Print

Active funding opportunity

This document is the current version.

NSF 26-523: MPS Physics Research Programs (MPS Physics)

Program Solicitation

Document Information

Document History

Create a PDF

To save a PDF of this solicitation, select Print to PDF in your browser's print options.

View the program page
Solicitation

Program Solicitation NSF 26-523

NSF Logo

U.S. National Science Foundation

Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

Proposals Accepted Anytime

Target submission dates vary by program. See the individual program webpages for details.

NSF encourages submissions ahead of programs' posted target dates to ensure proposals are considered during the corresponding panel review cycle. Proposals not received by the target date may not be reviewed until the following panel review cycle.

Important Information and Revision Notes

Proposals are accepted at any time. Target submission dates vary by program. See the individual program webpages listed below for preferred target dates.

NSF encourages submissions ahead of programs' posted target dates to ensure proposals are considered during the corresponding panel review cycle. Proposals not received by the target date may not be reviewed until the following panel review cycle.

Proposals must be prepared in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Use the version of the guide that is in effect on the proposal's due date.

Summary of Program Requirements

General Information

Program Title:

MPS Physics Research Programs (MPS Physics)

Synopsis of Program:

The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (NSF MPS) supports multiple research programs at the frontiers of discovery in physics. Physics research supported by NSF MPS enables understanding of the fundamental aspects of nature at all scales, from the quantum effects inside atoms to the mysterious dark energy spanning the entire universe.

The core research programs covered by this funding opportunity are:

The cross-cutting research programs covered by this funding opportunity are:

NSF MPS is particularly interested in intellectually ambitious and potentially transformative foundational research. Proposals need not promise a near-term product, deployment, or commercial outcome, nor need they address later-stage development to be competitive.

NSF Priorities

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) supports foundational research that leads to scientific breakthroughs and opens new frontiers of human knowledge. NSF investments in scientific discovery underpin technological innovation across industries, strengthening U.S. economic competitiveness, enhancing national security, and improving quality of life for all Americans.

NSF's priority under this funding opportunity is to advance foundational research, spanning both incremental advances that build systematically on prior scholarship and bold, high-risk inquiries capable of reshaping entire fields. NSF places particular emphasis on projects that challenge prevailing paradigms, ask important questions, develop new theories or methods, create research tools or datasets that enable further research, or open new lines of inquiry. Proposals need not promise a near-term product, deployment, or commercial outcome, nor must they address later-stage development in a named technology priority to be competitive. NSF further recognizes that the most consequential discoveries increasingly emerge at the boundary between disciplines, and it therefore strongly encourages proposals that forge novel connections across scientific domains.

Within this mandate, NSF is especially interested in intellectually ambitious and potentially transformative research; work that creates opportunities for exceptional early-career investigators; and proposals that leverage emerging technologies, including AI, advanced computation, and automation, to make new modes, methods, or scales of science possible. The use of these tools should be scientifically justified rather than incidental. Beyond accelerating existing workflows, such tools open fundamentally new scientific questions, reveal patterns invisible to prior methods, and enable experimental and analytical capabilities.

To support this vision, NSF seeks proposals spanning a wide range of funding levels and project durations. NSF is working to expand opportunities at both ends of this spectrum, including rapid grants that allow researchers to quickly test exploratory ideas and longer, larger awards that provide sustained support for ambitious, transformative research. For preliminary or time-sensitive work, NSF encourages investigators to use mechanisms such as Planning Proposal, RAPID, EAGER, and RAISE (see Chapter II.F of the PAPPG for more information). Where longer awards would benefit the pursuit of ambitious, transformative research and reduce administrative burden on investigators, NSF encourages proposals requesting up to five years of support. Investigators may consider the options above, and others, outside of the project sizes and durations specified in this funding opportunity.

NSF welcomes submissions from all researchers, particularly those earlier in their careers and those working in the foundational research areas highlighted in the Administration's FY28 Research and Development Budget Priorities Memorandum. NSF also expects the highest standards of scientific rigor, transparency, reproducibility, research integrity, and adherence to tenets of Gold Standard Science in proposals, as appropriate for the field of science and research modality.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):

  • 47.049 - Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant or Cooperative Agreement

Estimated Number of Awards: 300

Anticipated Funding Amount: $180,000,000

Estimated program budget and number of awards are subject to the availability of funds.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

  • Letters of Intent: Not required
  • Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required

  • Full Proposals:

B. Budgetary Information

  • Cost Sharing Requirements:

    Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

  • Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:

    Not Applicable

  • Other Budgetary Limitations:

    Not Applicable

C. Due Dates

  • Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

    Proposals Accepted Anytime

    Target submission dates vary by program. See the individual program webpages for details.

Proposal Review Information Criteria

Merit Review Criteria:

National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review criteria apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions:

Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Reporting Requirements:

Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.

