About
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF promotes discovery in science and engineering, accelerates technology and innovation, and creates a STEM workforce. The agency funds research, education, and related activities across all disciplines, supporting researchers, entrepreneurs, students, and teachers through grants and initiatives.
Funding Opportunities
Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions: Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA)
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.
High-Risk Research in Biological Anthropology and Archaeology (HRRBAA)
The HRRBAA program provides small awards to support high-risk, exploratory pilot projects in biological anthropology and archaeology that have the potential to lead to significant new anthropological knowledge. This program is designed for projects where research outcomes face unusual uncertainty due to distant locations, uncertain access to data or research sites, or the need to test new and innovative methodologies. Awards provide investigators the opportunity to assess feasibility, conduct reconnaissance, or develop proof of concept for research that may have high risk of failure but also potentially significant payoffs. The program addresses the challenge that risky proposals with great potential for disciplinary advancement face difficulty competing with standard research proposals in a highly competitive environment. Investigators must contact the cognizant NSF Program Director before submitting an HRRBAA proposal to determine whether the proposed work is appropriate for this support mechanism.
Expeditions in Computing (Expeditions)
The Expeditions in Computing program supports ambitious, fundamental research agendas that promise to define the future of computing and information. The program builds on past successes and provides the CISE research and education community with the opportunity to pursue transformative research agendas that look ahead by at least a decade and promise disruptive innovations in computer and information science and engineering for many years to come. Now funded at levels up to $15,000,000 for seven years, Expeditions projects represent some of the largest single investments currently made by the CISE directorate. The program has three goals: to catalyze far-reaching research or research cyberinfrastructure explorations motivated by deep scientific questions or hard problems in computer and information science and engineering fields; to inspire current and future generations of Americans, especially those from under-represented groups, to pursue rewarding careers in computer and information science and engineering; and to stimulate significant research and education outcomes that promise scientific, economic and/or other societal benefits through effective knowledge transfer mechanisms.
Plant Biotic Interactions
The Plant Biotic Interactions (PBI) program supports research on the processes that mediate beneficial and antagonistic interactions between plants and their viral, bacterial, oomycete, fungal, plant, and invertebrate symbionts, pathogens and pests. This joint NSF/NIFA program supports projects focused on current and emerging model and non-model systems, and agriculturally relevant plants. The program's scope extends from fundamental mechanisms to translational efforts, with the latter seeking to put into agricultural practice insights gained from basic research on the mechanisms that govern plant biotic interactions. Projects must be strongly justified in terms of fundamental biological processes and/or relevance to agriculture and may be purely fundamental or applied or include aspects of both perspectives. All types of symbiosis are appropriate, including commensalism, mutualism, parasitism, and host-pathogen interactions. Research may focus on the biology of the plant host, its pathogens, pests or symbionts, interactions among these, or on the function of plant-associated microbiomes. The program welcomes proposals on the dynamics of initiation, transmission, maintenance and outcome of these complex associations, including studies of metabolic interactions, immune recognition and signaling, host-symbiont regulation, reciprocal responses among interacting species and mechanisms associated with self/non-self recognition such as those in pollen-pistil interactions.
Arctic Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (Arctic DDRIG) Arctic Social Sciences, Arctic System Sciences, and Arctic Observing Network (DDRIG)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites investigators at U.S. organizations to submit proposals for Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIGs) to the Arctic Sciences Section, Office of Polar Programs (OPP) to conduct dissertation-level research about and related to the Arctic region. The Programs that are currently accepting DDRIG proposals are the Arctic Social Sciences (ASSP), Arctic System Science (ARCSS), and Arctic Observing Network (AON) Programs. The goal of this solicitation is to attract research proposals that advance a fundamental, process, and systems-level understanding of the Arctic's rapidly changing natural environment and social and cultural systems, and, where appropriate, to improve our capacity to project future change. The Arctic Sciences Section supports research focused on the Arctic region and its connectivity with lower latitudes. Given that this solicitation is designed to support early career scientists, this Program will also advance research capacity in Arctic sciences and promote workforce development in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). DDRIG awards provide support to enhance and improve the conduct of doctoral dissertation projects conducted by doctoral students enrolled in U.S. IHEs who are conducting scientific research that enhances basic scientific knowledge.
