The U.S. National Science Foundation offers grants and supplemental funding to early-career researchers working across a wide range of research areas.
This page highlights key funding opportunities especially appropriate for early-career researchers at the rank of assistant professor or equivalent position. Visit our other pages to explore funding for postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates.
Early-career researchers are also eligible (and encouraged) to compete for NSF's core grants, special initiatives and other funding mechanisms. Explore these opportunities on NSF's Funding Search page.
On this page
Building Research Capacity of New Faculty in Biology (BRC-BIO)
The BRC-BIO program supports pre-tenure faculty in the biological sciences at non-R1 institutions, enabling them to increase their research capacity and build independent research programs.
Awards provide up to $450,000 plus $50,000 for equipment over a 36-month period. Equipment costs exceeding $50,000 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Early-career researchers affiliated with minority-serving institutions, predominantly undergraduate institutions and other non-R1 institutions are eligible to apply. See the BRC-BIO webpage for more detail.
Proposals are accepted annually through Research.gov or Grants.gov, typically in May. Visit the BRC-BIO webpage to learn more about the program, proposal requirements and upcoming due dates.
Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)
The CAREER program provides support to early-career faculty — at the assistant professor or equivalent rank — 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.
Recipients will receive a minimum of $400,000 over a five-year period.
Applicants must hold at least a 50% tenure-track (or tenure-track equivalent) position as an assistant professor or equivalent title.
Faculty members who are associate professors or adjunct faculty (or equivalent appointments), with or without tenure, are not eligible for the CAREER program. See the CAREER program webpage for more details.
CAREER proposals are accepted annually through Research.gov or Grants.gov, typically in July. Learn more about the program, proposal requirements and upcoming due dates on the CAREER program webpage.
Check out NSF 101 for some tips on how to apply.
Career-Life Balance Supplemental Funding Requests
The Career-Life Balance initiative focuses on reducing the rate at which early-career researchers depart from the STEM workforce.
Career-Life Balance supplements allow NSF-funded researchers to support additional personnel — such as a technician or research assistant — when an investigator, postdoctoral fellow or graduate student is on family leave for primary dependent care responsibilities or other direct family considerations.
Supplements provide up to $30,000 for up to six months of salary or stipend support for additional personnel. If applicable, requests may also include fringe benefits and associated indirect costs. Tuition fees are not included.
Principal investigators and co-PIs of active NSF grants or cooperative agreements are eligible to submit a supplemental funding request.
Requests for supplemental funding support must be submitted through Research.gov. Refer to Chapter II.F.8 of NSF's Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) for more information.
Computer and Information Science and Engineering Research Initiation Initiative (CRII)
CRII supports early-career scientists at non-R1 institutions in computer and information science and engineering who lack access to organizational resources, enabling them to undertake exploratory research and develop collaborations and new approaches.
Awards provide up to $175,000 over a 24-month period.
Early-career researchers affiliated with either non-R1 institutions or nonprofit, non-academic institutions are eligible.
Applicants that have received any other grants or contracts in the principal investigator role from any department, agency or institution of the federal government are ineligible.
Visit the CRII webpage for more information.
CRII proposals are accepted annually through Research.gov or Grants.gov, typically in September. Learn more about the program and proposal requirements on the CRII webpage.
EArly-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER)
The EAGER funding mechanism supports exploratory work in early stages on untested but potentially transformative research ideas or approaches that are considered “high-risk, high-reward.”
EAGER proposals are reviewed internally by NSF, which allows for shorter time between proposal submission and available funding. Awards provide up to $300,000 for a period of up to two years.
Refer to PAPPG Chapter I.E. for eligibility requirements.
Principal investigators must submit a concept outline to NSF before they submit an EAGER proposal. Concept outlines can be submitted either by email to an NSF program officer whose expertise is most germane to the proposal topic or through NSF's Program Suitability & Proposal Concept Tool.
Refer to PAPPG Chapter II.F.3 for EAGER proposal requirements.
Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER)
The ECR: BCSER program supports activities that advance STEM education research.
The program's Investigators New to STEM Education Research awards support investigators new to STEM education research in developing the requisite knowledge and skills needed to conduct rigorous research in STEM education.
These awards provide up to $350,000 over a three-year period.
Investigators who are new to STEM education research are eligible to submit Investigators New to STEM Education Research proposals. The program accepts other types of proposals as well; visit the ECR: BCSER webpage to learn more.
ECR: BCSER proposals are accepted annually through Research.gov or Grants.gov, typically in the spring. Visit the ECR: BCSER webpage to learn more about the program, proposal requirements and upcoming due dates.
Engineering Research Initiation (ERI)
The ERI program supports new investigators at non-R1 institutions as they initiate their engineering research programs and advance in their careers as researchers, educators and innovators.
These awards provide up to $200,000 over a 24-month period.
Investigators holding a doctoral degree in a field supported by NSF who are affiliated with a non-R1 institution and have not been a principal investigator on a federal research grant are eligible to apply.
ERI proposals are accepted annually through Research.gov or Grants.gov, typically in the early fall. Visit the ERI webpage to learn more about the program, proposal requirements and upcoming due dates.
EPSCoR Research Fellows
EPSCoR Research Fellows supports early- and mid-career investigators located in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions to further develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to U.S. private, government or academic research centers.
Proposals can only be submitted by certain types of investigators at institutions of higher education or nonprofits located in RII-eligible jurisdictions. See the EPSCoR eligibility page for more details.
Proposals are accepted annually in April through Research.gov or Grants.gov. Visit the EPSCoR Research Fellows webpage to learn more about the program, proposal requirements and upcoming due dates.
Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (LEAPS-MPS)
The LEAPS-MPS program supports the research of pre-tenure faculty in mathematical and physical sciences, with an emphasis on those at institutions that traditionally do not receive significant NSF funding, such as minority-serving institutions, predominantly undergraduate institutions and R2 universities.
LEAPS-MPS awards provide up to $250,000 of support over a 24-month period.
Applicants must be in the pre-tenure period as a tenure-track (or tenure-track equivalent) faculty member. Visit the LEAPS-MPS webpage for more details.
LEAPS-MPS proposals are accepted annually through Research.gov or Grants.gov, typically in January. Visit the LEAPS-MPS webpage for program details, proposal requirements and upcoming due dates.