This Program encourages both basic and intervention research in all aspects of mathematical thinking and problem solving, as well as in scientific reasoning, learning, and discovery. Age levels of interest range from infancy and early childhood, up to and including the undergraduate years. More specifically, the Program seeks studies that explore a variety of influences on normal and atypical development in mathematics and science learning and cognition, including genetic and neurobiological substrates, as well as cognitive, linguistic, sociocultural, and instructional factors. An important priority within this Program is the investigation of individual differences that may moderate achievement in math and science. Of particular interest is the delineation of skill sets needed to attain proficiency in these domains, the means to address the kinds of learning difficulties that frequently emerge in each of these areas, and the development of effective instructional methods for mitigating these difficulties.

Mathematical Cognition and Learning. This area of programmatic emphasis seeks to support research on the normal development of mathematical proficiency, including both conceptual and procedural knowledge. Specific domains of interest include, but are not limited to: basic numerical representations and processing, arithmetic comprehension and procedural skills, proficiency with fractions and other types of rational numbers, algebraic problem solving, geometric thinking, concepts of probability and chance, and measurement concepts and skills. Longitudinal studies of the development of mathematical proficiency are especially welcomed, beginning either in the preschool period or in the early grades.

Mathematical Learning Disabilities. Studies in this area are encouraged that are aimed at delineating the nature and extent of specific learning disabilities in mathematics, including diagnosis, classification, etiology, prevention, and treatment. Subject populations of interest include children with idiopathic math learning disabilities, co-morbid math and reading disabilities, and children with neurodevelopmental disorders for whom deficient math performance represents one of the primary cognitive sequelae. Epidemiological longitudinal studies are needed to generate an accurate estimate of the prevalence of specific learning disabilities in mathematics. Of particular importance are the effects of poverty on the failure to develop mathematical proficiency, and the identification of risk and protective factors within these contexts.

Science Cognition and Learning. This area of programmatic emphasis seeks studies that will improve understanding of the cognitive and developmental bases of scientific thinking and learning. Research on factors contributing to conceptual change is especially encouraged, as are studies of inductive and deductive reasoning, and the acquisition of scientific concepts such as experimental control and falsifiability. Related topics of interest include: causal thinking and inference, theory-evidence coordination, and reasoning about data. Another area of importance is the investigation of developmental changes in naïve or intuitive thinking about the biological and physical worlds. The Program also supports studies that can inform the design of evidence-based, instructional interventions