Sustaining Infrastructure for Biological Research (Sustaining)
The Sustaining Infrastructure for Biological Research (Sustaining) Program supports the continued operation of existing research infrastructure that advances contemporary biology in any research area supported by the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) at NSF. The Sustaining Program focuses primarily on sustaining critical research infrastructure that is cyberinfrastructure or biological living stocks and that is broadly applicable to a wide range of researchers. Projects are expected to ensure continued availability of existing, mature resources that will enable important science outcomes achieved by users representing a broad range of research supported by BIO and its collaborating organizations. This is an operation and maintenance funding opportunity which differs from other programs in that it does not provide funds for research or development leading to new capabilities or features, methods, or tools. Competitive proposals will clearly describe the resource that will be sustained and present documentation of its past impacts in science and education and a compelling justification for why these impacts are expected to sustain or grow during the proposed award period.
Long Term Research in Environmental Biology (LTREB)
The Long Term Research in Environmental Biology (LTREB) Program supports the generation of extended time series of data to address important questions in evolutionary biology, ecology, and ecosystem science. Research areas include, but are not limited to, the effects of natural selection or other evolutionary processes on populations, communities, or ecosystems; the effects of interspecific interactions that vary over time and space; population or community dynamics for organisms that have extended life spans and long turnover times; feedbacks between ecological and evolutionary processes; pools of materials such as nutrients in soils that turn over at intermediate to longer time scales; and external forcing functions such as climatic cycles that operate over long return intervals. The Program intends to support decadal projects, with funding for an initial 5-year period requiring submission of a proposal that includes a 15-page project description containing two essential components: a decadal research plan and a description of core data. Proposals for the second five years of support (renewal proposals) are limited to a ten-page project description. All proposals must be motivated by at least six years of recently-collected data on the study system and must be grounded in appropriate concepts or theory.
Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP)
The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) provides awards to federally recognized Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions to promote high quality science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), STEM education, research, and outreach. TCUP supports transformative capacity-building, community engagement, or research projects through multiple funding tracks including Instructional Capacity Excellence in TCUP Institutions (ICE-TI), Targeted STEM Infusion Projects (TSIP), TCUP for Secondary and Elementary Teachers in STEM (TSETS), TCU Enterprise Advancement Centers (TEA Centers), Cyberinfrastructure Health, Assistance, and Improvements (CHAI), Preparing for TCUP Implementation (Pre-TI), TCUP Partnerships, and Small Grants for Research (SGR). The program aims to increase Native individuals' participation in STEM careers, improve the quality of STEM programs at TCUP-eligible institutions, and facilitate the development of a strong STEM enterprise in TCUP institutions' service areas. Projects support comprehensive institutional improvements, short-term targeted enhancements, professional development for K-12 teachers, research centers addressing tribal needs, cyberinfrastructure upgrades, preparatory planning activities, collaborative partnerships with non-TCUP institutions, and individual faculty research initiatives.
Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM)
The Geospace Environment Modeling (GEM) program is a broad-based research program focused on the physics of the Earth's magnetosphere and the coupling of the magnetosphere to the atmosphere and to the solar wind. The purpose of the GEM program is to support basic research into the dynamical and structural properties of geospace, leading to models of the geospace environment with predictive capability. The long-term goal of the GEM program is advancing numerical simulations of geospace that describe the global dynamics of the magnetosphere and how the magnetosphere interacts with the solar wind and the ionosphere. Advancing modeling capabilities includes metrics and validation, developing both first-principles and empirical models, as well as promoting the broader use of these models by the geospace community. The program is committed to developing the next generation geospace researchers and submissions from early career scientists are encouraged. The program supports an annual workshop held for one week each summer to provide a forum for investigators to present and discuss recent results, exchange information, plan future experiments, and improve and develop geospace modeling capabilities.
