U.S. National Science Foundation Grants

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The National Science Foundation's Fluid Dynamics program funds fundamental research into the physics of fluid phenomena — turbulence, transition, bio-fluids, non-Newtonian flows, microfluidics, and wind/ocean energy harvesting — through experiments, theory, and computation. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any entity type), though NSF research awards in practice go mainly to universities and research organizations. No specific award ceiling or deadline is stated; consult the full solicitation for eligibility clarifications.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The National Science Foundation's Life and Environments Through Time program funds research on the origin and evolution of Earth's climate, environments, life, and sedimentary record from the Archean to the Holocene. Only non-profit non-academic organizations (such as independent museums and research labs in the U.S.) and accredited two- and four-year institutions of higher education acting for their faculty may apply; for-profit businesses and individuals are not eligible applicants. Funding to international branch campuses of U.S. institutions requires special justification; no award range or deadline is stated.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The National Science Foundation's Geospace Cluster funds fundamental research on Earth's near-space environment and the Sun-Earth system, including aeronomy, magnetospheric physics, and solar-terrestrial physics using ground- or space-based observations, modeling, and lab work. Eligibility is described as unrestricted (open to any entity type), but in practice NSF research awards go primarily to universities and research organizations. No specific award ceiling or deadline is stated; check the full solicitation for any eligibility clarifications.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Up to $35K

The NSF High-Risk Research in Biological Anthropology and Archaeology (HRRBAA) program gives small awards to assess the feasibility of high-risk anthropological research projects, often in remote or difficult settings, with results meant to inform a fuller proposal later. Eligibility is unrestricted across NSF's standard applicant types, but investigators must first contact the cognizant NSF program director to confirm the work qualifies as high-risk. Awards are small, up to about $35,000, and no fixed deadline is listed.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Condensed Matter and Materials Theory (CMMT) program funds fundamental theoretical and computational research on hard and soft materials and materials phenomena, including data-centric and machine-learning approaches. Eligible applicants are limited to U.S. institutions of higher education and U.S. non-profit, non-academic research organizations such as museums and research laboratories; for-profit firms and individuals cannot submit. No specific award amount or deadline is listed, and there are limits on the number of proposals per principal investigator.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Energy, Power, Control, and Networks (EPCN) program funds research on modeling, optimization, learning, and control of networked systems, electric power and energy systems, power electronics, and related machine-learning methods. Eligibility is unrestricted across NSF's standard applicant types (primarily universities and research organizations), so most academic and nonprofit research entities can apply. No specific award amount or deadline is listed.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

NSF's Plant Genome Research Program funds genome-scale plant biology research and related tools/technology development, and is restricted to U.S. nonprofit research organizations and accredited institutions of higher education. General nonprofits, small businesses, and individuals are not eligible. No specific funding amount is listed for this program.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

NSF's Engineering Design and Systems Engineering program funds fundamental research on design science and systems science, covering topics such as design optimization, robotics, and design cognition. Eligibility is unrestricted among standard NSF applicant categories, effectively meaning research institutions and research-focused organizations. No specific award amount is listed for this solicitation.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The National Science Foundation's Infrastructure Systems and People program funds fundamental, often interdisciplinary research on the design, operation, monitoring, and resilience of infrastructure systems (physical, organizational, and operational) under normal and extreme conditions such as natural disasters and disruptions. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, though NSF research proposals are in practice submitted by universities, eligible nonprofit research organizations, and similar entities rather than individuals. Award amounts and deadlines are not specified here; consult the official solicitation for budget and submission details.

