Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: September 9, 2025 (Full proposals)
Funding Amounts: Award size and duration vary by project; supports standard research, collaborative, and conference grants.
Summary: Funds research advancing the science of science by studying scientific discovery, communication, and impact to improve policy and societal benefits.
Key Information: Proposals must address both intellectual merit and broader impacts; strong emphasis on broadening participation and open science.
Description
The Science of Science: Discovery, Communication and Impact (SoS:DCI) program supports research that advances theoretical and empirical understanding of how science is discovered, communicated, and generates societal impact. The program seeks to increase the public value of scientific activity by funding projects that:
- Investigate the social and structural mechanisms of scientific discovery.
- Develop and test theories, frameworks, models, and data to improve understanding of scientific communication and outcomes.
- Assess the societal benefits of scientific activity, including how science informs evidence-based policymaking and creates public value.
SoS:DCI encourages proposals that are interdisciplinary, use rigorous empirical methods, and offer transformative advances rather than incremental change. Projects may focus on individual, organizational, or institutional levels, and can address micro, meso, macro, or complex system scales.
The program places a high priority on broadening participation in the sciences, supporting early-career researchers, and encouraging proposals from underrepresented groups and institutions. Collaboration and convergent research are strongly encouraged.
SoS:DCI supports several types of proposals:
The program also participates in NSF’s cross-cutting and cross-directorate activities.
Due Dates
- Full proposals: September 9, 2025
Check the program page for updates and additional deadlines.
Funding Amount
- Award size and duration are variable and depend on the scope and type of project.
- Supports standard research grants, collaborative research, and conference grants.
- No fixed minimum or maximum; budgets should be appropriate to the proposed work.
Eligibility
- Open to researchers and institutions eligible to apply for NSF funding, including:
- U.S. universities and colleges
- Nonprofit, non-academic organizations
- For-profit organizations
- State and local governments
- Unaffiliated individuals (in rare cases)
- The program encourages proposals from:
- Early-career researchers
- Women and members of historically underrepresented groups
- Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), Research Undergraduate Institutions (RUIs), and institutions in EPSCoR states
- Diverse and inclusive research teams
Application Process
- Proposals must be submitted via NSF FastLane, Research.gov, or Grants.gov.
- All proposals must comply with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).
- Proposals should:
- Clearly articulate intellectual merit and broader impacts
- Include a robust data management plan to advance open science
- Provide rigorous assessment of project impact and policy implications
- Review criteria include intellectual merit and broader impacts, with additional emphasis on broadening participation and open access.
Additional Information
- Proposals must be submitted in accordance with the current PAPPG and any program-specific requirements.
- Awards made on or after October 1, 2024, are subject to updated NSF award conditions.
- The program encourages projects that strengthen U.S. global leadership in science and national competitiveness.
- Broader impacts guidance for SBE proposals is available.
External Links
Contact Information
| Name | Email | Phone | Organization |
|---|
| Thomas S. Woodson | tswoodso@nsf.gov | (703) 292-8760 | SBE/SES |
For general NSF inquiries:
- Email: info@nsf.gov
- Phone: 1-703-292-5111
- NSF Contact Page