Browse grants
Federal opportunities with plain-English eligibility summaries. We aggregate public records — always verify the details on the funder’s site before applying.
Geospace Cluster
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Geospace Cluster (GC) in the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) supports fundamental and solutions-oriented research, technology development and education related to the Earth's near-space environment (including the mesosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, exosphere, magnetosphere and radiation belts) and the inner heliosphere and solar atmosphere. The GC advances knowledge of the Sun--Earth system, including how various parts of the system are coupled through dynamical, electrodynamical and chemical processes. The GC supports research on the societal impacts of these processes including space weather and upper atmosphere climate change, with the aim of increasing resilience to such natural hazards. The GC supports research that uses ground-based or space-based observational facilities and instruments as well as data centers and a broad range of theoretical, modeling, observational, data analyses and laboratory activities. General research topics that are supported by the GC include, but are not limited to: Aeronomy, including studies of wave dynamics, ionization, recombination, chemical reaction, photo emission and transport of energy and momentum within and between the mesosphere, thermosphere and ionosphere of the Earth; how this global system is coupled to the stratosphere below and magnetosphere above; and the plasma physics of phenomena manifested in the coupled ionosphere-magnetosphere system. Magnetospheric physics, including studies of the magnetosphere, or the cavity carved out of the solar wind by the Earth's magnetic field, its energization by the solar wind and population by solar and ionospheric sources; waves and instabilities in such natural plasmas; the origin of planetary electric fields; the origin of geomagnetic storms and substorms; and the coupling among the radiation belts, magnetosphere, ionosphere and atmosphere. Solar-terrestrial physics, including how energy generation and eruptive processes occur in the solar atmosphere and how energy and momentum are transported within the Sun-Earth system; solar dynamo, solar activity cycle and magnetic flux emergence; eruptive activity including solar flares and coronal mass ejections; solar wind heating, solar energetic particles and interactions with cosmic rays; solar wind/magnetosphere boundary; and helioseismology. Space weather and space climate, including solar or terrestrial drivers of space weather; observations and modeling of the integrative geospace system that could lead to better predictive capabilities of the time-varying space environment; and characterization of space weather impacts on critical infrastructure and technological systems. Proposals to the GC are welcome at any time. However, the following solicitations in support of specific geospace science and community efforts have target dates or deadlines. They also may have PI and/or Institution restrictions. Please refer to the solicitation documents for further details: The Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions (CEDAR) targeted research program aims to understand the behavior of the Earth's atmospheric regions from the middle atmosphere upward through the thermosphere and ionosphere into the exosphere in terms of coupling, energetics, chemistry and dynamics on regional and global scales. The Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) targeted research program supports investigations of the physics of the Earth's magnetosphere and the coupling of the magnetosphere to the atmosphere and solar wind, including for making accurate predictions of the geospace environment. The Solar, Heliospheric, and Interplanetary Environment (SHINE) targeted research program supports enhanced understanding of and predictive capabilities for the processes by which energy in the form of magnetic fields and particles are produced by the Sun and/or accelerated in interplanetary space and on the mechanisms by which these fields and particles are transported to the Earth through the inner heliosphere. The Faculty Development in geoSpace Science (FDSS) solicitation integrates topics in geospace science, including solar and space physics and space weather research, into natural sciences, engineering or related departments at U.S. institutions of higher education. The solicitation also stimulates the development of undergraduate or graduate programs or curricula to train the next generation of leaders in geospace science. The Geospace Cluster participates in other AGS, GEO and NSF programs and solicitations including but not limited to: Distributed Array of Small Instruments (DASI) ECosystem for Leading Innovation in Plasma Science and Engineering (ECLIPSE) AGS encourages and inspires scientific leaders by investing in the atmospheric and geospace sciences, enhancing educational opportunities and experiences and supporting faculty and researchers at all career stages. The Division expects that proposers will integrate education, outreach and dissemination activities into their research plans in compliance with NSF Broader Impacts Merit Review criteria. AGS invites proposals that include plans for workforce development, educational and outreach activities, open science initiatives and efforts to broaden participation and encourage diverse talent in the atmosphere and geospace sciences. Furthermore, AGS encourages proposals from all institutions, including Minority Serving Institutions, Emerging Research Institutions and institutions in EPSCoR jurisdictions. The Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) provides the instructions for submitting proposals to AGS. Additionally, Chapter II.F of the PAPPG defines "Other Types of Proposals," including community-building proposals such as Conference, Travel or Planning Proposals and special categories of proposals, such as Rapid Response Research (RAPID) and EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER). Proposals that are not compliant with the PAPPG will be returned without review. The following sections highlight specific NSF-, GEO-, or AGS-wide solicitations that may be relevant to the AGS Community. Please be aware that solicitations are frequently updated, so make sure that you are looking at the most recent version. Career Development AGS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (AGS-PRF) : The AGS-PRF program supports researchers (also known as Fellows) for up to 24 months at the institution of their choice. The program is intended to recognize beginning investigators of significant potential and provide them with research experience that will broaden perspectives, facilitate interdisciplinary interactions, and establish them in leadership positions within the AGS community. Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) : The CAREER program supports early career (assistant professor-level) faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances for their department or organization. Awards are 5 years long and must integrate research and education. Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) : The MCA program provides opportunities for scientists and engineers at the associate professor rank (or equivalent) to substantively enhance and advance their research program through synergistic partnerships. Capacity Development EMpowering BRoader Academic Capacity and Education (EMBRACE) : The EMBRACE program supports research and educational efforts at "non-R1" institutions, including non-R1 minority serving institutions (MSIs), two-year colleges (2YCs), primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), and emerging research (ERIs) and master's level institutions. Historically Black Colleges and Universities Excellence in Research (HBCU - EiR) : The HBCU-EiR program supports research at public and private historically Black colleges and universities to strengthen research capacity and promote engagement with NSF. Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (RUI and ROA): RUI awards support PUI faculty in research that engages them in their professional field(s), build capacity for research at their home institution, and support the integration of research and undergraduate education. ROA awards similarly support PUI faculty research, but these awards typically allow faculty to work as visiting scientists at research-intensive organizations where they collaborate with other NSF-supported investigators. Instrumentation and Facilities Major Research Instrumentation : The MRI program supports requests for up to $4 million from NSF for the development or acquisition of multi-user research instruments that are critical to the advancement of science and engineering. Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 : The MSRI-1 program supports the design and implementation of research infrastructure--including equipment, cyberinfrastructure, large-scale datasets and personnel--whose total project costs exceed the NSF Major Research Instrumentation program limit but are under $20 million. Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-2 : The MSRI-2 program supports the implementation of research infrastructure--including equipment, cyberinfrastructure, large-scale datasets and personnel--whose total project costs fall between $20 million and $100 million.
Engineering Biological and Biomedical Systems (EBBS)
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Engineering Biological and Biomedical Systems (EBBS) program expands our understanding of biological and physiological systems, and it helps improve human health. For U.S. leadership in biotechnology, the engineering of biology is required at every scale. Engineering is needed for sensing biomarkers to making proteins to restoring functions of the body. In EBBS, fundamental mechanistic insights are combined with experimental and computational techniques. This approach helps develop platforms, devices, organisms, tissues, and processes that bring new understanding and control of biological functions. EBBS supports studies of mechanisms that drive the behavior of microbial populations and cells, and of therapeutic cells and tissues. This includes discovering the underlying engineering principles that are needed to capture the responses of biological systems and bioreactors. It also includes the creation of novel biosensing platforms and new optical imaging and modulation strategies. Research that enables the design of biological systems to sense and respond to novel stimuli is welcome. Similarly, projects leading to insight into tissue changes or injury, and to systems that imitate or restore the functions of tissues or organs are encouraged. Projects that advance rehabilitation engineering through new theories and approaches are supported by the EBBS program. Fundamental engineering research driven by the needs of persons with disabilities is encouraged. The EBBS program expands what is possible in biomanufacturing; research may advance biotechnology and/or health. EBBS research must enable improved biological processes, create novel biomedical technologies, or achieve new understanding of physiological or pathological processes. EBBS does not support proposals with a main goal of drug design, drug delivery, or the development of animal models of disease. Using existing models for experimental testing and validation is acceptable. Projects that focus on testing and validating therapies are not supported. Clinical trials are not supported. Limited studies involving human volunteers may be supported if appropriate to the project objectives. Projects focused on commercialization are more appropriate for the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP). Partnerships: To speed discovery and innovation, NSF partners with federal agencies, industry, international groups, and others. Current opportunities are at NSF ENG Partnerships.
Marine Geology and Geophysics
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Marine Geology and Geophysics Core Program supports research on all aspects of the geology and geophysics of the present ocean basins and margins, as well as those of the Great Lakes. The Program supports science that includes: Structure, composition, tectonics, and evolution of the oceanic lithosphere Paleoceanography, paleoclimate, and sea level change Submarine volcanology, petrology and geochemistry of the oceanic crust and upper mantle lithosphere Marine hydrogeology, water-rock interaction, seeps and gas hydrates Hydrothermal venting and in situ fluid processes, and associated geochemistry Geochemical indicators of life operating below the seafloor Marine sedimentology, stratigraphy, sediment transport, and diagenesis Mid-ocean ridge spreading, back-arc rifting, transform processes, and ocean island/seamount formation and evolution Submarine components of subduction zone systems and passive margins Marine geohazards (e.g., earthquakes, faulting, mass wasting, geological aspects of tsunamis) Coastal processes (e.g., geological aspects of hurricanes, sea-level change, erosion, offshore deposition) The Marine Geology and Geophysics Program supports acquisition of new field data and the leveraging of and/or synthesis of existing data. The program supports analytical and laboratory experimental projects, methods development, and modeling. All activities should have relevance to and advance the understanding of marine geoscience processes. The Program interfaces with NSF programs across the Geosciences and across the Agency. For proposals that cross between Programs, proposers should contact the relevant Programs to seek guidance on submission.
