Funding Wizard

The U.S. National Science Foundation seeks to build research capacity and infrastructure to address complex and compounding national and global crises whose solutions require a human-centered approach. To help generate effective and long-lasting solutions that benefit the entire U.S. public, NSF is providing this funding opportunity to inform possible future Centers for Research and Innovation in Science, the Environment and Society (CRISES). The envisioned centers will catalyze new research and research-based innovations to address seemingly intractable problems that confront our society. They will develop evidence-based solutions that address fundamental quality-of-life issues, such as those involving the environment, extreme weather and sustainability; workforce and the economy; equity and access to opportunities; and well-being. CRISES supports planning, conference and EAGER proposals to catalyze ideas that will potentially inform or serve as the basis for a larger, center-scale program. This opportunity supports researchers in the social, behavioral and economic sciences who use empirical methods to grapple with crises that impact individuals, families, organizations, regions, nations or our entire planet. The Centers for Research in Science, the Environment and Society initiative invites proposals to take the first steps toward developing large-scale interdisciplinary research activities that will address today’s crises and ultimately enhance people’s quality of life. NSF's Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate supports research to understand the social and behavioral aspects of our rapidly changing world and how these issues are affected by our social, economic and natural environments. Fundamental and use-inspired research supported by the directorate advances our understanding of people, organizations and society, while revealing emerging opportunities to address challenges affecting our ability to live healthy and productive lives.

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 theInteragency 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.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are interested in proposals that will propel our understanding of the biomedical research enterprise by drawing from the scientific expertise of the science of science policy research community. NSF promotes the progress of science by maintaining the general health of research and education across all fields of science and engineering. The Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate within NSF supports basic research on people and society. The SBE sciences focus on human behavior and social organizations; how social, economic, political, cultural and environmental forces affect the lives of people from birth to old age; and how people in turn shape those forces. SBE's Science of Science: Discovery, Communication and Impact Program (SoS:DCI) supports research designed to advance the scientific basis of science and innovation policy. The NIH is the U.S. federal agency charged with supporting biomedical research in the U.S.The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) within the NIH supports basic biomedical research that increases understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Both NSF and NIH believe that there are opportunities and needs for building and supporting research projects with a focus on the scientific research enterprise. The two agencies also recognize that when programmatic goals are compatible, coordinated management and funding of a research program can have a positive synergistic effect on the level and scope of research and can leverage the investments of both agencies. Therefore, NIGMS and SBE are partnering to enable collaboration in research between theSoS:DCI program and NIGMS. This partnership will result in a portfolio of high-quality research to provide scientific analysis of important aspects of the biomedical research enterprise and efforts to foster a diverse, innovative, productive and efficient scientific workforce, from which future scientific leaders will emerge. Prospective investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss theirproposals with the program officers before submission to determine project relevance to the priorities of both SBE and NIGMS. Specific questions pertaining to this solicitation can also be directed to the SBE and NIGMS program officers.

