The Institute for Matter and Systems (IMS) is calling for initiative and program proposals. This is your chance to contribute to our vision of establishing Georgia Tech as the unassailable thought leader in ‘matter and systems,’ and to play a crucial role in the Institute’s growth.

About IMS 

IMS is dedicated to the convergence of innovative materials, devices, and processes. We believe that breakthroughs in these areas will create revolutionary technological and societal systems, driving the future of innovation. Our goal is to leverage Georgia Tech’s talent and resources to pioneer the systems of tomorrow and their foundational components.

The Opportunity 

IMS offers a structured funding program across three tiers: centers, programs, and initiatives. This request for proposals applies only to initiatives and programs.

Research initiatives are flexible, early-stage projects aimed at developing a compelling vision and building interdisciplinary teams through meetings, workshops, and grant writing. They are ideal for researchers exploring new ideas and partnerships. Initiatives may receive up to $10,000 per year in direct funding to refine their vision and form strong teams, preparing them to pursue program-level funding from IMS or external sources.

Research programs programs support previously funded initiatives that have demonstrated success in developing a strong vision and assembling a cohesive, interdisciplinary team and community. Programs are designed to elevate that work to the next level through targeted system building, preliminary demonstrations, enabling infrastructure, team integration, and proposal development that positions the effort for major external support. Each program may receive up to $50,000 per year in direct funding to gather essential preliminary data and submit proposals to external funding agencies.

Successful initiatives and programs are expected not only to advance a technical vision, but to actively build and sustain a research community at Georgia Tech and represent the Institute externally. This includes fostering collaboration across disciplines, creating shared identity and momentum, and positioning Georgia Tech as a visible leader in the proposed area through engagement with external partners, sponsors, and the broader research ecosystem.

For this cycle, IMS is especially interested in initiatives and programs focused on microelectronic systems: ambitious, system-level efforts that bring together sensing, computation, communication, actuation, power, control, and intelligence to enable transformative new capabilities in high-impact application spaces such as wearables, ingestibles, distributed sensing, high-performance and intelligent systems, and operation in extreme or otherwise challenging environments. Competitive proposals should articulate a bold system-level vision, explain why achieving it requires interdisciplinary integration, and identify the transformative impact the effort could deliver.

Proposer’s Lunch

There will be a “Proposer’s Lunch” on Monday, April 13th at 11:30 AM in Petit 1128 (Suddath Room). This informal gathering is a great chance to:

  • Learn more about the funding opportunity
  • Hear examples of previously funded initiatives and programs
  • Get early feedback on your ideas
  • Connect with fellow Georgia Tech colleagues in a relaxed setting

Lunch will be provided to those that RSVP April 9th.

RSVP by April 9

Apply Now

Send applications with the following information as a single PDF via email to Anita Miller no later than May 4, 2026. 

Application for initiatives and programs must include NSF-style biosketch of the leadership team. All application materials for initiatives and programs cannot exceed two pages, exclusive of NSF biosketches. 

Initiative Applicants

Initiative applicants should explicitly answer the following questions in their application:

  1. What is the five-year system-level vision for your research initiative, and what transformative capability or “100x goal” does it seek to enable? What is its potential impact on science, technology, and society? What metrics or milestones would demonstrate meaningful progress toward that vision?
  2. What disciplines, technical building blocks, and forms of integration are required to realize that system, and why does this opportunity require an interdisciplinary effort? Which researchers do you plan to engage, and how will their contributions fit together? What specific mechanisms will you use to ensure this effort becomes more than a loose collaboration, but instead a cohesive and recognized community?
  3. What will the initiative period enable? Describe the specific early-stage activities, preliminary results, team and community formation, integration work, or planning efforts that IMS initiative funding will support, and explain how these activities will position the effort for future growth, external funding, or transition to program-level support.
  4. Why are you suited to lead this initiative? Address your ability to convene teams and build community, drive collaboration across organizational boundaries, and represent the effort internally and externally. Why are IMS—and Georgia Tech more broadly—the right place to pursue this opportunity?
  5. (For initiative renewals) What progress has been made so far, and why is additional funding at the initiative level the most effective next step?

