National Science Foundation

NSF seeks innovative mathematical theories and novel computational approaches to solve complex biological problems across all scales. Projects should leverage traditional mathematics, new mathematical frameworks, or AI/ML methods to advance understanding of dynamic biological systems.

Support collaborative research groups tackling major unsolved problems in mathematics and statistics through innovative, interdisciplinary approaches. Risky, high-impact projects addressing fundamental challenges with broad potential benefits across scientific fields.

NSF STEM K-12 funds fundamental and applied research to improve STEM teaching and learning across formal and informal educational settings throughout the human lifespan. The program advances understanding of how to make STEM education more effective and accessible.

Sustained funding for university-based materials research centers tackling fundamental science problems through multidisciplinary collaboration. MRSECs support infrastructure, industry partnerships, and a national network advancing materials discovery and education.

VINES supports fundamental research and technology development for next-generation intelligent networks spanning edge-to-cloud systems. The program aims to advance U.S. competitiveness in NextG wireless and emerging vertical industries while ensuring resilience and interoperability.

NSF seeks research projects that revolutionize engineering education and workforce development through new cultural or curricular innovations, or by adapting proven models to new contexts across higher education and workplace-based programs.

NSF seeks fundamental research on resource conservation, energy recovery, and environmental protection through biotechnology, AI, quantum engineering, and sustainable manufacturing. Projects focus on creating domestic energy sources, minimizing waste, and closing resource loops to strengthen U.S. industrial resilience.

NSF seeks fundamental research to optimize chemical and biochemical processes for efficiency, sustainability, and resilience across manufacturing, biotechnology, energy, and critical minerals. Projects should connect molecular-scale discoveries to industrial process and plant-scale applications.

EBBS funds engineering research to understand and control biological systems at all scales, from biomarker sensing to protein design and tissue restoration. The program combines fundamental mechanistic insights with experimental and computational techniques to develop innovative platforms and devices that advance human health and U.S. biotechnology leadership.

NSF seeks proposals to develop and operate national-scale cyberinfrastructure systems that enable data-intensive and AI-driven research across science and engineering disciplines. Projects will create integrated data services to advance open science innovation and education.

NSF seeks fundamental research on bidirectional human-machine interaction in physics-based environments. Projects should advance theory, modeling, or technologies for intelligent systems collaborating with humans in applications like disaster response, elder care, and dynamic workplaces.

NSF I-Corps Teams program accelerates translation of NSF-funded foundational research into commercial products and services. Provides entrepreneurial training, mentoring, and funding to validate market potential and attract third-party investment.

NSF supports early-career mathematical and physical sciences research at underrepresented institutions like R2 universities and minority-serving schools. This funding helps emerging faculty build competitive research programs and expand STEM workforce diversity.

NSF seeks interdisciplinary research on resilient infrastructure systems that function under extreme conditions—from natural disasters to technological disruptions. Projects should integrate systems thinking, data analytics, and socio-technical approaches to optimize design, operations, and performance across lifeline systems and communities.

NSF seeks rigorous research to understand research security threats, risks, and mitigation strategies across STEM fields. Projects should develop evidence-based insights, novel methodologies, and data-driven tools to inform U.S. research security policy and practice.

NSF funds rigorous social science research to understand how scientific discovery happens, how science communicates its value, and how research translates into societal benefits and evidence-based policy. Projects should develop new theories, models, and analytical tools that advance understanding of science's mechanisms and impact.

NSF funds educational initiatives and career development in Earth Sciences, including research internships for undergraduates and teachers, postdoctoral fellowships, and faculty research programs that integrate education with research to broaden participation in geosciences.

US-German collaborative research in chemistry and chemical processes seeks innovative scientific discoveries through streamlined international partnerships. The program reduces barriers by enabling single-proposal submission with unified review while maintaining separate funding control.

NSF supports faculty research at predominantly undergraduate institutions through RUI and ROA funding. These programs integrate research with undergraduate education, build institutional research capacity, and enable collaborations with research-intensive organizations across all scientific disciplines.