Chemical Process Systems (CPS)
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
Society relies on chemical processes to turn raw materials into useful products. The Chemical Process Systems (CPS) program invests in fundamental research on chemical and biochemical processes to make them more efficient, sustainable, and resilient. New CPS technologies for manufacturing, biotechnology, critical minerals, energy, food, and other national priorities will help make the U.S. more competitive and secure. Research supported by the CPS program covers the full breadth of chemical and biochemical process innovation. It spans reaction engineering and molecular thermodynamics; reactor design; catalysis; electrochemical systems; separations; and process design. The program encourages proposals that connect the molecular scale to process and plant scales. The CPS program explores active-site structure and function, reaction mechanisms, in situ and operando characterization, durability, and device-level integration. Microreactors, membrane and catalytic reactors, atmospheric plasmas, and other novel configurations are of interest. The program supports research in catalysis and electrochemical systems to produce, use, and store energy, to reduce waste, to process polymers, and to synthesize fuels and chemicals. This includes process and materials innovation to support the nuclear fuel cycle. The CPS program also targets chemical and biological separations that are efficient and scalable. Research includes the design of membranes, sorbents, and specialized interfaces. Advances can be used in gas separations, the recovery of critical minerals, bioprocessing, and protein and water purification. The program supports research in process design and optimization that uses tools such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and uncertainty quantification. CPS research also explores quantum information science and engineering; quantum simulation and sensing, for example, may accelerate the discovery of materials and improve process models. Partnerships: To speed discovery and innovation, NSF partners with federal agencies, industry, international groups, and others. Current opportunities are at NSF ENG Partnerships.
Engineering Environmental Resiliency (EER)
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Engineering Environmental Resiliency (EER) program supports fundamental research to advance resource and energy conservation and recovery, and to safeguard the natural environment and human health. Better use of domestic resources will help make U.S. manufacturing and energy systems more resilient and secure. EER projects advance artificial intelligence; biotechnology; quantum science and engineering; nanoengineering; microelectronics; and other national priorities. EER supports research that transforms biotechnology and manufacturing to create domestic sources of energy; engineered chemical, biological, and/or geo-physical processes may be involved. The program supports studies on the sustainability of benign manufacturing. EER supports the development of innovative technologies that minimize or re-use waste discharges to soil, water, and air by closing resource loops. EER also supports research on sustainable recycling and management of waste materials and critical minerals. EER supports studies on life cycle assessment, materials flow analysis, and AI modeling to advance the circular economy. EER research encompasses the chemistry, biochemistry, transport, and fate of nutrients and contaminants of emerging concern in air, water, soil, and sediments. It also includes the biochemical reactivity of pollutants in the built environment. EER welcomes ideas that grow fundamental and quantitative understanding of how nanomaterials and nanosystems interact with biological and environmental media. The program also supports research on engineered systems that safeguard health and quality of life through the accurate detection of and rapid response to pathogens and toxins in water, soil and air. Proposals with a main goal of understanding earth systems are more appropriate for the NSF Directorate for Geosciences. Proposals that focus on human behavior or social responses to environmental issues are a better fit for the NSF Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.   Partnerships: To speed discovery and innovation, NSF partners with federal agencies, industry, international groups, and others. Current opportunities are at NSF ENG Partnerships.
Transport Phenomena (TP)
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Transport Phenomena (TP) program supports fundamental research to understand, model, and control the transport of mass, momentum, energy, and species across multiple scales. Innovative TP research supports advances in artificial intelligence; manufacturing; biotechnology; microelectronics; energy generation, extraction, and utilization; nuclear energy; quantum science and engineering; and other national priorities. TP projects involve experiments, theory, and/or computational modeling. They aim to improve understanding and to create novel analytical techniques. While projects focus on fundamental principles, they also have a clear vision of how research outcomes will benefit applications in engineering. TP supports research on the dynamics of single- and multiphase systems. Special interests include flow separation, transition to turbulence, drag reduction, cavitation, instabilities, and reactive flows. The program encourages research on the connection between dynamics at the microscale and material and flow properties at the macroscale. Fluids of interest include liquids, gases, suspensions, emulsions, granular materials, active fluids, biological fluids, colloids, aerosols, bubbles and drops, and fluids with surfactants. TP supports research on physicochemical phenomena at the interfaces between fluids and between fluids and solids. These phenomena include adsorption and desorption of nanoparticles and surfactants; bulk and interfacial rheology; wetting and capillarity phenomena; electrokinetics; flow in porous media; and directed and self-assembly of particles. TP supports research on thermodynamics and thermal transport involving conduction, diffusion, convection, phase transition, and radiation. Research may be across scales, in complex structures and at interfaces, in microelectronic devices, and in biological systems. Projects involving phonon transport and quantum thermal phenomena are welcome. TP encourages proposals focused on combustion of gas, liquid and solid fuels. Combustion topics of interest include chemical kinetic modeling, turbulence-chemistry interactions, detonations, plasma assisted reacting flows, sustainable fuels, mechanisms for pollutant control, and in-situ diagnostic methods. The program also supports research on wildland fire behavior that aims to prevent wildfire spread, inhibit its growth, and/or predict and mitigate fires at the wildland-urban interface. Partnerships: To speed discovery and innovation, NSF partners with federal agencies, industry, international groups, and others. Current opportunities are at NSF ENG Partnerships.
NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II
No deadline listedNASA Headquarters · Amount varies
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters anticipates release of a solicitation, titled “NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC), Phase II,” as an Appendix to the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) NASA Research Announcement (NRA), titled “Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion - 2026 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2026),” on or about May 11, 2026 . Once the Appendix is posted, complete details (to include due dates) can be accessed via the following steps: 1. Open the NSPIRES homepage at https://nspires.nasaprs.com/ 2. Select "Solicitations" 3. Select "Open” 4. Select "Space Technology Research, Development, Demonstration, and Infusion – 2026 (SpaceTech-REDDI-2026) NNH26ZTR001N” 5. Select “List of Open Program Elements” 6. Select “NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC), Phase II- NNH26ZTR001N-26NIAC_A2" 7. Select “NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II Solicitation Document" under Announcement Documents. The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program supports innovative research through Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III awards. Phase I awards are typically a nine-month effort to explore the overall feasibility and viability of visionary concepts. Phase II awards are for up to two years, to further develop the most promising Phase I concepts, and to explore potential infusion options within and beyond NASA. Phase III awards are designed to strategically advance and transition the most promising NIAC Phase II concepts to other NASA programs, other government agencies, or commercial partners.
Professional Formation of Engineers
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE) initiative integrates engineering research and education to improve and expand the nation’s engineering workforce. PFE is defined as the formal and informal processes and value systems by which people become engineers. The goal of PFE is to create an ethical engineering workforce with a global outlook and the ability to adapt to the rapidly evolving technical environment. This will help build a future engineering workforce with the skills to compete in the global marketplace, support emerging technologies, and grow U.S. industry. PFE supports projects in the ENGINEER program relating to future and current engineers’ training and education in many contexts, including formal classrooms, informal maker spaces, clubs and co-curricular activities, and workplaces. Such training encompasses cooperative education and internships, community-based experiences, and research labs. It also involves many scales of analysis, from mentor/mentee relationships to large-scale online learning and professional development experiences. Engineers must develop and maintain these learning opportunities with clear pathways to and through the profession. Such pathways include formal and informal education, apprenticeships, credentialing, and licensure, and consider relationships with other professionals, technical workers, and community members. Finally, such opportunities include transitions across and within academia and industry. To understand and improve this system requires expertise in both engineering and the social sciences.
The Research on Research Security Program
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
NSF is committed to securing the nation's research enterprise as part of its core mission. The Research on Research Security (RoRS) program will advance the understanding of the full scope, potential, challenges, and nature of the research on research security field through scholarly evidence. Background The following activities provide background and context for developing proposals to submit to the RoRS program. The foundational legislative and policy documents include National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33) and its associated supporting documents, as well as research security provisions in CHIPS and Science Act 2022. In 2022 NSF asked JASON to consider what a research program on research security might entail and how it would be defined.The findings are summarized in the report (JSR-22-08), Research Program on Research Security . The 2024 NSF-funded workshop, Responsible Collaboration Through Appropriate Research Security : A Workshop To Discuss and Study the Emergent Discipline of Research on Research Security, identified current themes, major issues, and challenges in research security. Program Description Collectively, the research that RoRS funds will foster a broad community that builds collaborations between the STEM research community, research security researchers, and research security practitioners. Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged, and proposers should address how they will leverage the range of expertise, theories, and methods of the team to engage in evidence-based research on research security. Proposers are encouraged to identify collaborators across a wide range of sectors, and to consider projects in collaboration with international partners that share U.S. concerns with research security, when appropriate. RoRS encourages the following types of proposals to help build the emerging field of research on research security. (See the PAPPG for guidance on preparing specific proposal types.) Conferences and Workshops Planning Grants Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) Proposal topics may include, but are not limited to, the following: The nature and pervasiveness of research security threats. Methods for identifying research security risks, and strategies for preventing and mitigating them. Methods for strengthening research security protocol and approaches. The complex relationships between human behavior and research security policies. Research security policies and their implications. Research on organizational change around systemic and cultural factors as they pertain to research security. Research on research security in the context of a particular field or discipline, especially in high-risk areas. The international dimensions of research security. Collectively, RoRS seeks to fund research projects with the following characteristics: Produce data, analysis, theory, and tools that inform current and future decision-making on U.S. research security. Use rigorous empirical methods to advance understanding of the factors that influence research security. Build upon established methodologies from diverse fields of study to ensure that RoRS develops quickly and efficiently into a robust, mature discipline with its own novel approaches. Develop innovative strategies to leverage previously unidentified, unconnected, and/or inaccessible sources of data. Prospective PIs are strongly encouraged review NSF Research Security resources and to contact the cognizant RoRS program director(s) prior to submission. Proposals should be prepared and submitted following the guidance in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) .
Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Economic Development
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
NSF GRANTED supports innovative models of research enterprise administrative development and workforce training infrastructure that promote sustainable research capacity and opportunities for economic impactin U.S. organizations. The research enterprise, broadly defined, includes research development and administration, research analytics, technology transfer and commercialization, corporate relations/public-private partnerships, research integrity, compliance and security, research policy, administration of student research training, and research leadership. Strengthening and transforming this administrative infrastructure is necessary to fully utilize the Nation's research talent and capabilities and empower America's organizations that engage in or support research and its outcomes, to participate in a globally competitive research enterprise. Program Description Maintaining U.S. global leadership demands a research enterprise that is competitive, effective, sustainable a nd contributes to the Nation's economic growth goals. A strong national research enterprise relies on more than funding for the research itself. It also requires robust administrative support-and-service infrastructure, which is often unseen, yet includes critical components to ensure a competitive research environment regardless of organization or location. Research enterprise infrastructure enables the development of proposals and management of awards and supports research translation through technology transfer and public-private partnerships. Research compliance enables the security and integrity of research approaches. Research analytics and communication, managing the training of the U.S. scientific workforce, and harnessing the creativity and drive of research leadership, and more, are also fundamental components of the infrastructure. The GRANTED initiative provides unique opportunities to realize a broad and collaborative vision for research enterprise infrastructure. Proposals in response to this GRANTED program description should engage the professional, administrative research support-and-service workforce in project leadership roles described within proposals.Proposed projects should look beyond individual and discipline-specific research needs and focus on activities that create organization-wide impact and potential for regional and national impact. Projects should propose scalable approaches and models to build and sustain research enterprise infrastructure.Competitive proposals will recognize structural and organizational challenges and include goals to implement interventions, solutions, and/or strategies that will mitigate the challenges. Proposals must be centered around one or more of the three main themes of GRANTED: Innovating and enhancing practices and processes within the research enterprise; Developing and strengthening human capital within the research enterprise; and Translating effective practices related to the research enterprise into a broad range of organizational contexts. The GRANTED program utilizes general proposal requirements, including eligibility, as outlined in the current NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Prospective PIs are strongly encouraged to contact GRANTED initiative personnel ( GRANTED@nsf.gov ) with inquiries prior to developing and submitting a proposal to this program description. The project budget and duration should be determined by the scope of the proposed activities and presented in accordance with the PAPPG.GRANTED is not intended to fund discipline-specific STEM research and training projects. Collectively, proposals funded through this Program Description will advance transformation of the national research enterprise, measured through 1) generating scalable models that improve research capacity and competitiveness, 2) creating collaborations, partnerships, and communities centered around strengthening the Nation's research enterprise, 3) increasing the range of project leadership, organizations, ideas, and approaches that NSF funds, especially related to developing areas aligned to agency priorities, and 4) strengthening engagement across the Nation’s research enterprise.
Research Interests of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research
No deadline listedAir Force Office of Scientific Research · $0–$10M
AFOSR plans, coordinates, and executes the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) basic research program in response to technical guidance from AFRL and requirements of the Air Force. Additionally, the office fosters, supports, and conducts research within Air Force, university, and industry laboratories; and ensures transition of research results to support U.S. Air Force needs. The focus of AFOSR is on research areas that offer significant and comprehensive benefits to our national war fighting and peacekeeping capabilities. These areas are organized and managed in two scientific Departments: Engineering and Information Science (RTA), Physical and Biological Sciences (RTB), and our international offices (EAORD, SOARD, and AOARD). The research activities managed within each Department are summarized in this section.
