Funding Opportunities
The NSF Engines funding opportunity is currently closed. NSF anticipates future calls for proposals, pending availability of funds. To stay in the loop about future funding calls and opportunities to engage, sign up for our newsletter.
Broad agency announcement
NSF Engines broad agency announcement, or BAA, is the official policy document for the program. It includes deadlines, proposal instructions and guidance for the submission process.
Learn more by reading the broad agency announcement.
Not familiar with a broad agency announcement?
NSF has started issuing BAAs as a new form of funding opportunity. A BAA is a type of funding opportunity used by NSF to invite proposals for research and education across science and engineering.
NSF Engines Type-2 finalists review and selection information
NSF recently announced 16 finalists for the first-ever NSF Engines competition, spanning nearly all key technology areas and societal and economic challenges highlighted in the "CHIPS and Science Act." The NSF Engines will be led by universities, nonprofits, businesses and other organizations from across U.S. states and territories. NSF is releasing the list of finalists to transparently encourage teaming among diverse organizations, innovation, and regional growth. To learn more about the finalists, read the announcement and view map of the NSF Engines finalists.
How did NSF arrive at the list of finalists? What is the process for selection?
NSF is conducting a multi-phase review process, assessing the specific review criteria outlined in the NSF Regional Innovation Engines Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). To date, NSF has conducted merit review panels to identify the subset of projects most directly aligned with these review criteria and conducted "virtual site visits” with the 34 semifinalist teams announced in June. During the virtual site visits, NSF considered a proposed NSF Engine’s effectiveness in achieving its objectives and its potential for long-term sustainability and better assess: the leadership team's ability to rapidly mobilize their NSF Engine in the first two years; the team's competitive advantages for their proposed effort; and the team's decisions around budget and resources for its planned research and development, translation, and workforce development efforts.
What's next for the NSF Engines finalists?
Later this summer and fall, NSF will conduct in-person site visits for the NSF Engines finalists. NSF program staff will use this visit to consider risks, resources to be made available to a given team, and that team’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances. These in-person site visits will ultimately assess a given team’s ability to grow or create a sustainable innovation ecosystem in its region.
How can organizations get involved or help NSF Engines finalists?
Please feel free to reach out directly to the NSF Engines finalists.
Will NSF announce the NSF Engines awards?
NSF anticipates announcing the list of NSF Engines awards in late 2023.
Preparation and Submission
This proposal submission guidance is for organizations that are new to NSF. It provides a walkthrough of the registration requirements that MUST be completed to submit a proposal to NSF. This guidance also includes a Lead organization journey and a sub-awardee organization journey for submitting an NSF Engines proposal via Research.gov.
SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity Identifiers
If your organization has not previously applied for a federal grant, your organization must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier, or UEI, which is a 12-character alpha numeric value, and must also register in the System for Award management (SAM).
Visit SAM.gov and complete the process through the “Register Your Entity or Get a Unique Entity ID” box. Scroll down on the page for FAQs.
Note: Registering with SAM.gov can take time, so start the process very early in the application window!
Videos on how to use SAM.gov