The U.S. National Science Foundation notices of funding opportunity listed on this page provide over $1.5 billion for foundational research to drive breakthroughs across the scientific enterprise.
The 12 new opportunities support a mix of long-horizon awards for ambitious, transformative research and rapid short-term grants to quickly test promising ideas to advance NSF's core mission to support foundational research that leads to scientific breakthroughs and opens new frontiers of knowledge.
For more than 75 years, NSF investments in foundational research have underpinned technological innovation across industries, strengthening U.S. economic competitiveness, enhancing national security, and improving quality of life for all.
BIO: Biological Sciences Core Research
Supports foundational and interdisciplinary research projects that expand knowledge of biology at any level of organization, from the molecular to the biome scale.
CISE: Expeditions in Computing
Supports the pursuit of ambitious, foundational research agendas that promise to define the future of computing and information.
ENG: Electrical, Communications, and Computing Systems (ECCS)
Supports foundational research for electrical, communications and computing systems.
ENG: Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI)
Supports foundational research projects for civil, mechanical, and manufacturing innovation.
ENG: Chemical, Bioengineering, Energy and Transport Systems (CBET)
Supports foundational engineering research for chemical, bioengineering, energy, and transport systems.
ENG: Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation: Wave-Based Computing
Supports foundational and transformative research to advance the development of computing approaches that harness the principles of wave dynamics.
GEO: Geosciences Core Research: Atmospheric, Geospace, Earth and Ocean Sciences
Supports foundational research projects that advance the frontiers of knowledge across all areas of the geosciences.
MPS Mathematical Sciences Research Programs (MPS MathSci)
Supports multiple research programs at the frontiers of discovery in theoretical and applied mathematical sciences.
MPS Materials Research Programs (MPS Materials)
Supports multiple materials research programs that advance fundamental understanding of materials, their properties, and their potential applications.
MPS Physics Research Programs (MPS Physics)
Supports multiple research programs at the frontiers of discovery in physics.
MPS Chemistry Research Programs (MPS Chem)
Supports multiple disciplinary research programs in chemistry that connect molecular-level understanding to advances across different domains.
MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro)
Supports foundational astronomical sciences research and instrumentation focused on exploring space and advancing fundamental understanding of the universe.