Updates to NSF Research Security Policies

On July 10, 2025, NSF issued an Important Notice providing updates to the agency's research security policies, including a research security training requirement, Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program annual certification requirement, prohibition on Confucius institutes and an updated FFDR reporting and submission timeline.

Award Terms and Conditions

This page contains the U.S. National Science Foundation's Award Terms and Conditions for its grants and cooperative agreements. When you receive an award notice from NSF, it will identify which conditions are applicable to your award.

Topics covered in these documents include awardee responsibilities, federal requirements, pre-award costs, no-cost extensions, significant project changes, travel, allowable costs, project reports, final report requirements and more.

Grant General Conditions

Unless otherwise specified, the Grant General Conditions apply to all recipients of NSF grant awards issued on or after October 1, 2024, including:

  • Institutions of higher education.
  • Nonprofit, non-academic organizations.
  • For-profit organizations, other than Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) recipients.
  • State and local governments and tribal nations.

The Grant General Conditions do not apply to the following awards and recipients:

  • NSF cooperative agreement recipients.
  • NSF fellowship awards made to individuals.
  • SBIR and STTR recipients.

The Grant General Conditions were expanded to incorporate the Research Terms and Conditions and Agency-specific Terms and Conditions, which have been archived.

Grant General Conditions (May 19, 2025) (PDF, 521.13 KB)

Applies to new grants and funding amendments to existing grants dated on or after May 19, 2025. The document includes the summary of changes.

Grant General Conditions (Oct. 1, 2024) (PDF, 650.51 KB)  

Applies to new grants and funding amendments to existing grants dated on or after Oct. 1, 2024. The document includes the summary of changes.

SBIR/STTR Terms and Conditions

General terms and conditions for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

SBIR/STTR Phase I General Terms and Conditions (May 19, 2025) (PDF, 405.48 KB)

Applies to new Phase I grants and funding amendments to existing grants dated on or after May 19, 2025.

SBIR/STTR Phase I General Terms and Conditions (Oct. 1, 2024) (PDF, 498.37 KB)

Applies to new Phase I grants and funding amendments to existing grants dated on or after Oct. 1, 2024.

Awards Made to International Organizations (FL 26) (May 19, 2025) (PDF, 206.49 KB)

Applies to new conference or group travel grants and funding amendments to existing conference/group travel grants made to international organizations that are dated on or after May 19, 2025. Document includes the summary of changes.

Awards Made to International Organizations (FL 26) (Oct. 1, 2024) (PDF, 178.17 KB)

Applies to new conference or group travel grants and funding amendments to existing conference/group travel grants made to international organizations that are dated on or after Oct. 1, 2024. Document includes the summary of changes.

International Research Terms and Conditions (May 19, 2025) (PDF, 483.78 KB)

Applies to new international research awards and funding amendments to existing international research awards that are dated on or after May 19, 2025. Document includes the summary of changes.

International Research Terms and Conditions (Oct. 1, 2024) (PDF, 503.96 KB)

Applies to new international research awards and funding amendments to existing international research awards that are dated on or after Oct. 1, 2024. Document includes the summary of changes.

Research Terms and Conditions

Effective October 1, 2024, the NSF Research Terms and Conditions and Agency-specific Terms and Conditions will no longer be issued as separate documents. These terms and conditions have been incorporated into the Grant General Conditions, Cooperative Agreement Conditions, and SBIR/STTR Terms and Conditions.

Recipients that received NSF awards issued prior to October 1, 2024, will follow the terms and conditions issued at the time of award.

The former Research Terms and Conditions and Agency Specific Terms and Conditions are accessible on the Research Terms and Conditions webpage, which also provides the supplemental appendices, agency-specific requirements for specific federal awarding agencies, and more.