The National Science Foundation (NSF) on Aug. 17 released 12 funding opportunities providing more than $1.5 billion for foundational research, advancing a portfolio-based approach to grantmaking that matches funding mechanisms and award durations to the type of research being supported.
NSF said the opportunities span basic and use-inspired research across science and engineering. The portfolio includes long-horizon awards for ambitious research, while the agency is also encouraging greater use of its existing rapid, short-term grant mechanisms to quickly test promising ideas.
“The investment that we are announcing today will enable researchers to accelerate fundamental research, giving rise to the transformational breakthroughs that will power our future,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director.
The opportunities place particular emphasis on research that challenges existing paradigms, connects disciplines, and uses artificial intelligence, advanced computation, and automation to enable new science. Where scientifically justified, NSF is encouraging researchers to request awards of up to five years for long-term research questions rather than producing incremental results to secure subsequent awards.
NSF also plans structured experiments in proposal design, award duration, review methods, and funding speed. The agency said it will assess whether those changes improve the quality and ambition of scientific results and plans to scale the changes over the long term as appropriate.
The new solicitations are shorter, fewer in number, and easier to navigate, according to NSF. The agency said the changes are intended to reduce paperwork and open funding opportunities to a broader cross-section of the country. They also complement NSF’s previously announced pilot changes to its merit review process, including mechanisms intended to surface unconventional proposals that may not advance through traditional consensus-driven review panels.
“NSF’s investments today ensure the United States continues to drive the scientific breakthroughs that underpin the industries of the future and will support a wider range of meritorious science by matching the size, speed and duration of an award to the character of the research it supports,” said Michael Kratsios, assistant to the president and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Early-career researchers are especially encouraged to apply across the funding opportunities. The 12 opportunities cover research in biological sciences; computer and information science and engineering; engineering; geosciences; and mathematical and physical sciences, including computing, materials research, physics, chemistry, and astronomy.