I. Introduction

In alignment with the Administration's Fiscal Year 2028 Research and Development Budget Priorities Memorandum, the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (NSF MPS) supports multiple foundational physics research programs. These programs empower our understanding of nature from the smallest quantum effects inside atoms to the physical functions of cells and living systems to the universe-spanning forces that govern the movement and structure of galaxies.

NSF investment in the physical sciences has led to transformative results for Americans. NSF-supported foundational physics research led to increasingly powerful ways to accelerate and control particles, enabling our understanding of the interplay between energy and matter and how it shapes the world around us. NSF-supported research on chirped-pulse amplification revealed how to produce ultrashort, powerful laser pulses, enabling technologies now used in precision manufacturing and eye surgery. NSF-supported research into plasma and optical physics enabled more precise control techniques that underlie precision-etching semiconductor technology, critical in all sectors of the modern economy. NSF-supported research into how atoms interact with electromagnetic fields has produced increasingly precise ways to measure atomic interactions and eventually atomic clocks. Subsequent work showed that laser light could even slow and trap atoms near absolute zero, making those measurements even more precise. The resulting advancements in controlling atoms built the foundation for quantum computing and sensing and now underpin the position, navigation, and timing used for communications.

NSF MPS physics programs support multiple types of foundational research, including theoretical, experimental, computational and observational studies. The programs provide funding for:

  • Single investigators and groups
  • Centers, institutes and national user facilities
  • Multidisciplinary collaborations with other scientific fields
  • Equipment and instrument development
  • New tools and techniques, such as AI and machine learning

NSF anticipates a portfolio of awards for these programs with a range of budgets, durations and scopes, all of which are subject to the availability of funds.

II. Program Description

This funding opportunity invites proposal submissions to the following NSF MPS physics research programs:

  • Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics - Experiment
    Supports experimental research on the fundamental quantitative understanding of atoms and molecules, their interactions with each other and their interaction with light, and the application of AMO methods to fundamental science in other areas of physics.

  • Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics - Theory
    Supports theoretical and computational studies of atomic and molecular structure; atomic and molecular interactions, including collisions and photoionization/photodetachment; quantum optics; quantum information and ultracold phenomena in Bose and Fermi gases.

  • Elementary Particle Physics - Experiment
    Supports laboratory research that explores the fundamental building blocks of matter and their forces by probing, directly or indirectly, particle interactions.

  • Elementary Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology - Theory
    Supports research in theoretical high-energy physics, including collider physics, supersymmetry, extra space-time dimensions, unification and string theory. Also supports theoretical cosmology, including big bang cosmology and new ideas from particle physics.

  • Gravitational Physics
    Supports gravitation research and infrastructure, including data analysis for gravitational-wave detectors, instrumentation development and characterization at NSF Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (NSF LIGO), and foundational research in classical and quantum gravity theory.
  • Integrative Activities in Physics
    Supports interdisciplinary physics research; research experiences for undergraduates in physics; and education and training of undergraduate and graduate physics students, especially associated with large physics facilities.
  • Nuclear Physics - Experiment
    Supports experimental research at the frontiers of nuclear physics in the following areas: nuclear astrophysics, structure and reactions; nuclear and hadron quantum chromodynamics; precision measurements of fundamental symmetries and constants.
  • Nuclear Physics - Theory
    Supports research on fundamental theoretical aspects of nuclear physics, model building and applications to astrophysical phenomena and experimental programs at particle accelerator facilities.
  • Particle Astrophysics - Experiment
    Supports research on the fundamental nature of matter, energy, space and time in the following areas: cosmic phenomena, underground physics and IceCube research support.
  • Physics of Living Systems
    Supports theoretical and experimental research that explores the fundamental physical processes used by living systems, with a focus on basic physical principles that underlie biological function.
  • Plasma Physics
    Supports foundational research in plasma physics including study of magnetized plasmas, high-energy-density plasmas, low temperature plasmas, strongly coupled plasmas, non-neutral plasmas, and intense field-matter interaction in plasmas.
  • Quantum Information Science
    Supports theoretical and experimental physics research towards foundational understanding of quantum information science and technologies. Supported work may be synergistic with other areas such as mathematics or computer science.

The cross-cutting research programs covered by this funding opportunity are:

  • Advanced Physics Instrumentation
    Supports the acquisition, development and/or implementation of the advanced instrumentation needed for NSF MPS physics research programs.

  • Focused Research Hubs in Theoretical Physics

    Supports teams to advance cutting-edge foundational research in theoretical physics, enhance the impact of the field and foster the development of the next generation of scientists in theoretical physics.

  • Physics at the Information Frontier
    Supports the development of science-driven cyberinfrastructure through advances focused on the convergence of big data and high-performance computing and algorithm development.