Solar, Heliospheric, and INterplanetary Environment (SHINE)
The Solar, Heliospheric, and Interplanetary Environment (SHINE) program is a broad-based research initiative supporting 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. SHINE research focuses upon the connections between eruptive events and magnetic phenomena on the Sun and the corresponding solar wind structures in the inner heliosphere. The program fosters research on those processes by which magnetic fields and particles produced by the Sun permeate interplanetary space and on the mechanisms by which these fields and particles are transported to geospace through the inner heliosphere. The goal of SHINE research is to enhance both physical understanding and predictive capabilities for solar driven geoeffective events. SHINE is complementary to, but distinct from, the National Space Weather Program initiatives, emphasizing basic research into solar and heliospheric processes.
Division of Chemistry: Disciplinary Research Programs (CHE-DRP)
CHE-DRP supports fundamental research in six core chemistry programs: Chemical Catalysis (CAT), Chemical Measurement and Imaging (CMI), Chemical Mechanism, Function and Properties (CMFP), Chemical Synthesis (SYN), Environmental Chemical Sciences (ECS), and Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN). The programs support a large and vibrant research community engaged in fundamental discovery, invention, and innovation in the chemical sciences. Projects explore the frontiers of chemical science, develop foundations for future technologies and industries that meet changing societal needs, and prepare the next generation of chemical researchers. Research areas include designing and synthesizing new molecules and catalysts, understanding chemical transformations and thermodynamics, developing novel instrumentation for chemical discovery, determining structure-function relationships in biological systems, understanding chemical processes in the environment, and contributing to emerging industries including quantum information systems, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.
Division of Chemistry: Disciplinary Research Programs: No Deadline Pilot (CHE-DRP:NDP)
The NSF Division of Chemistry is piloting a no-deadline submission process for three disciplinary research programs: Chemistry of Life Processes (CLP), Chemical Structure and Dynamics (CSD), and Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods (CTMC). This pilot removes traditional deadlines to provide principal investigators more flexibility and facilitate interdisciplinary research in the chemical sciences. CHE supports fundamental discovery, invention, and innovation across areas including molecular design and synthesis, chemical transformations, biological systems, nanoscale materials, environmental chemistry, computational methods, and contributions to quantum information systems, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. The pilot will run for at least one year and be evaluated annually for continuation.
Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants (AAG)
The Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants (AAG) Program is an inclusive and flexible funding opportunity to support research in the astronomical sciences. The Program provides individual investigator and collaborative research grants for observational, theoretical, laboratory, and archival data studies in astronomy and astrophysics. The Program also considers proposals for projects and tools that enable or enhance astronomical research. Proposals may span multiple disciplines and/or areas of study and may utilize multiple techniques. Review panels are organized within four broad research areas: Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology (EXC), Galactic Astronomy (GAL), Planetary, Exoplanetary and Solar Astronomy (PLA) and Stellar Astronomy and Astrophysics (SAA). The program is administered by the Division of Astronomical Sciences at the National Science Foundation, which is the primary source of federal funding support for ground-based astronomy in the U.S.
Oceanographic Facilities and Equipment Support
Oceanographic facilities and equipment are supported by the Integrative Programs Section (IPS) of the Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE), Directorate for Geosciences (GEO). These awards are made for the procurement, conversion and/or upgrade, enhancement, or annual operation of platforms in the ocean, coastal and near-shore waters, and Great Lakes. Awards are generally directed specifically to support facilities that lend themselves to shared use within the broad range of Federally supported research and education programs. The primary objective of these awards is to ensure the availability of appropriate oceanographic facilities for Federally funded investigators and educators. The individual programs covered within this solicitation include: (1) Oceanographic Technical Services (Tech Services), which provides support of institutional technical services to enhance the scientific productivity of research programs aboard research vessels and in shore-based, shared-use facilities; (2) Oceanographic Instrumentation (OI), which provides support to enhance the scientific capabilities and productivity of seagoing research projects that utilize research vessels as well as shore-based, shared-use facilities; and (3) Shipboard Scientific Support Equipment (SSSE), which provides support to improve safety and enhance scientific capabilities and productivity of seagoing research programs that utilize research vessels as well as shore-based, shared-use facilities.