NSF-supported science and engineering research increasingly relies on cutting-edge infrastructure. With its Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program and Major Multi-user Research Facilityprojects (Major Facilities), NSF supports infrastructure projects at the lower and higher ends of infrastructure scales across science and engineering research disciplines. The Mid-scale Research Infrastructure Programs are intended to provide NSF with an agile, Foundation-wide process to fund experimental research capabilities in the mid-scale range between the MRI and Major Facilities thresholds.In alignment with NSF’s goal to bring together diverse disciplinary perspectives to support convergent research, proposals submitted in response to this solicitation will be managed by a cross-disciplinary team of NSF Program Directors. NSF defines Research Infrastructure (RI) as any combination of facilities, equipment, instrumentation, or computational hardware or software, and the necessary human capital in support of the same. Major facilities and mid-scale projects are subsets of research infrastructure. The NSF Mid-scale RI-2 Program supports the implementation of unique and compelling RI projects. Mid-scale RI-2 projects may include any combination of equipment, instrumentation, cyberinfrastructure, broadly used large-scale data sets, and the commissioning and/or personnel needed to successfully complete the project. Mid-scale RI-2 projects should fill a research community-defined scientific need, or address an identified national research priority, that enables current and next-generation U.S. researchers and a diverse STEM workforce to remain competitive in a global research environment. Mid-scale RI-2 projects will directly enable advances in any of the research domains supported by NSF, including STEM education research, and translational research. Projects may also include upgrades to existing research infrastructure. The total cost for Mid-scale RI-2 projects ranges from $20 million to below the threshold for a Major FacilityProject, currently $100 million. Preliminary and full proposals to the Mid-scale RI-2 Program with total project costs outside this solicitation's budgetary limits will be returned without review. The Mid-scale RI-2 Program emphasizes projects that have strong scientific merit, respond to an identified need of the research community, demonstrate technical and project management readiness for implementation, include a well-developed plan for student trainingin all activities leading to and including the implementation of the mid-scale research infrastructure, and involve a diverse workforce in mid-scale research infrastructure development, and/or associated data management. Training of students in design and implementation of the research infrastructure is essential. The Mid-scale RI-2 Program seeks to broaden the representation of PIs and institutions in its award portfolio, including a geographically diverse set of institutions (especially those in EPSCoR jurisdictions). PIs who are women, early-career researchers, members of groups that are underrepresented in STEM, and persons with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply. To improve participation in science and engineering research for persons with disabilities, Mid-scale RI-2 encourages PIs to incorporate accessibility as part of a Mid-scale RI-2 project. Please consult NSF’s Research Infrastructure Guide (RIG) NSF 21-107, (formerly the Major Facilities Guide) for definitions of certain terms used in this solicitation, such as the Project Execution Plan (PEP). Section 5 of the RIG provides guidance specific to Mid-scale Research Infrastructure Projects, including references to other parts of the RIG, as needed. Note that the PEP should be appropriately scaled for the complexity of the project and may not require all of the elements described in the RIG, Section 4. Project teams are strongly encouraged to include professional project management expertise at the earliest stages of proposal development. Mid-scale RI-2 will consider only the implementation (typically construction or acquisition) stage of a project, including a limited degree offinal development or necessary production design immediately preparatory to implementation. It is thus intended that Mid-scale RI-2 will support projects in well-developed states of project management and technical readiness for implementation, i.e., those that have already matured through previous developmental investments. Accordingly, Mid-scale RI-2 does not support pre-implementation (early-stage design or development) activities. Mid-scale RI-2 also does not support post-implementation research, operations or maintenance, the anticipated source(s) of support for which are expected to be discussed in the proposal. Note:Research infrastructure and instrumentation in the range just above the current Major Research Instrumentation Program threshold and below the Mid-scale RI-2 threshold is the subject of the Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 solicitation (NSF 22-637).

The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program provides support toenhance the research capabilities of minority-serving institutions (MSI) through the establishment of centersthat effectively integrate education and research. CREST promotes the development of new knowledge,enhancements of the research productivity of individual faculty, and an expanded presence of studentsunderrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The HBCU-RISE is a component of the CREST program that supports the expansion of institutional research capacity as well as the successful training of doctoral students, especially those from groups underrepresented in STEM at HBCUs. HBCU-RISE projects must have a unifying research focus in one of the research areas supported by NSF; a direct connection to the long-term plans of the host department(s) and the institution’s strategic plan and mission; and plans for expanding institutional research capacity as well as increasing the production of doctoral students, especially those underrepresented in STEM.

The Archaeology Program supports anthropologically relevant archaeological research to increase understanding of past behaviors. This means that the value of the proposed research can be justified within an anthropological context. It is the responsibility of the investigator to explain convincingly why the focus of their research is significant and has the potential to contribute to anthropological knowledge. The program sets no priorities by either geographic region or time period. It also has no priorities in regard to theoretical orientation or question. While the program, in order to encourage innovative research, neither limits nor defines specific categories of research, most proposals either request funds for field research or the analysis of archaeological material through multiple approaches.

