By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : August 25, 2026 3:27 pm
NSF MONET has focused on decoded the non-linear mechanics of these networks
The NSF Center for the Chemistry of Molecularly Optimized Networks (NSF MONET) has secured $19.8 million in funding over five years from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Awarded via the Centers for Chemical Innovation program, this investment supports large-scale, multi-year team efforts tackling major hurdles in fundamental chemistry. NSF MONET will focus its research on polymer networks, which are the long, repeating molecular structures found in diverse materials like wood, tires, and plastics.
NSF first provided seed funding to NSF MONET in 2018 and later scaled it up in 2021. With the new five-year investment from NSF, MONET will continue to advance its pioneering work on complex networks of polymer molecules.
"From life-saving medicines to the rubber in your vehicle's tires, everyday life is powered by chemistry research," says NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate Head Tie Luo. "Polymer networks are a promising frontier, and this NSF Center for Chemical Innovation will help uncover how they work and reveal new ways to strengthen America's economy and quality of life through foundational science."
The dynamic, entangled nature of molecular chains makes predicting polymer network properties exceptionally difficult. To address this challenge, NSF MONET has focused on decoded the non-linear mechanics of these networks. In June, the center published research demonstrating that the impact resistance of common polymers can be enhanced by strategically embedding lower-energy bonds. This structural modification allows the network to absorb and dissipate mechanical energy via controlled bond dissociation, minimizing catastrophic material failure.
NSF's investment will support research at eight institutions of higher education across seven states. NSF MONET will also educate and provide specialized training for more than 30 students and early-career researchers, as part of NSF's mission to support and grow the U.S. scientific workforce.
The NSF Centers for Chemical Innovation have collectively produced thousands of new findings and innovations, from AI-based systems that accelerate the speed of chemical discoveries to modifying the building blocks of proteins to achieve useful properties for drug development and biomaterials.
NSF has invested in 15 Centers for Chemical Innovation since the program's inception in 2007. Six such centers are currently supported by NSF.