Arctic Research Opportunities
The National Science Foundation (NSF) invites investigators at U.S. organizations to submit proposals to the Arctic Sciences Section in the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) within the Geosciences Directorate, to conduct research about the Arctic region. The goal of this solicitation is to attract research proposals that advance a fundamental, process, and/or systems-level understanding of the Arctic's rapidly changing natural environment, social and cultural systems, and, where appropriate, to improve our capacity to project future change. The Arctic Sciences Section supports research focused on the Arctic region and its connectivity with lower latitudes. The scientific scope is aligned with, but not limited to, research priorities outlined in the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) five-year plan. The Arctic Sciences Section coordinates with programs across NSF and with other federal and international partners to co-review and co-fund Arctic-related proposals as appropriate. The Arctic Sciences Section also maintains Arctic logistical infrastructure and field support capabilities that are available to enable research.
Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research (Innovation)
The Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research Program (Innovation) supports research to design novel or greatly improved research tools and methods that advance contemporary biology in any research area supported by the Directorate for Biological Sciences at NSF. The Innovation Program focuses on research infrastructure that is broadly applicable to researchers in three programmatic areas: Bioinformatics, Instrumentation, and Research Methods. Infrastructure supported by this program is expected to advance biological understanding by improving scientists' abilities to manipulate, control, analyze, or measure critical aspects of biological systems, which can be essential for addressing important fundamental research questions. Proposals submitted to these programmatic areas can do one of three things to advance or transform research in biology: develop novel infrastructure, significantly redesign existing infrastructure, or adapt existing infrastructure in novel ways. Projects are expected to have a significant application to one or more biological science questions and have the potential to be used by a community of researchers beyond a single research team. The innovative nature of the proposed work must be emphasized, and proposals with high-risk/high reward potential are welcome.
Infrastructure Capacity for Biological Research (Capacity)
The Infrastructure Capacity for Biological Research (Capacity) Program supports the implementation of, scaling of, or major improvements to research tools, products, and services that advance contemporary biology in any research area supported by the Directorate for Biological Sciences at NSF. The Capacity Program focuses on building capacity in research infrastructure that is broadly applicable to a wide range of researchers in three programmatic areas: Cyberinfrastructure, Biological Collections, and Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories. This program will also accept proposals for planning activities or workshops to facilitate coordination that may be necessary in building capacity in infrastructure that meets the needs of a research community. Projects are expected to produce quality products, result in important science outcomes that will be achieved by the users of the resource, be openly accessible to a broad scientific and education community, and serve a community of researchers beyond a single research team. Areas not included in this program are instrumentation and projects that develop infrastructure for a specific research project, laboratory, or institution.
Facility and Instrumentation Request Process (FIRP)
The Facility and Instrumentation Request Process (FIRP) solicitation describes the mechanism by which the research community can propose projects that require access to instrumentation and facilities sponsored by the Facilities for Atmospheric Research and Education (FARE) Program in the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS). FARE provides funding to a variety of organizations to make specialized instrumentation and facilities available to the atmospheric science research community through the Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities (LAOF) and the Community Instruments and Facilities (CIF) programs. FIRP allows for parallel evaluation of intellectual merit and broader impacts along with the feasibility of the proposed project. The FIRP solicitation offers three proposal submission tracks based on the type and purpose of the request: Track 1 - Education and Outreach (limited field or laboratory activities targeting education and outreach with total proposal cost under $75,000); Track 2 - Single Facility Request (primarily for U.S.-based research projects requiring a single CIF or single instrument system within LAOF); and Track 3 - Field Campaigns (deployment of major LAOF such as aircraft, multiple CIF, or combination of facilities for multi-year research campaigns). All proposals to AGS that require the use of FARE-sponsored assets must be submitted through this solicitation.
