Funding Search

You can find funding opportunities on this page. Or, explore funded awards or archived Dear Colleague Letters.

Toggle Search Tips

Search Tips & Definitions

Help topics

Current vs. archived opportunities
Keyword searches
Filter searches
Sorting results
Exporting results
Helpful definitions

1. Current vs. archived opportunities

By default the Funding Search page shows current (active) opportunities. To search archived (expired) opportunities instead, select the “Archived funding opportunities” radio button.

Archived results are denoted by an “Archived” label and do not contain due date information.

2. Keyword searches

By default, a keyword search returns results that contain any of the search terms entered. Results that contain more of the search terms will be considered more relevant and appear higher in search results.

Search for keywords

Keyword search shows results that match at least one of the keywords you use:

ecology → Shows results that include ecology.
racial equity → Shows results that include either racial or equity and gives higher relevance to results that include both.
23-561 → Shows results that include 23-561. (To search for a specific NSF or PD publication number, include the hyphen and omit NSF or PD.)

Exclude specific keywords

Use a minus sign (-) at the beginning of the word to exclude a specific term:

intelligence -artificial → Shows results that include intelligence but not artificial.

Require a keyword

Use a plus sign (+) at the beginning of the word to require a specific term:

artificial +intelligence → Shows results only if they include intelligence, and gives higher relevance to results that also include artificial.

Using exact match

Match exact terms using double quotes (" "):

"stem field" → Shows results that contain the exact phrase stem field — does not show results containing related phrases like stem fields.
"system" → Shows results that contain the exact term system — does not show results containing related words like systems or systematics.

Combining operators

You can combine the operators above to fine-tune your results:

+"artificial intelligence" algorithm +robot -machine → Shows results only if they include artificial intelligence (as an exact phrase) and robot, and excludes machine. Gives higher relevance to results that also include algorithm.

Capitalization/case

Case is ignored:

NIST and nist will return the same results.

What is searched?

When you perform a keyword search, the following funding opportunity fields are searched:

Title and subtitle.
Main text and synopsis.
Document or publication number.
Contacts.
Organization.
Metadata, such as keywords, which may not be visible to users.
Related programs.

Limiting searched fields

You can restrict the search to specific fields (title, subtitle or synopsis) by opening the "All fields" menu at the righthand side of the search box.

How are results ranked?

Funding search automatically boosts results where a word or phrase is found in the title, including the program abbreviation, over matches found elsewhere in the record.

3. Filter searches

Filters allow you to narrow results by matching specific attributes of funding opportunities. By default, no filters are applied.

Individual filters

Some filters are represented by a single toggle control. Toggling the filter On (to the right) will show results with the selected attribute:

→ Results must have the "Broadening Participation" attribute.

Grouped filters (drop-down menus)

Filters from the same category of attributes (e.g., Limited submissions) are grouped into drop-down menus:

Limited submissions filter with four checkbox options for organizational, PI, and number of proposals

Hierarchical filters (nested drop-down menus)

Filters with categories and sub-categories are presented in a nested list. This hierarchy allows you to select the entire category at once or select sub-categories individually.

Directorate/Division filter with search box, scrollable checkbox tree, and hide divisions toggle

Because such lists can be long, the drop-down contains a search field which you can use to display just the categories or subcategories you are interested in. This is also helpful when a term (e.g., "engineering") spans multiple categories.

Hierarchical widget with chem in search field revealing two matching checkbox options

A "hide" control at the bottom of the drop-down allows you to simplify the list by hiding its sub-categories and only displaying the categories.

Knowing that a filter is active

When you add a filter, a blue button appears below the Filters heading, like this:

Click the button to remove that filter.

Select within the same drop-down to expand results

Adding filters from the same drop-down expands results by including results that fit any of the selected filter items.

Select different drop-downs and toggles to narrow results

Adding filters from different drop-downs and toggles narrows results by requiring all the checked attributes to be present.

