The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering (NSF ENG) invests in fundamental research and education to drive advances in manufacturing and materials, robotics and intelligent systems, and the built environment.
These investments lead to resilient civil infrastructure, spur emerging and critical technologies, and fuel the nation's economy, while advancing artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. They help prepare students across the U.S. to lead at the forefront of civil engineering, industrial engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, operations engineering, structural engineering and other fields.
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What we support
NSF ENG investments in civil, mechanical and manufacturing research expand what's possible through engineering and address national needs.
Advances in fundamental engineering are essential for the future manufacturing of semiconductor and quantum technologies; structures that survive earthquakes, storm surge and tornadoes; and intelligent systems that assist people and improve lives.
Core programs
ENG invests in fundamental engineering research and education through core programs. These core programs support individual researchers, small teams and interdisciplinary research spanning multiple programs.
The following ENG core programs advance civil, mechanical and manufacturing innovation.
Advanced Manufacturing
Supports research to fundamentally alter and transform manufacturing capabilities, methods and practices.
Biomechanics and Mechanobiology
Supports research to understand and control biological mechanics across multiple scales, from subcellular to whole organism.
Dynamics, Control and Systems Diagnostics
Supports research to advance the analysis, measurement, monitoring and control of dynamic systems.
Engineering Design and Systems Engineering
Supports research to improve the design of engineered artifacts, such as devices, products, processes, platforms, materials, organizations, systems and systems of systems.
Engineering for Civil Infrastructure
Supports research on infrastructure materials and architectural, geotechnical and structural engineering.
Foundational Research in Robotics
Supports research to develop robotic systems that exhibit significant levels of both computational capability and physical complexity
Infrastructure Systems and People
Supports research to advance the design, optimization, sustainability and resilience of infrastructure systems.
Manufacturing Systems Integration
Supports research to create digital technologies that enable connectivity, automation and secure collaboration in manufacturing.
Mechanics of Materials and Structures
Supports research to understand and control the behavior of deformable solid materials and structures under internal and external actions.
Mind, Machine and Motor Nexus
Supports research to enable safe, productive and adaptive interaction between intelligent engineered systems and people in complex and dynamic settings.
Operations Engineering
Supports research to advance analytical methods that improve operations in complex, decision-driven environments.
Centers and research infrastructure
ENG supports multidisciplinary research centers that bring together cutting-edge engineering, industry expertise and workforce development to address complex national challenges. These long-term partnerships allow new ideas to be developed, integrated and tested to make real, beneficial impacts on society.
The NSF AI Institute for Advances in Optimization is revolutionizing decision-making by fusing AI and mathematical optimization into intelligent systems for agriculture, energy, healthcare, manufacturing and supply chains, and other uses.
The NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering MechanoBiology is advancing the understanding, technologies and practices to control, recover, reuse and manage phosphorus, an element essential to food production.
Education and workforce development
ENG provides opportunities to improve engineering education and expand engineering workforce development to prepare engineers for rewarding careers in industries ranging from manufacturing and supply chains to construction and robotics.
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