National Science Foundation

NSF Grant Opportunities

The National Science Foundation funds fundamental research and education across science and engineering, outside of medicine. Most proposals respond to a specific program solicitation and are submitted through Research.gov under the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

The programs below recur every year and are the ones research offices plan around. Open NSF funding opportunities from Grants.gov are listed further down.

NSF grant programs

Recurring programs with eligibility, award size, and deadlines. Confirm current details on each official program page.

NSF CAREERCAREER

NSF's most prestigious award for early-career faculty, integrating a research program with an education plan.

Deadlines: Once a year, with a single deadline typically in late July.

NSF GRFPGRFP

NSF's flagship fellowship supporting outstanding graduate students in STEM early in their studies.

Deadlines: Once a year, with field-specific deadlines in October.

NSF MRIMRI

An NSF program funding the acquisition or development of shared research instrumentation.

Deadlines: An annual window, with the competition's deadline announced in the current solicitation.

NSF SBIR/STTRSBIR/STTR

NSF's small-business programs funding startups developing deep-technology innovations with commercial potential.

Deadlines: Project Pitches are accepted on a rolling basis; full proposals are invited on a continuing schedule.

Open NSF funding opportunities

Search all open opportunities

Posted on Grants.gov and refreshed several times a day, soonest deadline first. Each one opens a page with how to apply.

NSF3 days left

Geometric Analysis

U.S. National Science Foundation

PD-22-1265Closes Nov 3, 2026

NSF3 days left

Topology

U.S. National Science Foundation

PD-22-1267Closes Nov 3, 2026

NSF4 days left

U.S. National Science Foundation State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs:

U.S. National Science Foundation

26-513Closes Nov 4, 2026

NSF16 days left

Applied Mathematics

U.S. National Science Foundation

PD-16-1266Closes Nov 16, 2026

NSF16 days left

Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants

U.S. National Science Foundation

22-624Closes Nov 16, 2026

NSF16 days left

Plasma Physics

U.S. National Science Foundation

PD-23-1242Closes Nov 16, 2026

NSF18 days left

National Science Foundation Fostering Interdisciplinary Networks to Develop Emergent and Responsive Solutions Foundry (NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY)

U.S. National Science Foundation

26-507Closes Nov 18, 2026

NSF31 days left

Computational Mathematics

U.S. National Science Foundation

PD-16-1271Closes Dec 1, 2026

NSF31 days left

Archaeology Program Senior Research Awards

U.S. National Science Foundation

23-566Closes Dec 1, 2026

How to apply for NSF funding

Find the program solicitation and note whether it uses deadlines, target dates, or accepts proposals at any time.
Confirm your organization's SAM.gov registration and your Research.gov account and role.
Prepare the project summary, project description, budget and justification, and the required SciENcv documents for senior personnel.
Your authorized organizational representative submits the proposal in Research.gov by 5:00 PM submitter's local time.

Start here

NSF guides

Grant closeout checklistEverything to submit and reconcile when a federal grant ends: final reports, financials, inventions, subawards, and the 120-day deadlines that can freeze future funding.Proposal submission checklistA pre-submission checklist for research proposals: solicitation review, internal routing, budget, compliance, and sponsor-system steps to hit the deadline cleanly.Understanding F&A ratesWhere your institution's F&A rate comes from, what it's applied to, and why small budgeting choices change how much indirect cost an award recovers.Subrecipient monitoring checklistThe prime recipient's obligations when part of a project is subawarded: subrecipient determination, risk assessment, flow-down terms, and ongoing monitoring.Research.gov guideHow to sign in to Research.gov, the NSF roles that control who can prepare and submit, and a walkthrough of preparing and submitting an NSF proposal under the PAPPG.Reading your Notice of AwardThe parts of a Notice of Award that determine what you can spend, when, and what needs prior approval, plus the terms that cause disallowed costs if missed.Direct vs. indirect costsThe difference between direct and indirect costs on research grants, with examples of each, the gray areas like administrative salaries, and how indirect costs are calculated from your F&A rate.De minimis indirect cost rateThe de minimis indirect cost rate explained: the 15% rate under 2 CFR 200.414(f), why NIH awards still use 10%, who is eligible, and how to calculate it on modified total direct costs.No-cost extensionsWhat a no-cost extension is, NIH and NSF rules for first and subsequent extensions, deadlines, what to include in the justification, and reasons that do not qualify.

Templates

Grant Budget TemplateA five-year research grant budget in Excel that calculates fringe, the NIH salary cap, the MTDC base, and F&A automatically.Budget Justification TemplateA free budget justification (budget narrative) template for research grants, organized by the federal R&R budget categories, with example language for personnel, fringe, equipment, travel, other direct costs, subawards, and F&A.NSF Letter of Collaboration TemplateA free NSF letter of collaboration template using the single-sentence format in the NSF PAPPG, with rules on endorsements, where to upload, and the NIH version planned under NOT-OD-26-094.Grant Tracking Spreadsheet TemplateA free grant tracking spreadsheet in Excel for proposals, active awards, and deadlines, with burn rate and time-elapsed formulas, days-until-due countdowns, and status flags.No-Cost Extension Request Letter TemplateA free no-cost extension request letter template for prior-approval extensions at NIH, NSF, DoD, and other sponsors, with a justification structure, required details, and reasons that do not qualify.Grant Management ChecklistA free grant management checklist for research awards, organized by stage: before submission, at award, during the award, and at closeout, with the deadlines and approvals that most often slip.

Calculators

Salary & fringe calculatorCalculate requested salary and fringe benefits for every person on a grant, across up to 10 budget years, with annual escalation and an optional NIH salary cap.NSF summer salaryCalculate summer salary for NSF proposals from a 9- or 12-month base salary, and check the request against the NSF limit of two months of salary per year across all NSF awards.F&A & MTDC calculatorBuild the Modified Total Direct Cost base, apply your F&A rate, and see total direct costs, indirect costs, and the full award total, with the usual MTDC exclusions handled.Grant burn rateCompare the share of a grant spent and encumbered with the share of the award period elapsed, see the average monthly burn, the monthly spend needed to finish on budget, and the projected run-out date.

Forms and submission systems

NSF Research.govNSF proposal preparation, submission, and annual project reports.SciENcvBiosketches and Current & Pending (Other) Support documents.NSF PAPPGNSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide.

Key NSF terms

Person-Months Participant Support Costs Letter of Intent Biographical Sketch Current & Pending (Other) Support Data Management & Sharing Plan Expanded Authority Responsible Conduct of Research Research Security & Disclosure

For any federal award

Guides, templates, and definitions that apply to NSF awards and every other federal sponsor.

Grant Letter of Intent TemplateA free grant letter of intent (LOI) template with two versions: the short NIH letter of intent requested in many funding opportunities, and a foundation LOI that pitches the project before a full proposal.

Notice of Funding Opportunity System for Award Management Unique Entity Identifier Authorized Organization Representative F&A (Facilities & Administrative) Costs Modified Total Direct Costs Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200)

Frequently asked questions

How do I submit an NSF proposal?

Through Research.gov, by your organization's authorized organizational representative, following the PAPPG and the program solicitation.

What is the most competitive NSF award for early-career faculty?

The Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) is NSF's most prestigious award for early-career faculty, combining research and education over five years.

Does NSF accept letters of support?

Generally no. NSF accepts letters of collaboration in a set format, and letters of support only when a solicitation requires them.

Opportunities from other sponsors

NIH grants DoD / CDMRP grants DOE grants NASA grants USDA / NIFA grants

Track NSF proposals and awards

GrantsManager keeps every deadline, budget, and report in one place for PIs and research administrators.

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