Division of Materials Research: Condensed Matter and Materials Theory (DMR:CMMT)
The Condensed Matter and Materials Theory (CMMT) program supports theoretical and computational materials research in areas including Condensed Matter Physics, Biomaterials, Ceramics, Electronic and Photonic Materials, Metals and Metallic Nanostructures, Polymers, and Solid State and Materials Chemistry. The program supports fundamental research that advances conceptual understanding of hard and soft materials and materials-related phenomena, the development of associated analytical, computational, and data-centric techniques, and predictive materials-specific theory, simulation, and modeling. Methods used include first-principles electronic structure, quantum many-body and field theories, statistical mechanics, classical and quantum Monte Carlo, and molecular dynamics. CMMT encourages potentially transformative submissions at the frontiers of theoretical, computational, and data-intensive materials research, including advancing understanding of emergent properties and phenomena of materials and condensed matter systems, developing materials-specific prediction, exploring new paradigms including computational and data-enabled approaches, fostering research at interfaces among subdisciplines, harnessing machine learning, and developing new theoretical frameworks in areas such as active matter, nonequilibrium materials, or quantum many-body theory.
Division of Materials Research: Topical Materials Research Programs (DMR-TMRP)
The Division of Materials Research (DMR) Topical Materials Research Programs (TMRP) support fundamental research focused on advancing the understanding of materials, materials discovery, design, synthesis, characterization, properties, and materials-related phenomena. DMR awards enable understanding of the electronic, atomic, and molecular structures, mechanisms, and processes that govern nanoscale to macroscale morphology and properties; manipulation and control of these properties; discovery of emerging phenomena of matter and materials; and creation of novel design, synthesis, and processing strategies that lead to new materials with unique characteristics. The program covers seven topical areas: Biomaterials (BMAT), Ceramics (CER), Condensed Matter Physics (CMP), Electronic and Photonic Materials (EPM), Metals and Metallic Nanostructures (MMN), Polymers (POL), and Solid State and Materials Chemistry (SSMC). These discoveries and advancements transcend traditional scientific and engineering disciplines. Projects supported by DMR are not only essential for the development of future technologies and industries that address societal needs, but also for the preparation of the next generation of materials researchers.
Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Core Programs
MCB supports research that promises to uncover the fundamental properties of living systems across atomic, molecular, sub-cellular, and cellular scales. The program gives high priority to projects that advance mechanistic understanding of the structure, function, and evolution of molecular, sub-cellular, and cellular systems, especially research that aims at quantitative and predictive knowledge of complex behavior and emergent properties. MCB encourages research exploring new concepts in molecular and cellular biology, while incorporating insights and approaches from other scientific disciplines, such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and physics, to illuminate principles that govern life at the molecular and cellular level. This solicitation calls for proposals in research areas supported by four MCB core clusters: structure, dynamics, and function of biomolecules and supra-molecular assemblies (Molecular Biophysics); organization, processing, expression, regulation, and evolution of genetic and epigenetic information (Genetic Mechanisms); cellular structure, properties, and function across broad spatiotemporal scales (Cellular Dynamics and Function); and systems and/or synthetic biology to study complex interactions through modeling or manipulation or design of living systems at the molecular-to-cellular scale (Systems and Synthetic Biology). All MCB clusters prioritize projects that integrate across scales, investigate molecular and cellular evolution, synergize experimental research with computational or mathematical modeling, and/or develop innovative, broadly applicable methods and technologies.
Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR): Workshop Opportunities
The EPSCoR Workshop Opportunities program welcomes proposals for workshops in areas of science and engineering that advance EPSCoR's goals and engage a broad community of investigators or practitioners. Workshops aim to bring communities together to discuss research or education findings, explore emerging areas, foster collaborations, expose researchers to new tools or techniques, or respond to NSF EPSCoR calls on specific topics. Proposals must demonstrate how the topic is of importance to relevant STEM fields and will engage the greater EPSCoR community. Topics may include activities for center-level partnerships such as Engineering Research Centers, Science and Technology Centers, or Regional Innovation Engines. Successful proposals include compelling rationale with clear goals and outcomes, address multi-jurisdictional efforts of regional or national importance, and foster engagement from diverse scientific backgrounds. Workshops are not intended for single-institution activities and must result in publicly disseminated reports detailing metrics, engagement, results dissemination plans, participant lists, and implementation plans for next steps.
Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) Core Programs
The Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) Core supports research and training on evolutionary and ecological processes acting at the level of populations, species, communities, ecosystems, macrosystems, and biogeographic extents. DEB encourages research that elucidates fundamental principles that identify and explain the unity and diversity of life and its interactions with the environment over space and time. Research may incorporate field, laboratory, or collection-based approaches; observational or manipulative studies; synthesis activities; phylogenetic discovery projects; or theoretical approaches involving analytical, statistical, or computational modeling. Proposals should be submitted to the core clusters: Ecosystem Science, Evolutionary Processes, Population and Community Ecology, and Systematics and Biodiversity Science. DEB also encourages interdisciplinary proposals that cross conceptual boundaries and integrate over levels of biological organization or across multiple spatial and temporal scales.
Division of Integrative Organismal Systems Core Programs (IOS)
The Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) Core Programs Track supports research to understand why organisms are structured the way they are and function as they do. Proposals are welcomed in all core scientific program areas including developmental biology, evolution of developmental processes, nervous system structure and function, biomechanics, functional morphology, physiological processes, symbioses, microbial interactions, interactions with biotic and abiotic environments, plant and animal genomics, and animal behavior. Proposals should focus on organisms as a fundamental unit of biological organization, with systems approaches leading to conceptual and theoretical insights about emergent organismal properties. The IntBIO Track invites collaborative proposals to tackle bold questions in biology requiring integrated approaches spanning sub-disciplines, incorporating cutting-edge methods to produce groundbreaking biological discovery that is synergistic, producing novel holistic understanding of how biological systems function and interact across different scales of organization from molecules to ecosystems.
Chemical Evolution of the Solid Earth and Volcanology (CESEV)
The Chemical Evolution of the Solid Earth and Volcanology (CESEV) program aims to advance fundamental knowledge about the origin and evolution of our home planet including its core, mantle, and continental crust. The program encourages a wide range of laboratory, field, experimental, theoretical, and/or computational studies that explore the continuous high-temperature igneous and metamorphic geochemical and petrologic processes that shape the Earth. Volcanology and magmatic processes, ore deposits and economic geology, and geochronology are all in the purview of this program. Research in these areas can help improve our understanding of volcanic and other natural hazards, and the distribution of mineral and other natural resources. The program supports analytical methods such as major and trace element geochemistry, stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry, and geochronology. It also supports experimental studies on the chemical properties of minerals, rocks, and supercritical fluids at high temperatures; laboratory experiments on volcanic systems; thermodynamic modeling of high temperature geochemical and mineral-forming processes; and physical and chemical volcanology.
Life and Environments Through Time (LET)
The Life and Environments Through Time (LET) program supports research that advances knowledge about the patterns and processes relating to the origin and evolution of Earth's climate, environments, life, and sedimentary record. This research takes place at the molecular, local, regional, and global scales from the Archean Eon through the Holocene epoch. LET projects address research questions by integrating geobiology, geochemistry, paleobiology, paleoecology, sedimentology, and sedimentary geology archives, proxies, techniques, and concepts. LET welcomes projects that challenge the conceptual bases, have broad implications, and inform future research directions on these disciplines. LET-supported research can be useful for predicting and planning for future global change, and for the maintenance and security of ecosystem services and human societies.
Structure and Physics of the Solid Earth (SPSE)
The Structure and Physics of the Solid Earth Program (SPSE) aims to advance fundamental knowledge about the ongoing dynamical processes over the age of the Earth that evolve the structure of planet Earth and underpin geohazards. SPSE supports research at all temporal and spatial scales, from the Earth's core to its lithosphere, encompassing a wide range of disciplines including structural geology, tectonics, and geophysics. Through laboratory, field, theoretical, and computational studies, the program supports research that can help improve our understanding of natural hazards including earthquakes and mass flows, as well as Earth's formation and its magnetic field. Research areas include fundamental physical processes that underpin geohazards, deformation processes and their tectonic drivers, physical and rheological properties of Earth materials, mantle structure and dynamics, core structure and geodynamo, and global and planetary-scale processes.
