Funding Resources
This is a non-exhaustive list of external and internal funding opportunities for the computational science community.
Please also see the MICDE Fellowships page.
The HDBE (Humans, Disasters, and the Built Environment) program supports convergent research on the interaction between human activities, the built environment, and natural hazards. The program focuses on the effects of hazards on populations and built environments, including critical infrastructure and physical/cyber spaces. Successful proposals should address all three elements (humans, disasters, and the built environment) and contribute to theories or insights applicable across scales and sectors. HDBE research aims to deepen understanding of human behaviors and inform risk management and adaptation strategies in the face of climate change and other hazards.
The program seeks research that advances foundational theories, methods, and data across disciplines such as engineering, social sciences, natural sciences, computing, and related fields. Interdisciplinary proposals are common and encouraged.
Methodological contributions to disaster research are also of interest, including translating engineering solutions to community or national scale investments, examining interactions between humans and the built environment during simultaneous hazards and pandemics, and handling sensitive data relevant to disasters.
Researchers are encouraged to utilize NSF’s investments in the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) for testing, modeling, training, data sharing, and analysis. The program particularly encourages research addressing social equity, vulnerability, and environmental justice.
Prospective proposers are encouraged to email a one-page project summary to the HDBE Program Officer before submitting a full proposal to determine if their research topic aligns with the program’s scope and if co-review is appropriate.
The Engineering of Biomedical Systems program is part of the Engineering Biology and Health cluster, which also includes: 1) the Biophotonics program; 2) the Biosensing program; 3) the Cellular and Biochemical Engineering program; and 4) the Disability and Rehabilitation Engineering program.
The goal of the Engineering of Biomedical Systems (EBMS) program is to provide opportunities for fundamental and transformative research projects that integrate engineering and life sciences to solve biomedical problems and serve humanity in the long term. Projects are expected to use an engineering framework (for example, design or modeling) that supports increased understanding of physiological or pathophysiological processes. Projects must include objectives that advance both engineering and biomedical sciences.
Projects may include: methods, models, and enabling tools applied to understand or control living systems; fundamental improvements in deriving information from cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems; or new approaches to the design of systems that include both living and non-living components for eventual medical use in the long term.
The Disability and Rehabilitation Engineering (DARE) program, part of the Engineering Biology and Health cluster, supports fundamental engineering research that enhances the lives of individuals with disabilities. The program seeks to develop new theories, methodologies, technologies, and devices that address various disabilities, including developmental, cognitive, hearing, mobility, visual impairments, and more. Projects should advance knowledge in a specific disability or pathological motion and contribute to the characterization, restoration, rehabilitation, or substitution of functional ability or cognition. Areas of interest include neuroengineering, rehabilitation robotics, brain-inspired systems, theoretical or computational methods, and artificial physiological systems. The program emphasizes transformative outcomes and encourages high-risk, high-reward proposals. Participatory design and the inclusion of trainees with disabilities are also encouraged. Feasibility studies involving human volunteers may be supported, but clinical trials are not funded. Proposals centered on product commercialization should explore other funding options, such as the NSF SBIR/STTR program. It is advisable to contact the Program Director before submission to ensure alignment with program objectives.
The Fluid Dynamics program is part of the Transport Phenomena cluster, which also includes 1) the Combustion and Fire Systems program; 2) the Particulate and Multiphase Processes program; and 3) the Thermal Transport Processes program.
The Fluid Dynamics program supports fundamental research toward gaining an understanding of the physics of various fluid dynamics phenomena. Proposed research should contribute to basic scientific understanding using and/or creating innovative experimental, theoretical, and/or computational methods.
The Combustion and Fire Systems program is part of the Transport Phenomena cluster, which also includes 1) the Fluid Dynamics program; 2) the Particulate and Multiphase Processes program; and 3) the Thermal Transport Processes program.
The goal of the Combustion and Fire Systems program is to create new knowledge to support advances in clean energy, climate change mitigation, a cleaner environment and public safety.
