This page highlights key information about submitting your proposal to the U.S. National Science Foundation.
Refer to the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) I.G for complete guidance on how to submit a proposal to NSF.
Most proposals to NSF can be submitted either through Research.gov or Grants.gov. A small number of proposals to NSF, which are submitted in response to a broad agency announcement, should instead be submitted through Baam.nsf.gov.
On this page
Is your organization new to applying for NSF funding?
To submit a proposal to NSF, your organization must have:
- An active and valid SAM registration.
- A valid Unique Identity ID (UEI).
Be sure your organization is registered in SAM and has a valid UEI well in advance of the date you'll be submitting your proposal; NSF recommends at least 90 days before you plan to submit.
Submitting through Research.gov
Research.gov allows you to create, submit, track and update a proposal to NSF.
The links below will guide you in how to register in and submit a proposal via Research.gov:
You will need to register your organization on Research.gov before you can prepare your proposal.
You will need an NSF ID to prepare your proposal in Research.gov.
Research.gov features how-to guides and tutorials on preparing and submitting a proposal through the site. These resources cover topics such as:
- Starting a new proposal.
- Uploading senior personnel information and documents.
- How to prepare your proposal budget.
- Adding or removing subaward organizations.
- Submitting letters of intent and proposals.
- And others.
Research.gov performs automatic compliance checking on proposals being prepared for submission. See the list of compliance checks the system performs on different types of proposals to NSF.
Submitting through Grants.gov
Grants.gov allows you to create and submit proposals to NSF. The links below will guide you in how to register an organization and submit a proposal using Grants.gov:
You will need to register your organization on Grants.gov before you can prepare your proposal.
You will need an NSF ID to prepare your proposal in Grants.gov.
The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide provides detailed guidance on how to prepare and submit a proposal to NSF using Grants.gov. The guide includes information on topics such as:
- Starting a new proposal.
- How to prepare your proposal budget.
- Uploading proposal files.
- Completing the NSF cover page.
- Uploading senior personnel information and documents.
- And others.
See the list of automatic compliance checks performed by Research.gov on proposals prepared in Grants.gov.
Submitting through Baam.nsf.gov
NSF's BAAM system can be used to prepare, submit and track proposals that are submitted in response to one of NSF's broad agency announcements. The BAAM system uses a simple application process that's designed to save time and effort.
Before you can apply using Baam.nsf.gov, you must have:
- An active and valid SAM registration.
- A valid Unique Identity ID (UEI).
- A Login.gov account.