Sociology
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Sociology Program supports basic research on all forms of human social organization — societies, institutions, groups and demography — and processes of individual and institutional change. The program encourages theoretically focused empirical investigations aimed at improving the explanation of fundamental social processes. This includes research on organizations and organizational behavior, population dynamics, social movements, social groups, labor force participation, stratification and mobility, family, social networks, socialization, and the sociology of science and technology. The program supports both original data collection and secondary data analysis that use the full range of quantitative and qualitative methodological tools. Theoretically grounded projects that offer methodological innovations and improvements for data collection and analysis are also welcomed. Principal Investigators should selectPD 98-1331in the program announcement/solicitation block on the proposal cover sheet for submission of regular research projects to the sociology program. Projects are evaluated using the two foundation-wide criteria, intellectual merit and broader impacts . In assessing the intellectual merit of proposed research, four components are key to securing support from the Sociology Program: (1) the issues investigated must be theoretically grounded; (2) the research should be based on empirical observation or be subject to empirical validation or illustration; (3) the research design must be appropriate to the questions asked; and (4) the proposed research must advance our understanding of social processes, structures and methods. NSF also offers a number of specialized funding opportunities through its crosscutting and cross-directorate activities; some of the sociology-related opportunities are listed below. Crosscutting Research & Training Opportunities: ADVANCE: Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program Mid-scale Research Infrastructure Programs SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (SPRF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program To get information about these programs and others, please visit the cross-cutting and NSF-wide active funding opportunities search page. NSF's mission calls for the broadening of opportunities for and expanding participation of groups, institutions and geographic regions that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines, which is essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects and activities it considers and supports. NSF is also committed to public access to publications and data, unless there are countervailing interests that prohibit or limit public access to data, including matters of personally identifiable information of research participants, privacy or other issues of vulnerability such as economic, social or other security interests, etc.). See Public Access to Results of NSF-Funded Research and Data Management for NSF SBE Directorate Proposals and Awards for more information.
Science of Organizations
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
Organizations -- private and public, established and entrepreneurial, designed and emergent, formal and informal, profit and nonprofit -- are critical to the well-being of nations and their citizens. They are of crucial importance for producing goods and services, creating value, providing jobs, and achieving social goals. The Science of Organizations (SoO) program funds basic research that yields a scientific evidence base for improving the design and emergence, development and deployment, and management and ultimate effectiveness of organizations of all kinds. SoO funds research that advances our fundamental understanding of how organizations develop, form and operate. Successful SoO research proposals use scientific methods to develop and refine theories, to empirically test theories and frameworks, and to develop new measures and methods. Funded research is aimed at yielding generalizable insights that are of value to the business practitioner, policy-maker and research communities. SoO welcomes any and all rigorous, scientific approaches that illuminate aspects of organizations as systems of coordination, management and governance. In considering whether a particular project might be a candidate for consideration by SoO, please note: Intellectual perspectives may involve (but are not limited to) organizational theory, behavior, sociology or economics, business policy and strategy, communication sciences, entrepreneurship, human resource management, information sciences, managerial and organizational cognition, operations management, public administration, social or industrial psychology, and technology and innovation management. Phenomena studied may include (but are not limited to) structures, routines, effectiveness, competitiveness, innovation, dynamics, change and evolution. Levels of analysis may include (but are not limited to) organizational, cross-organizational collaborations or relationships, and institutional and can address individuals, groups or teams. Research methods may be qualitative and quantitative and may include (but are not limited to) archival analyses, surveys, simulation studies, experiments, comparative case studies, and network analyses. Consistent with NSF merit review criteria, each SoO proposal should discuss both the intellectual merit and the potential broader impacts of the proposed research. SoO values basic research that has the potential to provide broader societal benefits. However, the majority of space in any proposal will need to be dedicated to the explication of theory, methods, and specific contribution to the evidence base about organizational effectiveness. Projects that aim to implement and subsequently evaluate particular organizational training, effectiveness or change programs, rather than to advance fundamental, generalizable knowledge, are not appropriate for SoO. Researchers who seek to conduct SoO-appropriate research in an industrial site and/or via an industry-university collaboration are invited to also look at the Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaisons with Industry (GOALI) program web site .
Facilitating Research at Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions:
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA) funding opportunities support research by faculty members at predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs). RUI proposals support PUI faculty in research that engages them in their professional field(s), builds capacity for research at their home institution, and supports the integration of research and undergraduate education. ROAs similarly support PUI faculty research, but these awards typically allow faculty to work as visiting scientists at research-intensive organizations where they collaborate with other NSF-supported investigators. Eligible PUIs are accredited colleges and universities (including two-year community colleges) that award Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees, and/or Master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years. All NSF directorates may support RUI and ROA funding activities. Funding for these awards is contained within research and education program allocations and not held as a separate allocation. RUI and ROA proposals are evaluated and funded by NSF programs in the disciplinary areas of the proposed research and are funded at their discretion. Prospective PIs should contact disciplinary program officers to identify specific NSF programs and to determine the feasibility and timing of RUI/ROA requests. General RUI/ROA points of contact are available through the website http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/rui_roa/contacts.jsp . 1. Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI). An RUI proposal may be: A request to support an individual research project or a collaborative research project involving PUI faculty and students at their own or other institutions. A request involving shared research instrumentation. 2. Research Opportunity Awards (ROA). The types of ROA opportunities include: A supplement to an existing NSF award to support ROA activities for PUI faculty. Requests to rebudget funds in an existing NSF award to support ROA activities for PUI faculty. Submission of a new collaborative proposal between a PUI and another institution(s), with a ROA component as a subaward or as part of a linked collaborative proposal.