Water, Landscape, and Critical Zone Processes (WaLCZ)
The Water, Landscape, and Critical Zone Processes program supports research on the Earth's near-surface environment and how that environment responds to change. The Program focuses on the complex interplay amongst and between hydrologic, geomorphic, and geochemical processes and how they regulate the structure and function of the Earth's near surface. These processes drive weathering and soil development, control water availability and quality, and help regulate the Earth's climate system, all of which are important for natural resource sustainability and mitigation of natural hazards. The program supports robust, hypothesis-driven research that investigates underlying mechanisms or controls on the Earth's near-surface environment. Projects may be contained within a single traditional research domain (e.g. hydrology, geomorphology, environmental geochemistry) or involve multiple domains. It is expected that the research funded in this program will advance fundamental knowledge in Earth surface processes, leading to transformational discoveries in Earth Sciences.
NSF/CASIS Transport Phenomena Research at the International Space Station to Benefit Life on Earth
The NSF/CASIS Transport Phenomena Research program is a partnership between the National Science Foundation and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) to support research projects in fluid dynamics, particulate and multiphase processes, combustion and fire systems, thermal transport processes, nanoscale interactions, and manufacturing methods that utilize the International Space Station (ISS) National Lab. The program seeks to conduct fundamental and translational research that benefits life on Earth by exploiting the unique microgravity environment of the ISS. Eligible projects must demonstrate how ISS utilization will enable research goals that will lead to Earth-based applications and increase the return on U.S. investment in the ISS National Lab. NSF provides funding for research, experiment preparation, data analysis, and dissemination, while CASIS supports all costs associated with translating experiments to flight experiments aboard the ISS, including crew training, payload transport, and on-orbit operations.
NSF-DFG Lead Agency Opportunity in Chemistry and Chemical Process and Transport Systems
The NSF-DFG Lead Agency Opportunity facilitates collaborative research between US and German researchers in Chemistry and Chemical Process and Transport Systems. This opportunity reduces barriers to international collaboration by allowing US and German research teams to submit a single collaborative proposal that undergoes a single review process, while funding organizations maintain budgetary control over their awards. The goal is to enhance opportunities for collaborative activities between US and German research communities under a Memorandum of Understanding between NSF and DFG. Proposals eligible for funding must have a research focus within the scope of participating divisions at both NSF (Division of Chemistry and Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems) and DFG (Divisions of Physics and Chemistry and Engineering Sciences 1). Proposals must provide a clear rationale for the need for US-German collaboration, including the unique expertise and synergy that the collaborating groups will bring to the project. The lead agency (either NSF or DFG) is determined by where the largest proportion of research lies, and the results of the review process are shared among the appropriate divisions before making final recommendations.
Computer and Information Science and Engineering: Future Computing Research (Future CoRe)
The NSF CISE Directorate supports research and education projects that develop new knowledge in all aspects of computing, communications, and information science and engineering through the Future Computing Research (Future CoRe) programs. This comprehensive solicitation covers 11 research programs spanning algorithmic foundations, communications and information foundations, computer systems research, computing education research, cyber-physical systems, foundations of emerging technologies, human-centered computing, information integration and informatics, networking technology and systems, robust intelligence, and software and hardware foundations. The program anticipates a portfolio of awards with a range of budgets and durations, including projects of smaller scope, with typical projects being approximately $150,000 to $250,000 per year and 3 to 4 years in duration. Projects are discouraged from exceeding $300,000 in any single year. Both single-program focused research and interdisciplinary research spanning multiple programs are welcome.
NSF STEM K-12 (STEM K-12)
The NSF STEM K-12 program in the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) in the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) supports fundamental, applied, and translational research that advances STEM teaching and learning and improves understanding of education across the human lifespan and a range of formal and informal settings. The program encourages innovative, multidisciplinary, and potentially transformative projects that build theory, generate new knowledge, and inform education practices in a rapidly evolving technological landscape with advances in emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI). Proposals submitted to the STEM K-12 program may focus on learning or instruction in any field(s) of STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) and may involve a variety of contexts in which teaching and learning take place, including formal education (pre-K to 12) and informal learning environments. The program also supports projects that identify and address salient issues involved in translating research into educational practice for any STEM field, as well as projects that leverage insights from educational practice to drive fundamental research.
