Funder: National Science Foundation
Due Dates: July 30, 2025 | January 30, 2026 (Annually Thereafter) | July 30, 2026 (Annually Thereafter)
Funding Amounts: Typical research awards: $100,000–$200,000 per year for 3 years; conference/workshop awards: ~$35,000 total; total program budget: $6.5M (est.)
Summary: Supports basic research on human developmental processes across the lifespan, including cognitive, social, and biological factors, with an emphasis on innovative, multidisciplinary approaches.
Key Information: Proposals with budgets significantly above the typical range may be returned without review; only one proposal per PI/co-PI per deadline.
Description
This opportunity from the National Science Foundation (NSF) supports basic research that advances understanding of perceptual, cognitive, linguistic, social, cultural, and biological processes related to human development across the lifespan. The program encourages research that addresses developmental processes in domains such as perception, cognition, emotion, language, and motor development, and welcomes studies involving diverse populations (infants, children, adolescents, adults, aging populations, and non-human animals).
Research may investigate factors influencing developmental change, including family, peers, schools, community, culture, media, physical, genetic, and epigenetic influences. The program values multidisciplinary, multi-method, and/or longitudinal approaches, as well as the development of new methods, models, and theories. Projects that integrate multiple processes, levels of analysis, and time scales are encouraged.
The program does not fund clinical trials or research focused primarily on health outcomes.
Due Dates
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Next full proposal deadlines:
- July 30, 2025
- January 30, 2026
- July 30, 2026
- (Annually thereafter on these dates)
-
Conference/workshop proposals:
- May be submitted at any time (by invitation from Program Directors; typically at least 1 year in advance of the event)
-
REU and other supplements:
- Accepted on a rolling basis (contact program officer before submission)
Funding Amount
- Typical research project:
- $100,000–$200,000 per year (total $300,000–$600,000 over 3 years, including direct and indirect costs)
- Conference/workshop proposals:
- Approximately $35,000 total (by invitation only)
- CAREER awards:
- Minimum $400,000; typically $400,000–$600,000 over up to 5 years
- Total program budget:
- Estimated $6,500,000 per year
- Note: Proposals with budgets significantly above the typical range may be returned without review.
Eligibility
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Eligible organizations:
- U.S. institutions of higher education (2- and 4-year, including community colleges)
- Non-profit, non-academic organizations (e.g., museums, research labs, professional societies)
- For-profit U.S.-based organizations (including small businesses)
- State and local governments, school districts
- Federally recognized Tribal Nations
- Other federal agencies and FFRDCs (contact program before applying)
- Foreign organizations: Only U.S. portion of collaborative projects is supported
-
Eligible individuals:
- PIs and co-PIs must have a Ph.D. or equivalent and be capable of independent basic research
- Only one proposal per PI/co-PI/faculty associate/subaward lead per deadline (may be listed as collaborator/consultant on one additional proposal)
- Undergraduate and graduate students may be included in research teams, but not as PI/co-PI or senior/key personnel
Application Process
- Submission platforms:
- Letters of intent/pre-proposals:
- Full proposals:
- Conference proposals:
- Submit only after invitation from Program Directors
- Pre-submission consultation:
- Strongly encouraged to email a 1-page summary to a program director for feedback on fit before preparing a full proposal
- Review criteria:
- Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts (see PAPPG for details)
- Budget guidance:
- Develop budget based on research needs, not to fit a target number; see recent awards for examples
Additional Information
- Broader Impacts:
- Projects should include creative, evidence-based broader impact activities (e.g., outreach, education, inclusion of underrepresented groups)
- Diversity and inclusion:
- Proposals from Minority Serving Institutions, Primarily Undergraduate Institutions, two-year colleges, and EPSCoR jurisdictions are encouraged
- Data management:
- Proposals must include a data management plan; data should be shared according to FAIR principles
- Human subjects/animal research:
- IRB/IACUC approval not required at submission but must be obtained before award
- No cost sharing required
- No voluntary committed cost sharing allowed
External Links
Contact Information
For additional or updated contacts, see the NSF program page.