Decision, Risk and Management Sciences - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants

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Description

The National Science Foundation's Decision, Risk and Management Sciences (DRMS) program provides Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIGs) to support dissertation projects that enhance scientific knowledge of decision making, risk analysis, and management science. The program aims to increase understanding and effectiveness of decision making by individuals, groups, organizations, and society, with a strong emphasis on social and behavioral science theory and methods.

Research areas supported include:

• Judgment and decision making
• Decision analysis and decision aids
• Risk analysis, perception, and communication
• Societal and public-policy decision making
• Management science and organizational design

All proposals must be grounded in theory and produce generalizable results. Purely theoretical or algorithmic proposals are not appropriate.

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Due Dates

• August 18, 2025 (Full Proposal Target Date)
• January 18, 2026 (Full Proposal Target Date)
• August 18, 2026 (Full Proposal Target Date)
• January 18, 2027 (Full Proposal Target Date)
• Annually thereafter on these dates

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Funding Amount

• Maximum award: $30,000 (total direct and indirect costs) per project
• Project duration: up to 12 months
• Estimated number of awards: 20–30 per fiscal year
• Total program funding: $450,000–$675,000 per year (subject to availability)

Funds may be used for research expenses, travel by the doctoral student to professional meetings, and publication costs. Funds may not be used for stipends/salaries for the student or advisor, tuition, dissertation preparation, or advisor travel to meetings.

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Eligibility

• Who May Apply: Proposals must be submitted by U.S.-accredited Ph.D.-granting institutions of higher education on behalf of their faculty.
• PI Requirements: The dissertation advisor must serve as the Principal Investigator (PI); the doctoral student must be listed as co-PI. An additional faculty advisor may be included as co-PI if appropriate.
• Student Requirements: Doctoral students must be at the appropriate stage of their academic career to conduct dissertation research.
• No citizenship restrictions for the student, but the institution must be U.S.-based.
• No limits on the number of proposals per institution or PI.

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Application Process

• Submission Platforms: Proposals may be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov.
• Proposal Preparation: Follow the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and the specific DRMS-DDRIG solicitation requirements.
• Letters of Intent/Preliminary Proposals: Not required.
• Proposal Title: Must begin with “Doctoral Dissertation Research:” followed by a descriptive, jargon-free title.
• Budget: Must not exceed $30,000 total costs.
• Data Management: Curated data must be submitted to a public repository within 2 years of final data collection.
• Concurrent Submissions: Proposals may be submitted to other funding organizations; indicate this in the “Current and Pending Support” section.

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Additional Information

• Contacting Program Directors: Advisors are strongly encouraged to contact a DRMS program director before preparing a proposal to ensure fit with the program.
• Review Criteria: Proposals are evaluated on intellectual merit and broader impacts, per NSF guidelines.
• Reporting: Standard NSF annual and final reporting requirements apply.

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External Links

• NSF DRMS-DDRIG Solicitation & Program Page
• Download Solicitation PDF
• NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
• Research.gov Submission Portal
• Grants.gov Opportunity Listing

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Contact Information

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