Funder: National Science Foundation
Due Dates: October 9, 2024 | September 16, 2025
Funding Amounts: Up to $200,000 total for 24 months; ~55 awards anticipated; no cost sharing required.
Summary: Supports new engineering researchers at non-R1 institutions to initiate research programs and build capacity for future competitiveness.
Key Information: Only for PIs at non-R1 institutions who have not received $200,000+ in federal research funding in the past 5 years.
Description
The National Science Foundation's Directorate for Engineering (ENG) offers this opportunity to build engineering research capacity nationwide by supporting new academic investigators at institutions that are not classified as "very high research activity" (R1) according to the Carnegie Classification. The program is designed to help new investigators launch their research careers, enhance their competitiveness for future funding, and broaden the base of engineering researchers across diverse institutions and communities.
The program especially encourages proposals from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), two-year colleges, and institutions in EPSCoR jurisdictions. Special topic opportunities are available in partnership with the Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office for research in marine energy and hydropower.
Due Dates
- Full Proposal Deadlines (by 5 p.m. local time of submitting organization):
- October 9, 2024
- September 16, 2025
Funding Amount
- Maximum award: $200,000 (including indirect costs)
- Duration: 24 months
- Estimated number of awards: ~55 per cycle
- Total anticipated program funding: $11,000,000
- No cost sharing required
- Funds may be used for research expenses, PI salary, trainee support (students/postdocs), and modest equipment costs necessary for the research
Eligibility
- Institutions: Only U.S. institutions of higher education (two- and four-year, including community colleges) that are not classified as R1 ("very high research activity") are eligible. See the Carnegie Classification for reference.
- Principal Investigator (PI):
- Must hold a doctoral degree in an NSF-supported field and an appointment at an eligible institution.
- May not have been PI or Co-PI on any current or prior awarded NSF research grant (including subawards) or received research support from any other federal agency totaling $200,000 or more within the past five years (with specific exceptions for non-research, pre-tenure, or certain other awards).
- Postdoctoral fellows are not eligible as PIs.
- Only one PI per proposal; Co-PIs are not allowed.
- An individual may serve as PI or Senior/Key Personnel on only one ERI proposal per deadline.
- Department Chair/Dean's Letter: Required to explicitly verify PI eligibility and alignment with institutional goals.
Application Process
- Submission Platforms: Proposals may be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov.
- Letters of Intent/Preliminary Proposals: Not required.
- Full Proposal: Must follow the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and the solicitation-specific instructions.
- Required Documents:
- Project Description (10-page limit) with sections on research goals, project plan, broader impacts, and ERI-specific criteria.
- Department Chair/Dean's letter certifying eligibility and institutional support.
- Budget and justification.
- Data Management Plan and Mentoring Plan (as applicable).
- Review Criteria: Proposals are evaluated on intellectual merit, broader impacts, and the potential for the research initiation activities to serve as the basis for sustained research contributions.
Additional Information
- Special Topic Focus: Proposals in marine energy and hydropower (in partnership with DOE WPTO) are encouraged and may be considered for co-funding.
- No cost sharing is permitted.
- Equipment: Modest equipment costs are allowed if necessary for the research; for larger equipment needs, consider the NSF MRI program.
- Collaborations: Subawards to R1 institutions are not permitted. Partnerships with other eligible institutions or organizations are allowed.
- Reporting: Annual and final project reports are required.
External Links
Contact Information
| Name/Role | Email | Phone |
|---|
| General ERI Program | eri@nsf.gov | (703) 292-8103 |
| Rosa Lukaszew (Program Officer) | eri@nsf.gov | (703) 292-8103 |
| Richard Nash (Program Officer) | eri@nsf.gov | (703) 292-5394 |
| Carole J. Read (Program Officer) | eri@nsf.gov | (703) 292-2418 |
| Shahab Shojaei-Zadeh (Program Officer) | eri@nsf.gov | (703) 292-8045 |
| Janis P. Terpenny (Program Officer) | eri@nsf.gov | (703) 292-2487 |
| Satish Bukkapatnam (Program Officer) | eri@nsf.gov | (703) 292-4813 |
| NSF Information Center | info@nsf.gov | (703) 292-5111 |
For technical support with Research.gov: 1-800-381-1532 or rgov@nsf.gov
For Grants.gov support: 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov