Abstract collage of science-related imagery

Law & Science (LS)

Important information about NSF’s implementation of the revised 2 CFR

NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website. These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Supports social scientific studies of the connections between law and law-like systems of rules, law and human behavior, as well as studies of how science and technology are applied in legal contexts.

Supports social scientific studies of the connections between law and law-like systems of rules, law and human behavior, as well as studies of how science and technology are applied in legal contexts.

Synopsis

The Law & Science Program considers proposals that address social scientific studies of law and law-like systems of rules, as well as studies of how science and technology are applied in legal contexts. 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; or the interactions of law and basic sciences, including biology, computer and information sciences, STEM education, engineering, geosciences, and math and physical sciences. Scientific studies of law often approach law as dynamic, interacting with 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
  • Cyberspace
  • Economic Issues
  • Environmental Science
  • Evidentiary Issues
  • Forensic Science
  • Governance and Courts
  • Human Rights and Comparative Law
  • Information Technology
  • Legal and Ethical Issues related to Science
  • Legal Decision Making
  • Legal Mobilization and Conceptions of Justice
  • Litigation and the Legal Profession
  • Punishment and Corrections
  • Regulation and Facilitation of Biotechnology (e.g., Gene Editing, Gene Testing, Synthetic Biology) and Other Emerging Sciences and Technologies
  • Use of Science in the Legal Processes

LS supports the following types of proposals:

  • Standard Research Grants and Grants for Collaborative Research
  • Conference Awards

LS 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. 

Program contacts

Name Email Phone Organization
Reginald S. Sheehan
Program Director
rsheehan@nsf.gov (703) 292-5389 SBE/SES
Susan F. Hirsch
Program Director
shirsch@nsf.gov (703) 292-9068 SBE/SES

Awards made through this program

Browse projects funded by this program
Map of recent awards made through this program