[U.S. National Science Foundation](https://www.nsf.gov/)

March 1–March 15, 2026 (Annual submission window)

Up to $1,000,000 per award for 3–4 years; total program funding up to $5,500,000 annually; 10–15 awards expected per year.

Supports interdisciplinary research projects integrating social, behavioral, and economic processes into mathematical epidemiological models.

--- ## Description This program funds interdisciplinary research that advances epidemiological modeling by explicitly incorporating human behavioral and social processes. The goal is to improve the realism, predictive power, and policy relevance of epidemiological models—especially in the context of pandemics and other public health crises—by supporting collaborative projects with balanced participation from the mathematical sciences and the social, behavioral, and economic sciences. The program welcomes additional participation from biological sciences and encourages projects that address significant, well-delineated research challenges at the intersection of these fields. --- ## Due Dates - Next submission window: March 1–March 15, 2026 (annually recurring). - Proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. submitter's local time. --- ## Funding Amount - Total program funding: Up to $5,500,000 per year (NSF up to $3,500,000; NIH/NIDA up to $2,000,000). - Award size: Up to $1,000,000 total per project for up to 3–4 years. - Expected number of awards: Approximately 10–15 per year. - No cost sharing or matching required. --- ## Eligibility - Eligible applicants: As defined in the [NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)](https://www.nsf.gov/policies/pappg/24-1), including institutions of higher education, non-profits, and certain other organizations. Unaffiliated individuals are not eligible. - Who may serve as PI: No restrictions or limits. - Limit on proposals per PI/co-PI: One proposal per PI or co-PI per competition. Participation as other senior personnel does not count toward this limit. - NIH/NIDA staff are ineligible to participate in proposals. - NIH-funded projects under this program may not include clinical trials. --- ## Application Process - Proposals may be submitted via [Research.gov](https://www.research.gov/) or [Grants.gov](https://www.grants.gov/). - No letters of intent or preliminary proposals required. - Proposals must include: - A clear integration of behavioral/social processes into mathematical epidemiological models. - A management plan (max 3 pages) detailing roles, governance, communication, and time commitments. - Metrics for assessing project success. - Plans for training and mentoring students/postdocs, including efforts to broaden participation. - Title of the proposal should begin with "IHBEM:"; collaborative projects should use "Collaborative Research: IHBEM:". - Proposals involving human subjects or vertebrate animals must comply with both NSF and NIH requirements. --- ## Additional Information - Projects should be highly collaborative, with balanced expertise from mathematical sciences and social/behavioral/economic sciences. - Example research areas include: - Behavioral realism and sensitivity analysis in models - Modeling behavioral change over time - Effects of multiple environments (climate, social, political) on epidemiological dynamics - Population heterogeneity and policy modeling - Data needs for complex epidemiological models - Projects may address human or non-human systems, provided human behavior/social processes are central. - Review criteria include intellectual merit, broader impacts, integration of disciplines, and quality of management plan. --- ## External Links - [Official Grants.gov Opportunity Synopsis](https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/359624) - [NSF Program Page](https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/ihbem-incorporating-human-behavior-epidemiological-models) - [NSF Solicitation Document (PDF)](https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/solicitations/pubs/2023/nsf23546/nsf23546.pdf?VersionId=CYDZSvWr0B68koKwnxk7sAslcyqIR75Y) - [NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide](https://www.nsf.gov/policies/pappg/24-1) --- ## Contact Information | Name | Affiliation/Role | Email | Phone | |-----------------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------------|-----------------| | Zhilan J. Feng | NSF/MPS/DMS Program Director | [zfeng@nsf.gov](mailto:zfeng@nsf.gov) | (703) 292-7523 | | Joseph M. Whitmeyer | NSF/SBE/SES Program Director | [jwhitmey@nsf.gov](mailto:jwhitmey@nsf.gov) | (703) 292-7808 | | Katharina Dittmar | NSF/BIO/DEB Program Director | [kdittmar@nsf.gov](mailto:kdittmar@nsf.gov) | (703) 292-7799 | | Amina Eladdadi | NSF/MPS/DMS Program Director | [aeladdad@nsf.gov](mailto:aeladdad@nsf.gov) | (703) 292-8128 | | Trisha Van Zandt | NSF/SBE/BCS Program Director | [pvanzand@nsf.gov](mailto:pvanzand@nsf.gov) | (703) 292-8740 | | Susan Wright | NIH/NIDA Program Director | [susan.wright@nih.gov](mailto:susan.wright@nih.gov) | (301) 443-1124 | | NSF Grants.gov Support | General technical support | [grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov](mailto:grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov) | | | NSF Help Desk | Technical support for Research.gov| [rgov@nsf.gov](mailto:rgov@nsf.gov) | 1-800-673-6188 | | Grants.gov Contact Center | Grants.gov technical support | [support@grants.gov](mailto:support@grants.gov) | 1-800-518-4726 |

Incorporating Human Behavior in Epidemiological Models

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