Law & Social Sciences (LSS)

The Law & Social Sciences Program considers proposals that address social scientific studies of law and law-like systems of rules. The Program is inherently interdisciplinary and multi-methodological.  Successful proposals describe research that advances scientific theory and understanding of the connections between human behavior and law, legal institutions, or legal processes. Social scientific studies of law often approach law as dynamic, made in multiple arenas, and with the participation of multiple actors. Fields of study include many disciplines, and often address problems including though not limited to:

• Crime, Violence, and Policing
• Economic Issues
• Governance and Courts
• Human Rights and Comparative Law
• Legal Decision Making
• Legal Mobilization and Conceptions of Justice
• Litigation and the Legal Profession
• Punishment and Corrections

LSS supports the following types of proposals:

• Standard Research Grants and Grants for Collaborative Research
• Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants
• Conference Awards

LSS also participates in a number of specialized funding opportunities through NSF’s cross-cutting and cross-directorate activities, including, for example:   

• Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
• Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI)
• Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID)
• Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER)

For information about these and other programs, please visit the Cross-cutting and NSF-wide Active Funding Opportunities homepage.