NSF National Innovation Corps Teams (NSF National I-Corps (TM) Teams) program
The NSF National I-Corps Teams program provides NSF-funded researchers additional support in the form of entrepreneurial education, mentoring, and funding to accelerate the translation of knowledge derived from foundational research into emerging products, processes, and services that may attract subsequent third-party funding. The program utilizes experiential learning of customer and industry discovery to quickly assess the translational potential of inventions. Teams participate in an online curriculum including entrepreneurial immersion training, weekly training meetings, and customer discovery activities. The outcomes are threefold: a decision on a clear path forward based on business model assessment, substantial evidence for or against product-market fit with identification of customer segments and value propositions, and a narrative of technology demonstration for potential partners. The program is designed to support the commercialization of 'deep technologies' revolving around foundational discoveries in science and engineering.
Collaboratory to Advance Mathematics Education and Learning (CAMEL) for K-12
The Collaboratory to Advance Mathematics Education and Learning (CAMEL) for K-12 initiative aims to advance mathematics learning and education through purposeful collaboration that draws on the interdisciplinary Science of Learning (including neuroscience; cognitive, developmental, and social sciences; computer science; machine learning; engineering; and education research), deep experiences in education practice and teaching, and innovations in the use of data science, AI and technology. Through an agreement with philanthropic partners, including the Walton Family Foundation (WFF), CAMEL consists of two phases. Phase I invites proposals for the creation of new research networks to support the generation of high value datasets that aim to advance math learning and education. These research networks must include researchers who study the basic science of learning, education practitioners, and data scientists. The high value dataset may come from either generating a new dataset or by increasing the value of an existing dataset. Phase II, open only to awardees of Phase I, establishes a 'collaboratory,' which is a socio-technological platform that prioritizes community-building and capacity-building to sustain collaborative efforts to advance math learning and education in K-12.
NSF Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award (TRAILBLAZER)
The NSF Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award (TRAILBLAZER) program supports individual investigators who propose novel research projects with the potential to innovatively and creatively address new areas of fundamental or applied research, catalyze development of new industries or capabilities that increase the leadership position for the country, and/or make significant progress towards addressing a national need or grand challenge, particularly in current priority areas including artificial intelligence (AI), bioengineering, quantum engineering, robotics, and nuclear engineering. TRAILBLAZER will support engineers and scientists who leverage their distinctive track record of innovation and creativity to pursue new research directions that are distinct from their previous or current research areas. A distinctive feature of the TRAILBLAZER program is that the PI must demonstrate how their track record of innovation and creativity will be uniquely leveraged to pursue new research directions that are distinct from their previous or current research areas. TRAILBLAZER PIs are expected to develop a compelling vision for the proposed research and lead an effective team to conduct the proposed research activities. All funded TRAILBLAZER projects will form an NSF TRAILBLAZER cohort, and principal investigators will be expected to participate in an annual meeting.
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps ensure the quality, vitality, and strength of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. Since 1952, the program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, including STEM education. NSF GRFP was established to recruit and support individuals who demonstrate the potential to make significant contributions in STEM, including STEM education. Each fellowship provides three years of support over a five-year fellowship period. For each of the three years of support, NSF provides a $37,000 stipend and $16,000 Cost of Education allowance payment to cover all tuition and mandatory fees to the graduate degree-granting institution. The fellowship is portable and can be transferred to a different institution of higher education if a fellow chooses to transfer after completion of the first fellowship year. NSF encourages applications from the full spectrum of talent that the U.S. has to offer. While the fellowship is offered to the individual, the fellowship funds are awarded to the institution of higher education at which a fellow is enrolled, and the institution is responsible for disbursement of the stipend to the fellow.
At a Glance
- Total Funding Opportunities
- 118
- Active Now
- 36
- Source Domain
- nsf.gov
Catalog Data
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