Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences

With emphasis in helping to launch the careers of pre-tenure faculty in Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) fields at minority-serving institutions (MSIs), predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs), and Carnegie Research 2 (R2) universities, and with the goal of achieving excellence through diversity, the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences hereby announces a call for Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways (LEAPS-MPS) proposals. This LEAPS-MPS call also aims to broaden participation to include members from groups underrepresented in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences, including Blacks and African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.

These grants are intended to support MPS principal investigators in initiating their research programs early in their careers, particularly at the aforementioned institutions. By providing this funding opportunity, MPS intends to help initiate viable independent research programs for researchers attempting to launch their research careers such that LEAPS-MPS awards are followed by competitive CAREER or individual-investigator grant submissions that build upon the research launched through this mechanism. This LEAPS-MPS solicitation welcomes proposals from principal investigators who share NSF's commitment to diversity.

Awards are for 24 months and are up to $250,000 total costs (direct plus indirect). Principal Investigators must be U.S. citizens or lawfully admitted U.S. permanent residents at the time of proposal submission; visa-holders are not eligible.

Proposals in response to this solicitation must be submitted to the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (OMA) in the Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS); they will subsequently be transferred to and managed by an appropriate MPS Division.