Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program
Supporting basic scientific research on human-environment interactions and geographical processes, HEGS Program seeks methodologically rigorous proposals contributing to fundamental geographical theory with broader societal impacts.
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Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: January 15, 2027 (Full proposal target/current closing date) | August 6, 2027 (Full proposal target) | Anytime (Conferences)
Funding Amounts: $7 million total program funding; senior research typically $100,000–$500,000 for up to 48 months
Summary: Supports fundamental research on spatial dimensions of human behavior and interactions with environmental and social processes.
Key Information: Projects must test or expand geographical theory and engage human dimensions relevant to people and societies.
Description
The Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS) supports basic scientific research on the nature, causes, consequences, and evolution of spatial dimensions of human behaviors, activities, and dynamics. Administered by NSF’s Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences within the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate, it funds research connecting these dimensions to environmental and social processes across scales.
HEGS welcomes quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods work that is empirically grounded, theoretically engaged, methodologically rigorous, and generalizable. Projects should advance fundamental geographical theory and geospatial methods while producing broader impacts that benefit society. Research primarily seeking humanistic interpretations or findings that are not generalizable or reproducible cannot be funded. Applying geographical methods without a theory-testing or theory-expanding contribution will result in return without review.