NSF welcomes proposals that fit within a single program as well as multidisciplinary proposals that span multiple programs.

  • See the individual program webpages for more information on each program's scope.
  • Proposals may be co-reviewed by multiple programs at the discretion of the cognizant program officers.
  • Principal Investigators (PIs) should submit a single proposal to one program rather than submitting multiple related proposals to several programs.

All proposals to these programs should be submitted through this funding opportunity, unless specified otherwise in another NSF funding opportunity, such as:

PIs considering submitting more than one proposal to this funding opportunity, or who already have an active award under this funding opportunity, should contact the relevant program before preparing a new proposal. This does not apply to renewals or to awards from or submissions to programs covered by other funding opportunities.

Proposals judged to be outside the scope of the program to which they were submitted may be returned without review. NSF encourages proposers to consult with program officers before submitting a proposal.

All proposals should advance one or more of the following measures of success:

  • Publications from research or other scholarly outputs
  • Data sets established or expanded
  • Patents developed
  • New technologies or techniques established
  • Undergraduates, graduates and postdoctoral fellows supported
  • Research facility usage

Conferences and workshops

PIs should contact the appropriate program prior to submitting a proposal for a conference or workshop.

Letters of collaboration

Letters of collaboration should not be included unless the involvement of the external collaborator is critical for the success of the proposed research. Such letters should state only the intent to collaborate. Letters should not endorse or evaluate the proposed project. See proposal preparation instructions below for further information.

Information sharing with partners

When permitted under a memorandum of understanding between NSF and another funding agency or private foundation, NSF may share information from proposals for consideration of joint funding. NSF may invite employees of partner organizations to attend merit review panels as observers.

Long-duration projects

Proposed activities to achieve a focused goal supported by several awards over multiple cycles are considered long-duration projects. Long-duration projects are encouraged where scientifically merited, in line with the Administration's Fiscal Year 2028 Research and Development Budget Priorities Memorandum. Proposals for such activities should indicate expected project duration and milestones. PIs planning to propose a long-duration effort should contact the relevant program.

Arctic or Antarctic infrastructure

PIs proposing instrumentation or infrastructure intended for use in the Arctic or Antarctic, or proposing projects requiring logistical support in these regions, are required to consult with the relevant program prior to submitting a proposal. Copies of that correspondence must then be provided to NSF. Failure to do so may result in a proposal being returned without review.

III. Award Information

Estimated program budget and number of awards are subject to the availability of funds.

IV. Eligibility Information

Who May Submit Proposals:

The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), Chapter I.E. Unaffiliated individuals are not eligible to submit proposals in response to this solicitation.

Who May Serve as PI:

There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals Per PI or Co-PI:

  • No limit intended. However, NSF strongly encourages single proposal submission for possible co-review rather than submission of multiple related proposals to several programs.
  • PIs considering submitting more than one proposal to this funding opportunity, or who already have an active Physics award, are encouraged to first consult with the relevant program before preparing a new proposal. This does not apply to awards from or submissions to the MRI, REU, and/or center programs, or cases of renewal proposals.

V. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Research.gov or Grants.gov.

You must prepare your proposal according to Chapter II.D.2 of the PAPPG, unless this solicitation specifies different instructions. Always use the version of the PAPPG in effect on your proposal's due date.

In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:

Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via Research.gov. PAPPG Chapter II.E.3 provides additional information on collaborative proposals.

Follow all the proposal preparation instructions in the PAPPG and pay special attention to the areas below:

Collaborator and Other Affiliations (COA)

A COA form must be submitted as a single copy document for every senior personnel member listed on a proposal. For large collaborations or large author lists, the form should only list those people with whom the senior personnel have collaborated in a direct and substantive way. Listing a collaboration name or providing a collaboration URL is not sufficient.

Current and Pending Support
For each source of support, PIs should include a brief statement describing the overall objectives of the associated project. PIs should also summarize potential overlap in scope, budget or personnel with other NSF-funded projects. The total proposed award amount (including indirect costs) must be provided as well as the number of person-months (or partial person-months) per year to be devoted to the project.

Note that the proposal budget and the current and pending support sections are used for different purposes in NSF's merit review process. The review process will include an assessment of the proposers' ability to carry out the proposed research considering the other commitments.

Letters of collaboration or membership

Letters of collaboration should only be included for external collaborators that are critical for the success of the proposed research. No other information should be included in these letters. The letters must be submitted as supplementary documents and follow this format:

  • "If the proposal submitted by Dr. [full name of the Principal Investigator] entitled [proposal title] is selected for funding by NSF, it is my intent to collaborate and/or commit resources as detailed in the project description."

Proposals containing letters which do not follow this format may be returned by NSF without review.

Letters of membership in a scientific collaboration sent by the collaboration's spokesperson or equivalent are also allowed. These letters must be submitted as supplementary documents and follow this format:

  • "The [name of PI's institution] group is a member in good standing of the [name of collaboration], including [name of PI] as a member of that group."

