The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 with the mission to “…promote the progress of science, to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare, and to secure the national defense.” Today the NSF supports fundamental research in STEM disciplines- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
The NSF is organized much like an institution of higher education, with the Office of the Director acting much like a university’s Presidential Office and a National Science Board, acting much like a Board of Directors/Governors. Additionally, the NSF is organized into Directorates each housing Divisions, much like our Colleges house Departments. Currently the NSF is organized into 7 Directorates:
- Biological Sciences (BIO)
- Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE)
- Education & Human Resources (EHS)
- Engineering (ENG)
- Geosciences (GEO)
- Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS)
- Social, Behavioral, & Economic Sciences (SBE)
With an annual budget over $7.5 billion, the NSF supports 24% of all federally sponsored basic research conducted by USA’s colleges and universities, including CSU.
Grant types (or Mechanisms):
The NSF supports research through a variety of mechanisms including grants, cooperative agreements, fellowships, and contracts. In addition to supporting basic research, the NSF also supports career development, major equipment purchases, interdisciplinary projects, collaborations with industry, idea/project development, and education projects.
All NSF program solicitations can be found on the NSF funding page or in Grants.gov.
In addition to standard research proposals, following is a small sampling of programs offered by the NSF.
| NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program -Supports research participation by undergraduates in STEM disciplines -Institutions can apply to be an REU Site or can apply for an REU Supplement -Institution applies for funds; undergraduates apply to the institution -Generally awarded for 3 years -See the NSF REU program page for more details |
| NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program -Provides increased access to multi-user scientific and engineering instrumentation for research/training -Supports instrument development (up to 5 years) and acquisition (up to 3 years) -Two tracks: for request $100,000 to less than $1M or $1M to $4M -Limited submissions (work through CSU Research Acceleration Office) -See the NSF MRI program page for more details |
| NSF Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) -Supports collaborations between academic institutions and industry -Only one proposal per PI per fiscal year allowed; Industry co- investigator required -Duration and award amounts vary by program type -See the NSF GOALI program solicitation for more details |
Proposal Preparation, Merit Review, & Award Administration
On average, NSF awardees submit 2.5 proposals for every funded proposal. When making funding decisions, NSF takes into account the two NSF review criteria: intellectual merit and broader impacts along with other factors such as geographical location and synergistic proposals. To learn more about the NSF merit review process, click here.
Information on NSF proposal preparation, merit review, and award management can be found in the NSF Proposals & Awards Policies & Procedures Guide.
Learn More
Learn more about NSF programs and initiatives, proposal preparation, and the NSF merit review process by attending an NSF Grants Conference. The next NSF Grants Conference will be held May 20-21 in Los Angeles, CA.
NSF Funding: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/
NSF Merit Review: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/merit_review/
NSF Proposals & Awards Policies & Procedures: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappg19_1/index.jsp
Join us for “Applying to NSF” on February 21, 9-10:30 AM in 312 LSC
Join us for “NSF Awards” on February 26, 9-10:30 AM in 312 LSC
Blog post by Tricia Callahan, Senior Research Education & Information Officer, Office of Sponsored Programs, Colorado State University
Information sourced from the National Science Foundation (www.nsf.gov)