Science of Science: Discovery, Communication and Impact
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Science of Science:Discovery, Communication and Impact (SoS:DCI) program is designed to advance theory and knowledge about increasing the public value of scientific activity. Science of Science draws from multiple disciplinary and field perspectives to advance theory and research about scientific discovery, communication and impact. SoS:DCI welcomes proposals applying rigorous empirical research methods to advance theory and knowledge on: The social and structural mechanisms of scientific discovery. Theories, frameworks, models and data that improve our understanding of scientific communication and outcomes. The societal benefits of scientific activity and how science advances evidence-based policy making and the creation of public value. The SoS:DCI program, which expands upon the formerScience of Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP)program, funds research that builds theoretical and empirical understanding of the social science of science. SoS:DCI welcomes proposals to conduct research at the individual, organizational and institutional levels or from micro, meso and macro scales and complex system levels. SoS:DCI encourages multiple disciplinary perspectives, interdisciplinary research and diverse methodological approaches in the pursuit of new knowledge to advance the science of science and evidence-based policy making. With these goals in mind, proposals should: Draw from and advance theory, knowledge and frameworks on the science of science. Develop models, data, indicators and associated analytical tools that constitute and enable transformative advances rather than incremental change. Provide credible rigorous assessments of the proposed project’s impact and social and policy implications. Include robust data management plans with the goal of advancing open science and increasing public access to usable, valid and reliable scientific materials. Of particular interest are proposals with the potential to strengthen America’s global leadership in science and increase national competitiveness across a broad range of domains. These include proposals that analyze strategies for strengthening and expanding the scientific workforce, as well as ways to cultivate high-impact discovery across sectors.The program strongly encourages convergent research and collaboration. In addition to intellectual merit, the program strongly encourages potential PIs to carefully consider the broader impacts of their work. The broader impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired policy outcomes.The Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate has released additional guidance on broader impacts for SBE proposals . The SoS:DCI program places a high priority on broadening participation in the sciences. It encourages proposals from early-career researchers and from researchers who represent groups and regions that have historically participated at disproportionately low rates in science, mathematics, and engineering. SoS:DCI supports the following types of proposals: Standard Research Grants and Grants for Collaborative Research A Science of Science Approach to Analyzing and Innovating the Biomedical Research Enterprise (SoS:BIO) Conference Grants SoS:DCI also participates in certain specialized funding opportunities through NSF’s cross-cutting and cross-directorate activities .
Research Infrastructure in the Social and Behavioral Sciences
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · $400K–$2M
The Research Infrastructure in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Program (RISBS) supports projects that create computational tools and data to facilitate basic research in the social and behavioral sciences that can lead to improved health, prosperity and security. Projects should be aimed at creating computational tools and data to enable research by social scientists. Examples include, but are not limited to, data collection or assembly efforts that result in new resources for a community of researchers or software platforms that facilitate data collection efforts by others. RISBS does not support research by PIs except in service of creation of the infrastructure. Innovation is especially encouraged. RISBS directly supports three key longitudinal surveys and panel studies that provide researchers with data on how American society functions and changes over time (and in 2010 were recognized as among the 60 most significant "discoveries or advances that... have had a large impact or influence on every American’s life... call[ed] the ‘Sensational 60’, in honor of NSF’s 60th anniversary”): The American National Election Study , which started in 1948 and has been funded by NSF since 1977, provides “gold standard” data on voting, public opinion, and political participation in U.S. national elections. The General Social Survey , a nationally representative interview survey of the U.S. adult population, collects data on a wide range of topics and has been funded by NSF since its inception in 1972. The Panel Study of Income Dynamics , a longitudinal survey of a nationally representative sample of U.S. families begun in 1968 (with NSF taking over most of its funding in 1980) collects data on a wide array of economic, social and health factors. The RISBS program administers separate solicitations for the American National Election Study (ANES), the General Social Survey (GSS) and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). These solicitations have specific requirements and submission deadlines. Other infrastructure proposals may be submitted directly to the RISBS program at any time or transferred from other SBE programs following the respective program’s submission guidelines. RISBS also collaborates with other programs in the social and behavioral sciences through a co-funding process to support projects that create especially valuable tools for researchers in those fields or are furthering innovations in research infrastructure. Prospective PIs may also be interested in the Human Networks and Data Science Program — Infrastructure(HNDS-I) , which supports proposals addressing the development of data resources and relevant analytic techniques that support research in the social, behavioral and economic sciences.Prospective PIs are strongly encouraged to contact the RISBS program officers and/or program officers from other SBE programs that may be applicable to the proposal before submitting to RISBS and to refer to the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) policies on duplicate or substantially similar proposals.