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:

Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

C. Research.gov/Grants.gov Requirements

You can submit proposals in response to this solicitation through Research.gov or Grants.gov, unless otherwise noted.

Information on how to prepare and submit proposals is available on the Submitting Your Proposal page on NSF.gov.

VI. NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures

Information on NSF's proposal processing and review procedures is available on the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page on NSF.gov.

A. Merit Review Principles and Criteria

All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board-approved merit review criteria:

  • Intellectual Merit, which encompasses the potential to advance knowledge.
  • Broader Impacts, which encompass the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.

Information on NSF's merit review principles and process can be found on the How We Make Funding Decisions page on NSF.gov.

Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria

Proposals requesting support from the Advanced Physics Instrumentation program or for a long-duration effort may be evaluated by NSF using site visits. NSF uses site visits to assess proposal's technical aspects, cost, schedule, management or other aspects.

For proposed long-duration efforts, NSF may review:

  • Performance schedules and life-cycle planning
  • Previous successes and milestones achieved (for proposals seeking renewed funding)
  • How it compares to other long-term scientific efforts and priorities

Proposals seeking additional support after the original long-duration efforts have been phased out will be reviewed by NSF as new long-duration efforts.

B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by

Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review, Internal NSF Review, Site Visit Review, or Reverse Site Review.

Proposals will be evaluated according to the standard NSF merit review criteria of intellectual merit and broader impacts. The review process will include ad hoc reviewers as needed in combination with review panels and internal NSF reviews. At least two primary reviewers will be assigned to each research proposal. Triage mechanisms will be utilized as appropriate.

External review will not be required for conference, workshop, or symposium proposals up to $200,000.

After a proposal passes an initial compliance check, it will be reviewed by an NSF Program Officer. In most cases, three or more external experts will also review it (either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists or both).

Visit the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page for more information on the proposal review and selection process.

In alignment with Executive Order 14332 (Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking), all else being equal after merit review, NSF may give preference to institutions with lower indirect cost rates.

VII. Award Administration Information

A. Notification of the Award

Notification of an award is made to the submitting organization by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer.

B. Award Conditions

Information on NSF award conditions can be found on the Award Terms and Conditions page on NSF.gov and Chapter VII of the PAPPG.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements:

Information on administrative and national policy requirements can be found on the National Policy Requirements for Recipients of NSF Awards page on NSF.gov.

Consistent with the requirements specified in 2 CFR § 200.332, recipients of NSF awards must adhere to the requirements for pass-through entities in establishing and managing subawards issued ensuring alignment with Administration and NSF policies and priorities.

In alignment with Executive Order 14332 (Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking), proposers should be aware that NSF awards offered under this funding opportunity may include termination for convenience provisions.

Special Award Conditions:

NSF anticipates conducting comparative reviews of selected long-duration efforts on an as-needed basis. The intent of the review is primarily a strategic evaluation aimed at setting long-term scientific priorities. Such a review provides external advice about relative priorities within a given program. A review report for each long-duration effort will be made available to its principal investigators. One possible recommendation of the comparative review may be to phase out support for a long-duration effort and, where applicable, operation of associated instrumentation. For activities that have been phased out, any request for additional funding will be reviewed as a new long-duration effort. Since the affected activities may have different award dates, the review may also cover these activities at different stages of an award. A long-duration effort review report will also provide context for reviews of future proposals from individuals and groups who wish to use associated instrumentation.

C. Reporting Requirements

Unless your award notice says otherwise, NSF requires the principal investigator of every grant to submit annual project reports and a project outcomes report for the general public. For complete reporting requirements, see Chapter VII of the PAPPG.

VIII. Agency Contacts

For questions related to the use of NSF systems contact:

  • Research.gov: NSF IT Service Desk at rgov@nsf.gov or 1-800-381-1532. The Service Desk is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except for federal holidays).

For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:

  • Grants.gov: The Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726. (Contact if the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from Grants.gov within 48 hours of submitting an application.)

For the Advanced Physics Instrumentation Program, contact appropriate core research program listed above.

IX. Other Information

For information on NSF directorates, programs and funding opportunities, go to NSF.gov.

The following information is current at the time of publishing. See the individual program webpages below for any updates to the points of contact.

About the National Science Foundation

The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency created by the "National Science Foundation Act of 1950." More information about NSF can be found on NSF.gov.

  • Location:

Randolph Building, 401 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

  • General Information

(703) 292-5111

  • TDD (for the hearing-impaired):

(703) 292-5090

Privacy Act and Public Burden Statements

The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the "National Science Foundation Act of 1950," as amended. More information can be found on the Privacy Act and Public Burden Statements page on NSF.gov.

Top