National Science Foundation (NSF) Proposal Toolkit

National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to “promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare” by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering. An overview of Understanding NSF Research is available to provide descriptions of areas of research interests. A description for types of proposals provides guidance on the variety of proposals accepted, in addition to the standard research proposal.

Funding opportunities are provided through the NSF website; additional information about special requirements of individual NSF programs may be obtained from the appropriate Foundation program office. Information about most program deadlines and target dates for proposals are available on the NSF website. Program deadline and target date information also appears in individual funding opportunities and on relevant NSF Divisional/Office websites.

NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) requires electronic submission for all grant proposals via Research.gov. The NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) is the primary reference guidance for proposal development. Part I sets forth NSF’s proposal preparation and submission guidelines. Part II of the NSF PAPPG sets forth NSF policies and procedures regarding the award, administration, and monitoring of the Foundation’s grants and cooperative agreements. Frequently asked questions on proposal preparation and award management are also available for quick reference.

The new PAPPG Guide is effective for proposals submissions on or before May 20th, 2024.

Merit Review and Broader Impacts

All proposals must address the intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria specified in the program announcement. If the review criteria are not addressed the proposal will NOT be reviewed.

What is Merit Review?

Through its merit review process, the National Science Foundation (NSF) ensures that proposals submitted are reviewed in a fair, competitive, transparent, and in-depth manner. The merit review process is described in detail in Part I of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) which provides guidance for the preparation and submission of proposals to NSF.

What are broader impacts?

The broader impacts of a research project are those components that, beyond the advancement of knowledge, have the potential to benefit society and contribute to achievement of specific desired societal outcomes. The National Science Foundation (NSF) requires proposals to address the broader impacts in addition to the intellectual merit of the project.

Proposal Formatting, Requirements, and Sections

NSF Proposal Checklist

Note that some NSF program solicitations modify standard NSF proposal preparation guidelines, and, in such cases, the guidelines provided in the solicitation must be followed. The requirements specified for each type of proposal are compliance checked by NSF electronic systems prior to submission. Proposers are strongly advised to review Chapter II.D (for Research proposals) and the applicable sections of Chapter II.F. relevant to the other types of proposals being developed prior to submission. NSF will not accept or will return without review proposals that are not consistent with these instructions.

Sections of the Proposal

The sections described below represent the body of a research proposal submitted to NSF. Failure to submit the required sections will result in the proposal not being accepted, or being returned without review. See Chapter IV.B for additional information. A full research proposal must contain the following sections. Note: the PAPPG may use different naming conventions, and sections may appear in a different order than in Research.gov, however, the content is the same.

Special Programs

Faculty Early Career Program (CAREER)

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Activities pursued by early-career faculty should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from early-career faculty at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply.

EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER)

The EAGER funding mechanism may be used to support exploratory work in its early stages on untested, but potentially transformative, research ideas or approaches. This work may be considered especially "high risk-high payoff" in the sense that it, for example, involves radically different approaches, applies new expertise, or engages novel disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives. These exploratory proposals may also be submitted directly to an NSF program, but the EAGER mechanism should not be used for projects that are appropriate for submission as “regular” (i.e., non-EAGER) NSF proposals.
Transformative Research
Interdisciplinary Research
View All EAGER Awards

Rapid Response Research (RAPID)

In addition to standard research proposals, NSF also has the Rapid Response Research (RAPID) proposal type. This type of proposal is used when there is a severe urgency with regard to availability of, or access to, data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events. See PAPPG Chapter II.E.2 for additional information on RAPID proposals.

RAPID proposals are NOT for: (1) Projects appropriate for submission as regular NSF proposals. (2) Events that are unanticipated due to lack of awareness of timelines; or (3) Collection of only non-perishable data.
RAPID is a type of proposal used when there is a severe urgency with regard to availability of or access to, data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic events and similar unanticipated occurrences.

RAPID proposals are NOT for: projects that are appropriate for submission as "regular" NSF proposals; events that are unanticipated due to lack of awareness of timelines; or collection of only non-perishable data.

PIs are advised that they must submit a Concept Outline prior to submission of a RAPID proposal. This will aid in determining the appropriateness of the work for consideration under this type of proposal. Concept Outlines can be submitted either by email to a cognizant Program Officer or via ProSPCT. An NSF funding opportunity that includes RAPID proposals will provide specific guidance on submission of Concept Outlines using either email or via ProSPCT.

Research in Undergraduate Institutions and Research Opportunity Awards

Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA)

The Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA) funding opportunities support research by faculty members at predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs). RUI proposals support PUI faculty in research that engages them in their professional field(s), builds capacity for research at their home institution, and supports the integration of research and undergraduate education. ROAs similarly support PUI faculty research, but these awards typically allow faculty to work as visiting scientists at research-intensive organizations where they collaborate with other NSF-supported investigators.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation features two mechanisms for support of student research: (1) REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. REU Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department or may offer interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. Proposals with an international dimension are welcome. (2) REU Supplements may be included as a component of proposals for new or renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements or may be requested for ongoing NSF-funded research projects.

Proposal Writing and Other Resources

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