NSF funding programs

NSF Grants for Faculty toolkit: NSF’s standard proposal is based on the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). This toolkit will help to develop a faculty-led standard NSF research or education project proposal. (Note: If you are using this toolkit for a specific NSF program or solicitation, the instructions may deviate from the PAPPG guidelines for a given section of the application. The program or solicitation instructions/guidance supersede the PAPPG guidance.) 

NSF AIMing toolkit (NSF 24-554; MPS, CISE): The Artificial Intelligence, Formal Methods, and Mathematical Reasoning (AIMing) program supports research at the interface of AI, computer science, mathematics, and statistics that assists and accelerates both mathematical discovery as well as discovery in related disciplines.

Upcoming deadline: 2/5/2026

NSF AISL toolkit (NSF 24-601; EDU): The Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) is the only NSF program that exclusively investis in research and practice on how people learn STEM outside of formal education (i.e., not in the classroom). 

Upcoming deadline: 1/14/2026

NSF AMPS toolkit (NSF 22-569; MPS): The Algorithms for Modern Power Systems (AMPS) program supports research focusing on developing the next generation of mathematical and statistical algorithms for improvement of the security, reliability, and efficiency of the modern power grid. 

Upcoming deadline: 2/9/2026

NSF BIO Divisions toolkit (BIO): This toolkit can be used to prepare proposals to the following BIO Divisions Core programs:

• (NSF 24-543) Division of Environmental Biology Core Programs (DEB)
• (NSF 24-546) Division of Integrative Organismal Systems Core Programs (IOS)
• (NSF 24-539) Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Core Programs (MCB) 

Deadline: Proposals accepted anytime. 

NSF CAREER toolkit (NSF 22-586; NSF-wide): CAREER Awards provide support for research and education plans of not yet tenured tenure-track faculty in STEM and NSF-recognized social science disciplines. 

Upcoming deadline: 7/22/2026

This toolkit is updated every April.

NSF Conference toolkit (See PAPPG, NSF-wide): This program supports conferences in special areas of science and engineering that bring experts together to discuss recent research or education findings or to expose other researchers or students to new research and education techniques. 

Deadline: Open (A conference proposal should generally be submitted at least one year in advance of the scheduled conference date.)

NSF CPS toolkit (NSF 24-581; CISE, ENG): The Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) program supports research on engineered systems with a seamless integration of computation and physical components. Core research areas of the program include control, data analytics, and machine learning, including real-time learning for control, autonomy, design, Internet of Things (IoT), mixed initiatives including human-in- or human-on-the-loop, networking, privacy, real-time systems, safety, security, and verification. CPS accepts three types of proposals: small, medium, and Frontier.

Upcoming deadlines: Small and medium proposals: Accepted anytime; Frontier proposals: 8/28/2025  

NSF CSSI toolkit (NSF 22-632; NSF-wide): The Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI) program supports three project classes in the development, deployment, and sustainability of cyberinfrastructure (CI) within and across NSF Directorates/Divisional programs: Elements for small groups that will create and deploy robust services for which there is a demonstrated need; Framework Implementations for larger, interdisciplinary teams; and Transition to Sustainability for groups who would like to execute a well-defined sustainability plan for existing CI.

Upcoming deadline: 12/1/2025

The Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (DDRIG) (SBE) program provides partial funds for doctoral dissertation projects in various programs of the SBE Directorate of NSF. We have toolkits for the following DDRIG programs:

• NSF BA-DDRIG toolkit (NSF 23-504): Biology Anthropology DDRIG 

  Upcoming deadline window: 7/20/2025 - 7/31/2025

• NSF CA-DDRIG toolkit (NSF 24-605): Cultural Anthropology DDRIG 

  Upcoming deadline: 8/15/2025

• NSF DRMS-DDRIG toolkit (NSF 23-618): Decision, Risk, and Management Sciences DDRIG 

  Upcoming deadline: 8/18/2025

NSF DMR:TMRP toolkit (NSF 23-612; MPS/DMR): The Division of Materials Research: Topical Materials Research Programs (TMRP) program support projects that advance the fundamental understanding of materials, materials discovery, design, synthesis, characterization, properties, and materials-related phenomena. 

Upcoming deadline: Proposals accepted anytime (except during the following window: April 15th to June 15th).