Economics
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Economics program supports research designed to improve the understanding of the processes and institutions of the U.S. economy and of the world system of which it is a part. This program also strengthens both empirical and theoretical economic analysis as well as the methods for rigorous research on economic behavior. It supports research in almost every area of economics, including econometrics, economic history, environmental economics, finance, industrial organization, international economics, labor economics, macroeconomics, mathematical economics, and public finance. The Economics program welcomes proposals for individual or multi-investigator research projects, doctoral dissertation improvement awards, conferences, symposia, experimental research, data collection and dissemination, computer equipment and other instrumentation, and research experience for undergraduates. The program places a high priority on interdisciplinary research. Investigators are encouraged to submit proposals of joint interest to the Economics Program and other NSF programs and NSF initiative areas. The program places a high priority on broadening participation and encourages proposals from groups and regions that traditionally have not participated fully in science, mathematics, and engineering. The program also funds conferences and interdisciplinary research that strengthens links among economics and the other social and behavioral sciences as well as mathematics and statistics. The Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIG) funding opportunity is designed to improve the quality of dissertation research.DDRIG proposals are submitted by a faculty member on behalf of the graduate student. DDRIG awards provide funds for items not normally available through the student's university such as enabling doctoral students to undertake significant data-gathering projects and to conduct field research in settings away from their campus. DDRIGs do not provide cost-of-living or other stipends or tuition.Outstanding DDRIG proposals specify how the knowledge to be created advances economics science. Proposals for Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIGS) in Economics should follow the directions for submissions in the PAPPG . Please contact an Economics program officer if you plan to submit a DDRIG proposal. For additional funding opportunities, we invite you to also look at the SBE Office of Multidisciplinary Activities web site .
High-Risk Research in Biological Anthropology and Archaeology
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Up to $35K
Anthropological research may be conducted under unusual circumstances, often in distant locations. As a result the ability to conduct potentially important research may hinge on factors that are impossible to assess from a distance and some projects with potentially great payoffs may face difficulties in securing funding. This program gives small awards that provide investigators with the opportunity to assess the feasibility of an anthropological research project. It is required that the proposed activity be clearly high risk in nature. The information gathered may then be used as the basis for preparing a more fully developed research program. Investigators must contact the cognizant NSF Program Director before submitting an HRRBAA proposal. This will facilitate determining whether the proposed work is appropriate for HRRBAA support.
Law & Science
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Law & Science Program considers proposals that address social scientific studies of law and law-like systems of rules, as wellas studies of how science and technology are applied in legal contexts.The Program is inherently interdisciplinary and multi-methodological.Successful proposals describe research that advances scientific theory and understanding of the connections between human behavior and law, legal institutions, or legal processes; or the interactions of law and basic sciences, including biology, computer and information sciences, STEM education, engineering, geosciences, and math and physical sciences.Scientific studies of law often approach law as dynamic, interacting with multiple arenas, and with the participation of multiple actors.Fields of study include many disciplines, and often address problems including, though not limited, to: Crime, Violence, and Policing Cyberspace Economic Issues Environmental Science Evidentiary Issues Forensic Science Governance and Courts Human Rights and Comparative Law Information Technology Legal and Ethical Issues related to Science Legal Decision Making Legal Mobilization and Conceptions of Justice Litigation and the Legal Profession Punishment and Corrections Regulation and Facilitation of Biotechnology (e.g., Gene Editing, Gene Testing, Synthetic Biology) and Other Emerging Sciences and Technologies Use of Science in the Legal Processes LS supports the following types of proposals: Standard Research Grants and Grants for Collaborative Research Conference Awards LS also participates in a number of specialized funding opportunities through NSF’s cross-cutting and cross-directorate activities, including, for example: Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) For information about these and other programs, please visit the Cross-cutting and NSF-wide Active Funding Opportunities homepage.
Security and Preparedness
No deadline listedU.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies
The Security and Preparedness (SAP) Programsupports basic scientific research that advances knowledge and understanding of issues broadly related to global and national security. Research proposals are evaluated on the criteria of intellectual merit and broader impacts; the proposed projects are expected to be theoretically motivated, conceptually precise, methodologically rigorous, and empirically oriented. Moreover, the Program supports research experiences for undergraduate students and infrastructural activities, including methodological innovations. The Program does not fund applied research. In addition, we encourage you to examine the websites for the National Science Foundation'sAccountable Institutions and Behavior(AIB), Law and Science (LS) programs, and Research Infrastructure in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (RISBS) programs.