A Key to Funding Opportunities from the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE)
NSF's SBE Directorate provides approximately two-thirds of the federal funding to American colleges and universities for basic research in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences.
There are several paths to NSF support for SBE researchers and students:
- Research Awards evaluated through merit review as outlined in the Proposal Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
- EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) Awards
- Grants for Rapid Response Research Awards (RAPID) Awards
- Conferences
- Dear Colleague Letters
- Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Awards
- Solicitations
- Student Support is provided through Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (see SBE core program websites for information on their DDRIG funding opportunities), Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), and NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
These resources can help you find opportunities and submit proposals:
- NSF's Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide
- Visit "How to Prepare and Submit your Proposal" for more information
- Search NSF funding opportunities by keyword or category
- All submissions are accepted through NSF's proposal submission system, FastLane.
The majority of SBE's funding is awarded through our core research programs housed in SBE's three divisions, Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Systems (BCS), Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES), and National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), as well as in SBE's Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (SMA).
These pages provide details on the funding process through SBE's core programs:
BCS Core Programs:
- Archaeology and Archaeometry
- Biological Anthropology
- Cognitive Neuroscience (CogNeuro)
- Cultural Anthropology
- Developmental Sciences (DS)
- Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL)
- Geography and Spatial Sciences (GSS)
- Linguistics
- Perception, Action and Cognition (PAC)
- Science of Learning (SL)
- Social Psychology
SES Core Programs:
- Decision, Risk and Management Sciences (DRMS)
- Economics
- Law & Social Sciences (LSS)
- Methodology, Measurement and Statistics (MMS)
- Political Science
- Science of Organizations (SoO)
- Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
- Sociology
NCSES Core Program:
SMA Core Programs:
- Cultivating Cultures for Ethical STEM (CCE STEM)
- SBE Research Experiences for Undergraduate Sites (SBE REU Sites)
- SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (SPRF)
- Science of Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP)
Additional Funding Opportunities Relevant to SBE Scientists and Students:
- Understanding the Brain (UtB)
- Innovations at the Nexus of Food Energy and Water Systems (INFEWS)
- Robust and Reliable Research
- Critical Resilient Interdependent Infrastructure Systems and Processes (CRISP)
- Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES)
- Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC)
- Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC)
- Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH)
- Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID)
- Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI)
- Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers (ADVANCE)
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
- Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE)
- Science and Technology Centers: Integrative Partnerships (STCs)
- NSF Innovation Corps (i-Corps)
- Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions(RUI/ROA)
All currently open funding opportunities with SBE.
All Current Dear Colleague Letters relevant to the SBE Community.