SCIART

The NSF recently announced awards for a new program: Chemistry and Materials Research at the Interface between Science and Art or SCIART.

This program is co-sponsored with the Andrew W. Mellon foundation to “to enhance opportunities for collaborative activities between conservation scientists and chemists and materials scientists to address grand challenges in the field of science of cultural heritage.”

The original call for proposals focused on four areas:

a) develop new and improved analytical techniques and instruments with high sensitivity and spatial resolution (large and small scale) for restricted volume and/or standoff detection of component materials, degradation products and deterioration markers and which are suitable for non-destructive analysis of cultural heritage objects; b) study dynamic changes leading to degradation of cultural heritage objects; c) design new multi-functional treatment materials for cultural heritage objects; d) develop new theoretical models to predict dynamic processes in cultural heritage objects that lead to their degradation while taking into account their molecular and materials properties and their surface and bulk interactions with environmental perimeters.

While many of these topics may focus on conservation, several of these directions will also aid in many regions of archaeological science, specifically in chemical analysis and materials science. I am particularly interested to see the results of new instrumentation and understanding dynamic changes in materials. The complete list of the awards is listed here.

NSF Archaeometry program - approaching deadline

Archaeometry Awards

Target date: October 31

The Archaeology Program recognizes three broad classes of archaeometric proposals: (1) proposals to support laboratories which provide archaeometric services; (2) proposals to develop and refine archaeometric techniques; (3) proposals to apply existing analytic techniques to specific bodies of archaeological materials. "Laboratory support" and "technique development" projects are included within the Archaeometry competition. "Technique application" proposals are best evaluated in a more strictly archaeological context and therefore should be submitted to the "senior" research competition.

More info at the program web site.

NSF Archaeometry grant to Cal State Long Beach

Carl Lipo's blog, Evolution Beach, reports on success at landing a grant from the NSF Archaeometry program.

This proposal, submitted by Hector Neff, Greg Holk (Geology) and Lipo provides funding for instrument upgrades, student support, and collaborative research support. The funding includes:

• A Bruker Portable XRF spectrometer for chemical analysis.


• A Costech ECS 4010 CHNSO Analyzer for isotopic analysis.


• Subsidized research for collaborative archaeological projects. To be eligible for the subsidized rate, researchers will have to submit a CV and 3 – 5 page miniproposal describing the project and sampling design.


• Visiting research program to support those who want to come to CSULB to conduct research involving highly innovative applications of LA-TOF-ICP-MS, and projects that innovatively use the isotope-rate mass spectrometer, the XRF or combine LA-TOF-ICP-MS with SEM/EDX/WDX.

Congratulations, Carl and colleagues! You've earned the respect of Prospector Pete.