Advanced and functional materials

Broad materials ideas not covered above, including polymers and soft matter, ceramics, metals and alloys, nanomaterials, coatings and composites.

Who funds this idea

21 calls from 9 funders currently fund work on this idea. Most calls: European Commission (Horizon Europe) (11), NSF (3), Innovate UK (1), FFG – Austrian Research Promotion Agency (1), Brookhaven National Laboratory – CFN (DOE Nanoscale Science Research Center) (1), Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories – CINT (DOE Nanoscale Science Research Center) (1), and 3 other funders.

13 calls for this idea welcome industry or international partners

Open now (15)

Advanced Materials for Miniaturised Energy Harvesting Systems

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 28 Oct 2026 (6 days)

Award: EUR 500,000–4,000,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsenergy & batteriesestablished / PI

National Materials Innovation Programme: CR&D Rd1

UKRI – Innovate UK · United Kingdom

Deadline: 28 Oct 2026 (6 days)

Total budget (all awards): Share of up to £12 million (total competition); award size: see call

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsindustry / SME

FFG Schlüsseltechnologien im produktionsnahen Umfeld 2026 (Advanced Materials, Robotics, Photonics/Quantum)

FFG – Austrian Research Promotion Agency · Austria

Deadline: 28 Jan 2027 (98 days)

Award: EUR 100,000–1,500,000 per cooperative project (max 85%); total budget EUR 10.6M

Checked 16 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PI

Advanced manufacturing for key products (IA) (Made in Europe partnership)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 02 Feb 2027 (103 days)

Award: EUR 6,000,000–8,000,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PIindustry / SME

Automated Scientific Discovery - Materials Science (RAISE pilot) (RIA)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 02 Feb 2027 (103 days)

Award: Up to EUR 9,000,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PI

Circular innovative advanced materials: facilitating the transition from design to markets (RIA) (Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU and Made in Europe partnerships)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 02 Feb 2027 (103 days)

Award: EUR 5,000,000–6,500,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PI

Efficient energy input from renewable sources and energy management in the process industries (IA) (Processes4Planet and Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU partnerships)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 02 Feb 2027 (103 days)

Award: EUR 7,000,000–9,000,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsenergy & batteriesestablished / PIindustry / SME

Fast Track to Innovation for breakthroughs in the Chemical Industry Action Plan (Research and Innovation Action)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 02 Feb 2027 (103 days)

Award: Up to EUR 2,500,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

chemistryestablished / PIindustry / SME

Innovative advanced materials and new production processes – reducing dependencies on Critical and Strategic Raw Materials (IA) (Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU and Processes4Planet partnerships)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 02 Feb 2027 (103 days)

Award: EUR 6,000,000–7,500,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PIindustry / SME

Pilot access schemes to Technology Infrastructures for European startups, scaleups and innovative SMEs (CSA)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Deadline: 02 Feb 2027 (103 days)

Award: EUR 1,500,000–2,500,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PIindustry / SME

DOE Office of Science FY2027 Open Solicitation (incl. Basic Energy Sciences), DE-FOA-0003665

U.S. Department of Energy – Office of Science · United States

Deadline: 30 Sep 2027 (343 days)

Award size: not stated in the listing; see call

Checked 16 Oct 2026

crystallizationmaterialschemistryestablished / PI

Chemical Process Systems (CPS)

U.S. National Science Foundation · United States

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

Award: Varies, see funder

Checked 22 Oct 2026

chemistrymaterialsestablished / PI

Crosscutting Activities in Materials Research

U.S. National Science Foundation · United States

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

Award: Varies, see funder

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PI

MPS Materials Research Programs (MPS Materials)

U.S. National Science Foundation · United States

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

Total budget (all awards): Total program funding $100,000,000; award size: see call

Checked 22 Oct 2026

chemistrymaterialsestablished / PI

Rinn Pharma & Biopharma (ex-SSPC) PhD positions

Rinn Pharma & Biopharma / SSPC · Ireland

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

Award size: not stated in the listing; see call

Checked 16 Oct 2026

pharma processcrystallizationstudent

Opening soon (6)

Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN, Brookhaven) user proposals

Brookhaven National Laboratory – CFN (DOE Nanoscale Science Research Center) · International (US DOE user facility)

Opening soon: opens 01 Jan 2027

Deadline: 31 Jan 2027 (101 days)

Award: Free access to instruments and staff expertise for non-proprietary research (no funding to users)

Checked 16 Oct 2026

materialschemistryearly-careerestablished / PIstudentinstrument / beamtime

Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT, Sandia/Los Alamos) user proposals

Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories – CINT (DOE Nanoscale Science Research Center) · International (US DOE user facility)

Opening soon: opens 01 Mar 2027

Deadline: 31 Mar 2027 (160 days)

Award: Free access to instruments and staff expertise for non-proprietary research (no funding to users)

Checked 16 Oct 2026

materialschemistryearly-careerestablished / PIstudentinstrument / beamtime

Novel approaches towards next-generation battery concepts, leveraging the enabling role of innovative advanced materials (BATT4EU and IAM4EU Partnerships)

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Opening soon: not yet open

Deadline: 14 Apr 2027 (174 days)

Award: Up to EUR 4,800,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

chemistrymaterialsenergy & batteriesestablished / PI

Sustainable aircraft circular design and additive manufacturing, towards a climate neutral aviation

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Opening soon: not yet open

Deadline: 14 Apr 2027 (174 days)

Award: Up to EUR 2,500,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PI

Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS, Oak Ridge) user proposals

Oak Ridge National Laboratory – CNMS (DOE Nanoscale Science Research Center) · International (US DOE user facility)

Opening soon: opens 01 Mar 2027

Deadline: 15 May 2027 (205 days)

Award: Free access to instruments and staff expertise for non-proprietary research (no funding to users)

Checked 16 Oct 2026

materialschemistryearly-careerestablished / PIstudentinstrument / beamtime

Developing novel recycling technologies for complex plastic materials applying biotech solutions

European Commission – Horizon Europe · EU Member States & Horizon Europe associated countries

Opening soon: not yet open

Deadline: 22 Sep 2027 (335 days)

Award: Up to EUR 5,000,000 per project

Checked 22 Oct 2026

materialsestablished / PI

Recently funded work on this idea

77 awards from NSF and NIH in our sample of the last 24 months match this idea. Latest examples:

Award (official page)	Institution	Amount	Start date
DMREF: Accelerated Design and De-risking of Complex Organic Molecular Solid Forms Using New Theoretical and Experimental Methods in a Closed-loop Approach U.S. National Science Foundation · OFFICE OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY AC	University of Iowa	$2,000,000 (estimated total award)	01 Oct 2026
Transition from Soluble to Insoluble Glucose Storage Polymers in Biological Systems U.S. National Science Foundation · Chemistry of Life Processes	Iowa State University	$599,760 (estimated total award)	01 Sep 2026
Center: MRSEC for Advanced Electronic Materials (AEM) U.S. National Science Foundation · MATERIALS RSCH SCI & ENG CENT	Columbia University	$18,000,000 (estimated total award)	01 Sep 2026
Optical Activity Modulation in Helicoidal Crystal Films U.S. National Science Foundation · SOLID STATE & MATERIALS CHEMIS	New York University	$600,000 (estimated total award)	01 Sep 2026