Program Applicants

Program applicants should explicitly answer the following questions in their application: 

  1. What is the three-year goal of your program, and what transformative capability will it unlock? Explain why your team is well positioned to achieve this goal, why it requires interdisciplinary, system-level coordination, and why program-level support is needed to enable progress that would be difficult to achieve through existing funding or traditional external mechanisms alone.
  2. Why is this effort ready for program-level support? Summarize the progress made so far in developing the vision, building the team and community, generating early results, and identifying promising external funding opportunities. If this effort builds on a prior IMS initiative, describe that progression. If not, explain why the effort is sufficiently developed to warrant direct program-level support.
  3. What specific preliminary data, demonstrations, prototypes, or other enabling results do you plan to generate with program funding, and why will they materially strengthen your effort? Explain how these results will reduce risk, validate key aspects of the vision, improve team and community integration, or make the effort more competitive for major external funding.
  4. Which external funding opportunities do you plan to pursue, and why are they promising targets? For one representative opportunity, describe its primary research thrusts and explain how the proposed program will position the team and community to compete successfully.
  5. (For program renewals) What progress has been made so far, and why is additional program-level funding the most effective next step?

Project timeline and reporting

Funding for successful initiatives or programs will be available on July 1, 2026. The total number of newly funded initiatives and programs will depend on the quality of submissions and available funding.

Initiative and program leadership will meet semi-annually with the IMS Deputy Director.

Initiatives and programs will submit a brief report of their progress at the end of each fiscal year. Funding beyond the first fiscal year will depend on progress toward the initiative’s or program’s goals and available funding.

FAQ

Must I have answers to all the above narrative questions?

No. We encourage applications with ideas and connections still under development. Answer each question to the best of your ability and indicate where further work will be needed post-funding.

What does IMS mean by a ‘100x goal’?

IMS is interested in proposals that aim for step-change advances rather than incremental improvements—for example, dramatic gains in performance, robustness, miniaturization, energy efficiency, manufacturability, autonomy, accessibility, or entirely new functionality. Applicants need not prove such gains immediately, but they should articulate a credible path toward a transformative outcome.

Does my initiative have to align with the current IMS research thrusts?

No. For this cycle, IMS is especially interested in proposals focused on integrated microelectronic systems: system-level efforts that bring together sensing, computation, communication, actuation, power, control, and intelligence to enable transformative new capabilities in high-impact application spaces such as wearables, ingestibles, distributed sensing, high-performance and intelligent systems, and operation in extreme or otherwise challenging environments. We welcome efforts spanning a broad range of application spaces, provided they are grounded in a bold system-level vision and a strong case for interdisciplinary integration.

Can current IMS initiatives apply for program funding even if they are not closely aligned with this year’s microelectronics focus?

Yes. Existing initiatives are still welcome to apply for program funding, even if they are less directly aligned with this year’s thematic emphasis. However, such proposals should make a strong case for why program-level support is warranted, including the progress made to date, the strength of the interdisciplinary team and community, and the broader strategic value of the effort to IMS.

If my initiative ideas overlap with an existing IMS center, program, or initiative, how should I address this in my proposal?

Clearly state both the similarities and the distinctions between your initiative and the existing IMS initiative. While some degree of overlap may be unavoidable, it is important to make a strong case for why your initiative merits funding despite these overlaps.

Does my team have to be fully formed upon application?

No. We accept applications from teams of any size, whether you are an individual researcher or already part of a large team and community.

Can a team apply directly to the program level without prior initiative funding?

In exceptional cases, yes. Although programs are generally intended to build on previously funded initiatives, teams with a well-developed vision, demonstrated momentum, and a compelling rationale for immediate program-level support may apply directly. Such proposals should clearly explain why program-level funding is warranted at this stage.

Can faculty and researchers from any Georgia Tech colleges apply to be initiative leads

Yes. We strongly encourage faculty and researchers from the College of Computing, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, College of Design, Scheller College of Business, and the Georgia Tech Research Institute to apply.

Can research faculty be initiative leads?

Yes.

Can my team contain researchers from outside of Georgia Tech?

Yes.

Can I speak with someone about my ideas?

Yes. Contact Michael Filler (mfiller@gatech.edu) at any time with questions or to discuss a potential initiative idea.

There will also be “Proposer’s Lunch” on Monday, April 13th at 11:30 AM in Petit 108 (Suddath Room). This informal gathering is a great chance to:

  • Learn more about the funding opportunity
  • Hear examples of previously funded initiatives and programs
  • Get early feedback on your ideas
  • Connect with fellow Georgia Tech colleagues in a relaxed setting

Lunch will be provided to those that RSVP at this linkby April 9th.
 

Where can I learn more about IMS?

More information about IMS and its existing centers, programs, and initiatives is available on its website.