technologies and scientific data for U.S. industry, commerce, and research. The grants typically fund university-based research projects in areas like gravity measurements, the fine-structure constant, and CPT symmetry testing.
The program aims to enable researchers to pursue new ideas that may be difficult to fund through other sources. PMGP projects can run for up to three years, with funding of $50,000 per year. NIST expects to award up to $100,000 this year to support the first year of two new projects, with additional funding contingent on performance and available funds.
Proposals are evaluated based on the research’s importance, relationship to NIST’s mission, feasibility, and proposer qualifications. The application process includes submitting an abbreviated proposal by February 2, 2012, followed by a full proposal for selected finalists by May 3, 2012. Final selections are expected in August 2012.
Keywords: Precision, Measurement, NIST, Metrology, Funding