U.S. National Science Foundation · $25K–$1.2M

Open to U.S.-based nonprofit non-academic organizations (such as independent museums, observatories, research labs, and professional societies tied to research/education) and to accredited U.S. institutions of higher education acting for their faculty. NSF's Infrastructure Capacity for Biological Research (Capacity) Program funds building or scaling shared research infrastructure in three areas — cyberinfrastructure, biological collections, and biological field stations/marine laboratories — with awards ranging from about $25,000 up to $1.2 million. It excludes instrumentation (use the MRI program) and infrastructure built for a single project or lab; resources are expected to be openly accessible and serve a broad research community.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

NSF's Combustion and Fire Systems program funds fundamental research on combustion science and fire behavior to support clean energy, pollution reduction, and public safety. Eligibility is unrestricted (open to any entity type per NSF's standard rules), but no specific funding amount or deadline is listed in this record, so applicants should consult the full NSF solicitation for award size and submission windows.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Economics program supports a broad range of research on the U.S. and world economy, including econometrics, finance, labor, macroeconomics, public finance, and more, plus conferences, data collection, and Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIGs). Eligibility is unrestricted (open to any entity type per NSF rules), and the program encourages interdisciplinary work and proposals broadening participation. Note that DDRIG proposals must be submitted by a faculty member on behalf of a graduate student, not by the student directly; no specific amount or deadline is listed here.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Up to $200K

NSF's EPSCoR Workshop Opportunities program funds workshops (up to $200,000) addressing multi-jurisdictional research themes, but only for institutions of higher education, eligible nonprofits, or federally recognized tribal nations located within designated EPSCoR-eligible states and territories. Organizations outside EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions do not qualify, making this a geographically restricted opportunity.

U.S. National Science Foundation · $50K–$600K

This NSF program funds early-stage collaborative projects that build research data infrastructure supporting public access and open science, bringing together cyberinfrastructure researchers, data and library experts, and research labs. Eligibility is unrestricted, so most entity types may apply, though successful projects rely on cross-disciplinary teams typically based at universities and research organizations; proposals are accepted year-round. Awards range from about $50,000 to $600,000.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF program funds fundamental engineering research to improve quality of life for people with disabilities, covering areas like neuroengineering, rehabilitation robotics, and assistive technologies. Eligibility is unrestricted, so most entity types may apply, though proposals are typically led by universities and research organizations; note that NSF does not support clinical trials and high-risk/high-reward work is encouraged. Funding amounts and deadlines are not specified here.

U.S. National Science Foundation · $5K–$5M

NSF's Division of Environmental Biology funds ecological and evolutionary research from populations to ecosystems, with award amounts ranging widely from about $5,000 up to $5,000,000. Eligibility is restricted to U.S. nonprofit research organizations and accredited institutions of higher education, so general nonprofits, small businesses, and individuals do not qualify.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Thermal Transport Processes program funds fundamental engineering research on thermal transport phenomena (heat and mass transfer, convection/diffusion/radiation, phonon transport, and related thermodynamics). Eligibility is unrestricted in type of entity, but in practice NSF research awards go to universities, research institutions, and qualifying organizations and businesses submitting strong research proposals. Specific award amounts and deadlines are not stated in this listing; confirm current deadlines on the NSF program page before applying.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The National Science Foundation's Atmosphere Cluster funds fundamental research on atmospheric processes, including atmospheric chemistry, climate and hydroclimate dynamics, physical and synoptic meteorology, cloud and aerosol physics, and paleoclimate. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, though NSF proposals are in practice submitted by universities and research institutions; proposals are accepted at any time, with specific solicitations carrying their own deadlines. Award amount is not specified.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The National Science Foundation's Cellular and Biochemical Engineering program funds fundamental engineering research on cellular and biomolecular processes, including metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, protein and enzyme engineering, and biomanufacturing. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, but in practice NSF proposals are submitted by universities and research institutions, with proposers expected to address potential biomanufacturing impact. Proposals focused on tissue engineering, organ culture, or disease models fall outside this program's scope. Award amount and deadline are not specified.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The National Science Foundation's Professional Formation of Engineers (PFE) program funds projects that integrate engineering research and education to strengthen and expand the U.S. engineering workforce, across formal classrooms, maker spaces, apprenticeships, and workplaces. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any eligible entity), though NSF awards in practice typically go to universities and research institutions with a qualified principal investigator. Award amounts and deadlines are not specified here, so consult the full solicitation.