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Facilitating Research at Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions: (RUI and ROA-PUI)

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NSF 14-579

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.

Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards at Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (ROA-PUI)

Synopsis

The Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA) funding opportunities support research by faculty members at predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs).  RUI proposals support PUI faculty in research that engages them in their professional field(s), builds capacity for research at their home institution, and supports the integration of research and undergraduate education. ROAs similarly support PUI faculty research, but these awards typically allow faculty to work as visiting scientists at research-intensive organizations where they collaborate with other NSF-supported investigators.

Eligible PUIs are accredited colleges and universities (including two-year community colleges) that award Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees, and/or Master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years.

All NSF directorates may support RUI and ROA funding activities. Funding for these awards is contained within research and education program allocations and not held as a separate allocation. RUI and ROA proposals are evaluated and funded by NSF programs in the disciplinary areas of the proposed research and are funded at their discretion. 

Prospective PIs should contact disciplinary program officers to identify specific NSF programs and to determine the feasibility and timing of RUI/ROA requests. General RUI/ROA points of contact are available through the website http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/rui_roa/contacts.jsp.

1. Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI). An RUI proposal may be:

  • A request to support an individual research project or a collaborative research project involving PUI faculty and students at their own or other institutions.
  • A request involving shared research instrumentation.

2.  Research Opportunity Awards (ROA). The types of ROA opportunities include: 

  • A supplement to an existing NSF award to support ROA activities for PUI faculty.
  • Requests to rebudget funds in an existing NSF award to support ROA activities for PUI faculty.
  • Submission of a new collaborative proposal between a PUI and another institution(s), with a ROA component as a subaward or as part of a linked collaborative proposal.

Program contacts

RUI/ROA inquiries regarding this announcement should be directed to discipline-specific contacts found at http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/rui_roa/contacts.jsp.

Awards made through this program

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