The U.S. National Science Foundation offers grants and supplemental funding to early-career researchers working across a wide range of research areas.
Building Research Capacity of New Faculty in Biology (BRC-BIO)
The BRC-BIO program supports pre-tenure faculty in the biological sciences at non-R1 institutions, enabling them to increase their research capacity and build independent research programs.
Awards provide up to $450,000 plus $50,000 for equipment over a 36-month period. Equipment costs exceeding $50,000 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)
The CAREER program provides support to early-career faculty — at the assistant professor or equivalent rank — who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.
Recipients will receive a minimum of $400,000 over a five-year period.
Career-Life Balance Supplemental Funding Requests
The Career-Life Balance initiative focuses on reducing the rate at which early-career researchers depart from the STEM workforce.
Career-Life Balance supplements allow NSF-funded researchers to support additional personnel — such as a technician or research assistant — when an investigator, postdoctoral fellow or graduate student is on family leave for primary dependent care responsibilities or other direct family considerations.
Supplements provide up to $30,000 for up to six months of salary or stipend support for additional personnel. If applicable, requests may also include fringe benefits and associated indirect costs. Tuition fees are not included.
Computer and Information Science and Engineering Research Initiation Initiative (CRII)
CRII supports early-career scientists at non-R1 institutions in computer and information science and engineering who lack access to organizational resources, enabling them to undertake exploratory research and develop collaborations and new approaches.
Awards provide up to $175,000 over a 24-month period.
EArly-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER)
The EAGER funding mechanism supports exploratory work in early stages on untested but potentially transformative research ideas or approaches that are considered “high-risk, high-reward.”
EAGER proposals are reviewed internally by NSF, which allows for shorter time between proposal submission and available funding. Awards provide up to $300,000 for a period of up to two years.
Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER)
The ECR: BCSER program supports activities that advance STEM education research.
The program's Investigators New to STEM Education Research awards support investigators new to STEM education research in developing the requisite knowledge and skills needed to conduct rigorous research in STEM education.
These awards provide up to $350,000 over a three-year period.
Engineering Research Initiation (ERI)
The ERI program supports new investigators at non-R1 institutions as they initiate their engineering research programs and advance in their careers as researchers, educators and innovators.
These awards provide up to $200,000 over a 24-month period.
EPSCoR Research Fellows
EPSCoR Research Fellows supports early- and mid-career investigators located in EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions to further develop their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to U.S. private, government or academic research centers.
The EPSCoR Research Fellows program anticipates funding of $12,000,000 from NSF and $3,000,000 from NASA, with the number of awards and average award size/duration subject to the availability of funds.
Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (LEAPS-MPS)
The LEAPS-MPS program supports the research of pre-tenure faculty in mathematical and physical sciences, with an emphasis on those at institutions that traditionally do not receive significant NSF funding, such as minority-serving institutions, predominantly undergraduate institutions and R2 universities.
LEAPS-MPS awards provide up to $250,000 of support over a 24-month period.
Proposals are accepted annually through Research.gov or Grants.gov, typically in January or july. Please visit nsf.gov, research.gov or grants.gov for program details, proposal requirements and upcoming due dates. Also don’t forget to support us by a subscription.