The program endeavors to create fundamental scientific knowledge that is needed for safe, clean and useful combustion applications and for mitigating the effects of fire. The program aims to identify and understand the controlling basic principles and to use that knowledge to create predictive capabilities for designing and optimizing practical combustion devices and understanding fire.
The CDS&E-MSS program accepts proposals that engage with the mathematical and statistical challenges presented by (1) the ever-expanding role of computational experimentation, modeling, and simulation on the one hand, and (2) the explosion in production and analysis of digital data from experimental and observational sources on the other. The goal of the program is to promote the creation and development of the next generation of mathematical and statistical software tools, and the theory underpinning those tools, that will be essential for addressing these challenges.
The research supported by the CDS&E-MSS program will aim to advance mathematics or statistics in a significant way and will address computational or big-data challenges. Proposals of interest to the program must include a Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator who is a researcher in an area supported by the Division of Mathematical Sciences. The program welcomes submission of proposals that include multidisciplinary collaborations or provide opportunities for training through research involvement of junior mathematicians or statisticians. This program is part of the wider NSF Computational and Data-enabled Science and Engineering (CDS&E) enterprise.
The DCSD (Dynamics, Control and Systems Diagnostics) program promotes fundamental research in dynamic systems to address pressing societal challenges such as climate change, epidemics, infrastructure resilience, and more. The program seeks innovative proposals that combine research in dynamic systems with real-world applications. It encourages advancements in modeling, analysis, diagnostics, control, and integration of dynamic systems. Proposals should demonstrate both intellectual merit and broader impacts, outlining how the research contributes to knowledge and benefits society. The program emphasizes access, inclusivity, and evidence-based activities. Principal investigators are encouraged to submit a one-page draft Project Summary for feedback and consult with the DCSD Program Officers. The program encourages appropriate budget requests based on project scope and justification.
The Mathematical Biology Program supports research in areas of applied and computational mathematics with relevance to the biological sciences. Successful proposals must demonstrate mathematical innovation, biological relevance and significance, and strong integration between mathematics and biology.
Some projects of interest to the Mathematical Biology Program may include development of mathematical concepts and tools traditionally seen in other disciplinary programs within the Division of Mathematical Sciences, e.g., topology, probability, statistics, computational mathematics, etc. In general, if a proposal is appropriate for review by more than one NSF program, it is advisable to contact the program officers handling each program to determine when and where the proposal should be submitted and to facilitate the review process.
The Mathematical Biology Program regularly seeks joint reviews of proposals with programs in the Directorates of Biological Sciences and Engineering. Investigators are encouraged to discuss their project with program officers in relevant areas to determine if it should be considered by more than one program.
The FRR (Foundational Research in Robotics) program, jointly led by the CISE and ENG Directorates, supports research on robotic systems with high computational capability and physical complexity. A robot is defined as an engineered construct with intelligence, capable of processing information, sensing, planning, and interacting with its environment. The program welcomes research that integrates questions of intelligence, computation, and embodiment. Proposals should focus on foundational advances in robotics, addressing fundamental gaps in the field and aiming to endow robots with new or enhanced capabilities. Experimental validation on a physical platform is encouraged. Projects not directly contributing to the science of robotics or better suited for other NSF programs should not be submitted to FRR. Potential investigators are advised to consult with an FRR Program Officer before submission. Non-compliant proposals may be returned without review.
The BMMB (Biomechanics and Mechanobiology) program supports transformative research in engineering biomechanics and mechanobiology, focusing on the mechanical behavior of living systems. The program encourages interdisciplinary studies and considers biological tissues as self-designing smart materials. Proposals must include a clear biological and mechanics component and improve our understanding of the mechanical behavior of living systems. The program welcomes investigations at various scales, from molecules to organisms, and encourages translation of findings into engineering science. Feasibility studies involving human volunteers or animal subjects may be supported. Proposers are encouraged to contact the program director before submission.