Request for Proposals

ICA funds pre-competitive research focused on creating or enabling potentially large market applications for copper and for which a relatively rapid demonstration and/or development timescale is realistic. In exceptional cases, we support activities to solve copper-related issues for a single company.

Researchers in academia or industry working in either basic or applied research related to copper, and whose work addresses the interests of the copper industry, are encouraged to contact the ICA. We always are willing to review proposals for funding.

Proposals may be either extensions of ongoing research or exploratory research projects. Interdisciplinary research proposals involving collaborators in industry or among various fields are welcome.

Consideration will be given to all proposals in areas that address the current interests of the copper industry, including the following:

- An application-directed project that postulates a new copper application, identifies the breakthrough required, and describes a credible technical approach.

- New copper metal processing techniques that allow any of the following:

- a reduction in the number of processing steps or energy necessary to make an end product

- more effective use of copper in end products

- the addition of complementary properties to copper metals' inherent characteristics in order to expand the range of use

- new or improved joining techniques, or net shape fabrication methods that expand the boundaries of what is possible

Proposers should link any new processing technique to potential copper applications. For example, continuous extrusion of thin-wall copper profiles would be a benefit in heat sink applications.

Interested researchers/developers are encouraged to submit a two- to three-page, non-confidential pre-proposal that includes the following information:

1. Name, address and email of the Principal Investigator (PI)
2. Name and addresses of collaborators
3. Web address where sufficient information about the PI can be found
4. The title of the proposed project
5. A concise description of the basic idea with relevant literature references
6. If the proposal is a continuation of existing research or is a new project
7. Objectives, activities and experimental techniques to be used, as appropriate, including rationale and previous achievements
8. Reasons why the proposed research is likely to lead to increased copper use and the timeframe of this impact
9. Estimated budget

As ICA is a not-for-profit organization, our policy with academic research organizations is that ICA funding should not be used for any institutional overhead expenses. In exceptional situations, ICA may reconsider this policy but under no circumstances will ICA pay more than 10% overhead.