This program supports the creation of a prototype Open Knowledge Network — an interconnected network of knowledge graphs supporting a very broad range of application domains. Open access to shared information is essential for the development and evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-powered solutions needed to address the complex challenges facing the nation and the world. Knowledge graphs, which represent relationships among real-world entities, provide a powerful approach for organizing, representing, integrating, reusing, and accessing data from multiple structured and unstructured sources using ontologies and ontology alignment. Currently, private-sector investments in knowledge graphs power numerous consumer applications including web search, e-commerce, banking, drug discovery, advertising, etc. Undertaking a similar but inclusive, open, and community-driven effort and making use of publicly available data holds the potential to create a platform that would empower government and non-government users — fueling evidence-based policymaking, continued strong economic growth, game-changing scientific breakthroughs, while addressing complex societal challenges from climate change to social equity. Projects funded by this program will provide an essential public-data infrastructure to power the next information revolution similar to the Internet — transforming our ability to unlock actionable insights from data by semantically linking information about related entities. This Proto-OKN solicitation will support research projects in the following categories: Theme 1 – Proto-OKN Use Cases: Projects in this category will develop a knowledge graph or “node” of the Proto-OKN that will address specific use-case challenges using well-identified data sets and a user-centric design process to help ensure usability and sustainability of the effort. Theme 1 Use Case projects will work in close collaboration with Theme 2 OKN Fabric projects to deploy their use cases on a common implementation fabric. Theme 1 proposals may request budgets up to $1.5 million with durations up to three years. The estimated number of awards is 8 to 10, subject to availability of funds. Theme 2 – Proto-OKN Fabric: Projects in this category will develop and deploy the necessary technologies to provide an “interconnecting fabric” for the Proto-OKN, to help link knowledge graphs developed across Theme 1 projects. Theme 2 teams will possess a strong track record of successful collaborations with technical as well as non-technical partners and will have the technical expertise necessary for successful execution. Theme 2 projects will work in close collaboration with Theme 1 Use Case projects to facilitate use of the OKN interconnecting fabric that will be created. Theme 2 proposals may request budgets up to $1.5 million with durations up to two years. The estimated number of awards is 1 to 2, subject to availability of funds.One or both Theme 2 projects can be potentially renewed for an additional two years for a budget up to $2 million, with a goal of creating one overarching OKN fabric. Theme 3 – Proto-OKN Education and Public Engagement: A single award will be made in this category for creating educational materials and tools targeted to the range of constituents who are expected to be engaged with the Proto-OKN. This includes end-users, senior executives/decision-makers, technical developers, students at the graduate, undergraduate, and middle and high school levels, and the public at large. The Theme 3 team will possess the breadth of expertise and experience necessary to produce education and training materials and public engagement content for a broad spectrum of partners. The Theme 3 grantee will work in close collaboration with Theme 1 and Theme 2 grantees to develop the educational, training, and outreach materials. Theme 3 proposals may request budgets up to $1.5 million with durations up to three years. The estimated number of awards is 1, subject to availability of funds.

HBCU-UP provides awardsto strengthen STEM undergraduate education and research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).Support is available through thefollowing tracks: Targeted Infusion Projects (TIP), which provide support to achieve a short-term, well-defined goal for enhancing and innovating undergraduate STEM education at an HBCU. Research on Broadening Participation in STEMprojects (BPR), which provide support for researchthat seeks to create and study new theory-driven models and innovations related to the participation and success of underrepresented groups in STEM undergraduate education, especially African Americans. Research Initiation Awards (RIA), which provide support for STEM faculty with no prior or recent research funding to pursue research at the home institution, another research-intensive institution, an NSF-funded research center, or a national laboratory. Implementation Projects (IMP), which provide support to design, implement, study, and assess comprehensive institutional efforts for increasing the number of students receiving undergraduate degrees in STEM and enhancing their preparation by strengthening STEM education and research. Broadening Participation Research Centers (BPRC),which provide support to create centers that conduct research on STEM education and broadening participation and build the intellectual infrastructure to facilitate the creation, integration, and transfer of new knowledge. Other Funding Opportunities include EArly-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER), Rapid Response Research (RAPID), conference, and planning grants.

Synthesis Centers are a mechanism used by NSF's Directorate for Biological Science (BIO) to bring together communities that leverage existing data to catalyze discoveries through synthesis, analysis, and integrative training. Research supported by the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS) in BIO focuses on organisms as integrated units of biological organization, i.e., why they are structured as they are and function as they do. IOS seeks to establish a new Synthesis Center to advance our ability to explain and predict organismal resiliency and plasticity in response to complex and dynamic environmental circumstances encountered over a lifespan through the synthesis of varied data sets and types that bridge multiple scales and levels. The Synthesis Center will enable innovative synthesis and analysis of available biological and related data by providing the vision, infrastructure, and expertise to advance new avenues of inquiry in organismal biology focused on organismal resilience and plasticity. To accomplish this vision, the Synthesis Center will adopt approaches that are based on open science, team science, and data-intensive methods that enable data synthesis, sharing and inclusive collaborations among researchers across multiple levels of biological inquiry that may include genomic, physiological, structural, developmental, behavioral, neural, immunological, and microbiological analyses across some or all the IOS subdisciplines. In addition to supporting data and knowledge synthesis, the Synthesis Center should train new generations of researchers in solving challenging research problems through data-intensive, open, cross-disciplinary, and collaborative science. The Synthesis Center is also expected to serve as an example in effectively engaging diverse scientists from different types of institutions and across multiple disciplines. These types of data syntheses are expected to provide the basis for fundamental scientific discoveries and/or potentially translational, use-inspired research. In doing so, the Synthesis Center will have a profound impact on the progress of science and society.

