National Science Foundation
Investments for Solar
Photovoltaics in the
Engineering Directorate
Greg Rorrer
Program Director
Energy for Sustainability
Division of Chemical,
Bioengineering, Environmental,
and Transport Systems (CBET)
Engineering Directorate
Carl Wamser, Portland State University
NSF at a Glance (FY 2008)
6.128 FY 2008 Appropriations ($ billions)
4% NSF’s share of total annual federal spending for R&D
44% NSF’s share of nonmedical basic research at academic
institutions
1,900 Colleges, universities, institutions receiving NSF funding
(all 50 states)
11,162 Competitive awards funded (25% success rate)
44,441 Proposals evaluated through competitive merit review process
197,000 People NSF supports directly
(researchers, fellows, trainees, teachers, students)
Source: NSF FY 2010 Highlights
Organizational Structure
Director
Deputy Director
National Science
Board (NSB)
Math &
Phys.Sci
(MPS)
Offices
• Cyberinfrastructure
• Integrative Activities
• International S&E
• Polar Programs
Geosciences
(GEO)
Computer &
Info. Science
& Engineering
(CISE)
Engineering
(ENG)
Social,
Behavioral, &
Econ. Sci.
(SES)
Directorates
Biological
Sciences
(BIO)
Education &
Human
Resources
(EHR)
NSF Research Budget FY 2009
($5.18 billion base, $2.5 billion ARRA)
2000
FY 2009 ARRA
FY 2009 Base
1000
Mathematical & Physical Sci.
Geosciences
Engineering & SBIR
Biological Sciences
Computer, Information Sci. & Eng.
Social, Behavioral & Econ. Sci
MPS
GEO
ENG
BIO
CISE
SBE
44
MPS GEO ENG BIO CISE SBE OPP OIA
199
241
471
240
0
574
656
693
807
500
1256
$ millions
1500
OCI OISE
Office of Polar Programs
Office of Integrative Activities
Office of Cyber Infrastructure
Office of International Sci & Eng.
OPP
OIA
OCI
OISE
Directorate for Engineering
($764.5 million FY 2010)
EFRI
Emerging Frontiers in
Research & Innovation
(multi-disciplinary)
$29 million
Office of the
Assistant Director
(Dr. Tom Peterson)
Deputy Assistant
Director
(Dr. Mike Reischman)
Nanotechnology
Senior Adivisor
(Dr. Mike Rocco)
EEC
CMMI
CBET
ECCS
IIP
Engineering
Education &
Centers
Civil,
Mechanical, &
Manufacturing
Innovation
Chemical,
Bioengineering,
Environmental
&Transport
Systems
Electrical,
Communication,
& Cyber
Systems
Industrial
Innovation &
Partnerships
(SBIR / STTR)
$132 million
$192 million
$160 million
$96 million
$156 million
National Need & Grand Challenge:
Sustainable Production of Energy
Energy & Environment
"So we have a choice to make. We can remain
one of the world's leading importers of foreign
oil, or we can make the investments that would
allow us to become the world's leading
exporter of renewable energy. We can let
climate change continue to go unchecked, or
we can help stop it. We can let the jobs of
tomorrow be created abroad, or we can create
those jobs right here in America and lay the
foundation for lasting prosperity.“
-President Obama, March 19, 2009
White House Issues: Energy & Environment
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/energy-and-environment
National Need & Grand Challenge:
Sustainable Production of Energy
Priority Guidance for NSF
“The National Science Foundation (NSF) should continue to increase emphasis on
innovation in sustainable energy technologies and education as a top priority.”
NSF National Science Board,
Building a Sustainable Energy
Future (2009)
DOE Basic Energy Sciences,
New Science for a Secure &
Sustainable Energy Future (2008)
NSF Support of Solar Photovoltaics:
Major Programs
DMR
CHE
Div. Materials
Research
(Linda Sapochak)
Chemistry
(Carol Bessel)
SBIR
Nanotechnology/
Photovoltaics
(Grace Wang)
NSF
Solar
PV
CMMI
NanoManufacturing
(Shoachen Chen)
ECCS
CBET
Elect, Photonic,
& Device Tech.
(George Maracas)
Energy for
Sustainability
(Greg Rorrer)
NSF Engineering Investments in Solar
Photovoltaic (PV) Materials & Devices
• Direct: solar PV material & device focused research
• Enabling: foundational research with applications to solar PV
CMMI
3.3 7.7
ECCS
8.3
Direct
Enabling
31
8.5
IIP
10.0 5.8
CBET
10.9 5.7
ENG Total
10
Enabling
27
60
37
32.6
0
Direct
8 24
30
40
50
60
Value of awards, 2005-2009 ($mil)
(2005-2009)
20
136
27.7
20
25
0
50
96
100
150
200
250
Number active awards (2005-2009)
NSF Engineering Investments in Solar
Photovoltaic (PV) Materials & Devices
Enabling
Direct
15
10.99
5.69
5
10.53
10
4.32
Total Award Value ($ million)
20
0
2005
2006
2007
Award Year
2008
2009
Total Number of Awards in Solar PV
• Direct: solar PV material & device focused research
• Enabling: foundational research with applications to solar PV
100
Enabling
Direct
80
60
40
20
46
50
2008
2009
24
0
9
7
2005
2006
2007
Award Year
NSF Engineering Investments in Solar
Photovoltaic (PV) Materials & Devices
Innovative integration of
new materials & devices
for 3rd generation PV
Nanostructured semiconductors
• Nanocrystals (Hanrath)
• Nanowires
• Nanotubes (CNT, ZnO etc)
Tobias Hanrath, Cornell University
Light flow manipulation
• Plasmonic structures (Holmes)
• Photonic structures
Russel Holmes, Univ. Minnesota
NSF Engineering Investments in Solar
Photovoltaic (PV) Materials & Devices
Innovative integration of
new materials & devices
for 3rd generation PV
e h
h
NC
O
O PN
O
S
O
• Earth-abundant materials
•
•
•
•
•
(Aydil)
Dye-sensitized solar cells
Organic photovoltaics
Organic-inorganic hybrid
materials (Kagan)
Self-assembled systems
Biomimetic/bioinspired
systems
Cherie R. Kagan
Univ. Pennsylvania
Eray Aydil,
Univ. Minnesota
Up Next
Grace Wang, Program Director
Engineering Directorate
Industrial Innovation & Partnerships, SBIR Program on Nanotechnology
Overview of Photovoltaics Thrusts through
SBIR/STTR Program at NSF
Carol Bessel, Program Director
Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) Directorate
Division of Chemistry
Support of Solar Photovoltaics in the MPS
Directorate at NSF
CBET Energy for Sustainability Program:
Three Current Emphasis Areas
Biomass Conversion,
Biofuels & Bio-Energy
algae
wind
plant biomass
Renewable
Energy Technologies
Wind & Wave
Power
solar
Solar Photovoltaic
Power & Fuels
NSF Support of Academic Science
& Engineering Research (FY 2008)
Computer Science
86
Biology (non NIH)
67
Mathematics
60
Social Sciences
59
Environ. Sci.
52
Engineering
41
Physical Sciences
41
All Sci. & Eng.
21
0
20
40
60
80
% of Total Federal Research Funding
Source: NSF Survey of Federal Funds for Research and Development
100