NSF ECR Core toolkit (NSF 21-588; EDU): The EDU Core Research (ECR: Core) program supports fundamental research that contributes to the general, explanatory knowledge that underlies STEM education in one or more of three broadly conceived Research Areas: Research on STEM Learning and Learning Environments, Research on Broadening Participation in STEM fields, and Research on STEM Workforce Development. 

Upcoming deadline: 10/2/2025

NSF GRFP toolkit (NSF 24-591; NSF-wide): The Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP) is a fellowship program that provides 3 years of support across 5 years to graduate students who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements and are seeking research-based master's and doctoral degrees in STEM or STEM education. 

Fields of Study: Chemistry; Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering; Engineering; Geosciences; Life Sciences; Materials Research; Mathematical Sciences; Physics and Astronomy; Psychology; Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences; and STEM Education and Learning

Upcoming deadlines: TBD, Anticipated October 2025

This toolkit is updated annually in the summer.

NSF Growing Convergence Research toolkit (NSF 24-527; NSF-wide): The Growing Convergence Research (GCR) opportunity targets transdisciplinary team research that crosses directorate or division boundaries and that is currently not supported by NSF programs, initiatives, and research-focused Big Ideas. 

Upcoming deadline: 2/9/2026

NSF HNDS toolkit (NSF 23-568; SBE): The Human Networks and Data Science (HNDS) program supports social science research that enhances the understanding of human behavior by leveraging data and network science research across a broad range of topics that provide data-rich insights about human networks to support improved health, prosperity, and security. There are two HNDS proposal tracks: 1) Human Networks and Data Science – Infrastructure (HNDS-I) and 2) Human Networks and Data Science – Core Research (HNDS-R). 

Upcoming deadlines: HNDS-R: 1/8/2026; HNDS-I: 8/7/2025

NSF IRES toolkit (NSF 24-506; NSF-wide): The International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) program supports the opportunity for cohorts of US-based students to travel to an international site to engage in collaborative research with the host institution.

Upcoming deadline: 10/27/2025

NSF PHY toolkit (NSF 23-615; MPS/PHY): The Division of Physics: Investigator-Initiated Research Projects (PHY) program supports physics research and the preparation of future scientists across a broad range of physics disciplines. 

Upcoming deadlines:

• Plasma Physics: 11/17/2025
• AMO - Theory and Experiment; Gravitational Physics - Theory and Experiment; LIGO Research Support; and Integrative Activities in Physics: 11/26/2025
• Elementary Particle Physics - Experiment and Particle Astrophysics - Experiment: 12/2/2025
• Nuclear Physics - Theory and Experiment; Elementary Particle Physics - Theory; Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology - Theory; Quantum Information Science; and Physics of Living Systems: 12/9/2025

NSF RET toolkit (NSF 24-503; ENG, CISE): The Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science program supports authentic summer research experiences for K-14 educators (includes community college) to foster long-term collaborations between universities, community colleges, school districts, and industry partners. 

Upcoming deadline: 10/8/2025

NSF REU toolkit (NSF 23-601; NSF-wide): The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active participation in STEM research by undergraduate students. This program draws on the integration of research and education to attract a diverse pool of talented students into careers in science and engineering and to help ensure that these students receive the best education possible. 

Upcoming deadline: 8/20/2025

NSF RFE toolkit (PD 24-1340; ENG): The Research in the Formation of Engineers (RFE) program seeks to advance our understanding of the professional formation of engineers (PFE). This includes deepening our fundamental understanding of the underlying processes and mechanisms that support professional formation and to demonstrate how professional formation is or can be accomplished. 

Deadline: Proposals accepted anytime

NSF S&CC toolkit (NSF 25-527, NSF-wide): The Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) program seeks to accelerate the creation of scientific and engineering foundations that will enable smart and connected communities to bring about new levels of economic opportunity and growth, safety and security, health and wellness, accessibility and inclusivity, and overall quality of life.  

Upcoming Deadlines: Preliminary proposals: 9/8/25; Full proposals: 11/10/25

NSF SCH toolkit (NSF 23-614; NSF-wide): The Smart Health and Biomedical Research in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Data Science (SCH) is an interagency NSF and NIH program that seeks to support the development of transformative, high-risk/high-reward advances in computer and information science, engineering, mathematics, statistics, and behavioral and cognitive research to address pressing questions in the biomedical and public health communities. 

Upcoming deadline: 10/3/2025