TheFluid Dynamicsprogram is part of the Transport Phenomena cluster, which also includes 1) theCombustion and Fire Systemsprogram; 2) theParticulate and Multiphase Processesprogram; and 3) theThermal Transport Processesprogram. TheFluid Dynamicsprogram supports fundamental research toward gaining an understanding of the physics of various fluid dynamics phenomena. Proposed research should contribute to basic scientific understanding using and/or creating innovative experimental, theoretical, and/or computational methods. Major areas of interest and activity in the program include: ·Turbulence and transition: High Reynolds number experiments; large eddy simulation; direct numerical simulation; transition to turbulence; 3-D boundary layers; separated flows; flow control; and drag reduction.High-speed boundary-layer transition and turbulence at Mach numbers greater than 5 to understand modal and/or non-modal interactions leading to boundary layer transition and the ensuing developing and fully developed turbulent boundary layer flows. ·Bio-fluid physics:Bio-inspired flows; biological flows with emphasis on flow physics. ·Non-Newtonian fluid mechanics:Viscoelastic flows; solutions of macro-molecules. ·Microfluidics and nanofluidics: Micro-and nano-scale flow physics. ·Wind and ocean energy harvesting:Focused on fundamental fluid dynamics associated with renewal energy systems or concepts. ·Fluid-structure interactions (FSI):Two-way coupled FSI applications across the low- to high-Reynolds number range are of interest to NSF. In addition, NSF-AFOSR (Air Force Office of Scientific Research) joint funding area is focused on theory, modeling and/or experiments for hypersonic applications. Proposals will be jointly reviewed by NSF and AFOSR using the NSF panel format. Actual funding format and agency split for an award will be determined after the proposal selection process. AFOSR participates in this initiative throughtheAerothermodynamics program(program officerDr. Sarah Popkin). ·Canonicalconfigurations:Experimental research is encouraged to develop spatiotemporally resolveddatabases for canonical configurations to either reaffirm historicaltheories/results or to provide data in an unexplored parameter region. Fidelity and completeness for theoretical/computational validation are key attributes of theproposed experimental data. ·Artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning:Innovative AI ideas related to the use of machine learning and other AI approaches in fluid dynamics research are encouraged to model and control the flows.Verifying new models with canonical configurations, when appropriate, is encouraged for submission to theComputational andData-Enabled Science & Engineering(CDS&E 8084) program. ·Instrumentation and Flow Diagnostics: Instrument development for time-space resolvedmeasurements; shear stress sensors; novel flow imaging; velocimetry; etc. NOTE:Proposals that use fluid flows as a boundary input condition or a driving force in a problem do not fit within the scope of this program.Proposals focused on particulates (including droplets) two-way coupled with fluids, colloids, and multiphase rheology and processes should be directed to theParticulate andMultiphase Processesprogram (CBET PD-1415). Proposals dealing mainly with materials synthesis, processing and characterization may be more suitable for theAdvanced Manufacturingprogramin the Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation (ENG/CMMI) orprograms in theDivision of Materials Research (MPS/DMR). Proposals focused on biological systems may be more suitable forPhysiological and Structural Systemsin the Division of Integrative Organismal Systems (BIO/IOS). INFORMATION COMMON TO MOST CBET PROGRAMS Proposals should address the novelty and/orpotentially transformative natureof the proposed work compared to previous work in the field.Also, it is important to address why the proposed work is important in terms of engineering science, as well as to also project the potential impact on society and/or industry of success in the research.The novelty or potentially transformative nature of the research should be included, as a minimum, in the Project Summary of each proposal. The duration of unsolicited proposal awards in CBET is generally up to three years. Single-investigator award budgets typically include support for one graduate student (or equivalent) and up to one month of PI time per year(awards for multiple investigator projects are typically larger). Proposal budgets that are much larger than typical should be discussed with the program director prior to submission. Proposers can view budget amounts and other information from recent awards made by this program via the "What Has Been Funded (Recent Awards Made Through This Program, with Abstracts)" link towards the bottom of this page. Faculty Early Career Development(CAREER)program proposals are strongly encouraged.Award duration is five years.The submission deadline for Engineering CAREER proposals is in July every year. Learn more in theCAREER program description. Proposals for Conferences, Workshops, and Supplements: PIs are strongly encouraged to discuss their requests with the program director before submission of the proposal. Grants forRapid Response Research(RAPID)andEArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research(EAGER)are also considered when appropriate.Please note that proposals of these types must be discussed with the program director before submission.Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI)proposals that integrate fundamental research with translational results and are consistent with the application areas of interest to each program are also encouraged. Please note that RAPID, EAGER, and GOALI proposals can be submitted anytime during the year. Details about RAPID, EAGER, and GOALI are available in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), Part 1, Chapter II, Section E: Types of Proposals. Compliance: Proposalsthat are not compliant with theProposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)will be returned without review.