4. Sorting results

By default, results are sorted based on relevance. When no keywords or filters are applied, results display by publication date, with the newest opportunities listed first. If you add keywords, results are sorted based on how closely they match your keywords.

You can change the sort order to any of the following:

Newest first: The most recently published opportunities first.
Oldest first: The oldest opportunities first.
Upcoming due dates: Opportunities with the closest due date first. (Current opportunities only.)
Proposals accepted any time: Opportunities with no due date first. (Current opportunities only.)
Most relevant: Opportunities are sorted by keyword or filter match and ignore the date the opportunity was published.
Alphabetical by title.

5. Exporting results

The results you are currently viewing can be exported to a CSV data file using the "Export results as .csv" link that appears above the list of search results.

6. Helpful definitions

Definitions of important terminology found on NSF funding opportunities.

Continuing grant: A type of grant in which NSF agrees to provide a specific level of support for an initial specified period of time, usually a year, with a statement of intent to provide additional support for the project for additional periods, provided funds are available and the results achieved warrant further support.
Cooperative agreement: A legal instrument of financial assistance between NSF and a recipient that is distinguished from a grant in that it provides for substantial involvement between NSF and the recipient in carrying out the activity contemplated by the NSF award. See the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) for further details.
Dear Colleague Letter (DCL): A document that provides information about upcoming opportunities or special competitions for supplements to existing awards. Note that DCLs are also used to announce changes to NSF policies or programs; such DCLs can be found in the Document Library.
Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG): The source for information about NSF's proposal and award process. Each version of the PAPPG applies to all proposals or applications submitted while that version is effective.
Standard grant: A type of grant in which NSF agrees to provide a specific level of support for a specified period of time with no statement of NSF intent to provide additional future support without submission of another proposal.

Show current or archived opportunities:

Current funding opportunities

Archived funding opportunities

Filter search results

Title

Subtitle

Synopsis/Main Text

Search tips

Sort by

Newest first
Oldest first
Upcoming due dates
Proposals accepted anytime
Most relevant
Title (A to Z)
Title (Z to A)

Filter by

3 results
(-) Directorate/Division: Emerging Frontiers Office (BIO/EF)
Reset all filters

Continuing Grant 3 results
Standard Grant 3 results
Supplemental Funding 2 results

Biological Sciences (BIO) 179 results
Budget, Finance and Award Management (BFA) 1 results
Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) 225 results
Engineering (ENG) 240 results
Geosciences (GEO) 188 results
Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) 246 results
Office of the Director (OD) 2 results
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) 177 results
STEM Education (EDU) 193 results
Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) 103 results
- Innovation and Technology Ecosystems (TIP/ITE) 25 results
- Translational Impacts (TIP/TI) 26 results

Exclude Dear Colleague Letters

Show only NSF-wide and cross-directorate opportunities

Show only programs included in the NSF Broadening Participation Portfolio

3 results for ""

Export results as .csv

Award type

Opportunity details

Next required due date

Supplemental Funding

Standard Grant

Continuing Grant

Dear Colleague Letter

Research Assistantships for High School Students (RAHSS): Funding to Broaden Participation in the Biological Sciences | NSF 23-145

Encourages proposals or supplemental funding requests from current NSF awardees for projects that foster interest in the biological sciences and broaden participation of high school students.

Posted August 29, 2023

See letter for details

Supplemental Funding

Standard Grant

Continuing Grant

Dear Colleague Letter

Research Experience for Teachers (RET): Funding Opportunity in the Biological Sciences | NSF 23-146

Encourages proposals or supplemental funding requests from current awardees of the Directorate for Biological Sciences to include participation of K-12 science educators in their projects.

Posted August 29, 2023

See letter for details

Standard Grant

Continuing Grant

Dear Colleague Letter

Planning for Midscale Infrastructure for the Biological Sciences | NSF 20-116

Invites workshop and planning proposals that address national research infrastructure gaps relevant to the biological sciences community.

Posted August 17, 2020

See letter for details