Strengthening American Infrastructure

---

Description

The National Science Foundation's Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI) program funds fundamental, human-centered, and potentially transformative research aimed at improving the design, development, sustainability, and effectiveness of American infrastructure. The program emphasizes the integration of social, behavioral, and economic (SBE) sciences with other STEM disciplines to address infrastructure challenges that have broad societal impact.

Projects must focus on a specific, well-defined infrastructure (physical, cyber, social, economic, biological, technological, or educational) and demonstrate a convergent, interdisciplinary approach. The goal is to generate new knowledge and frameworks that can inform the creation, maintenance, and improvement of infrastructure systems that support economic growth, community resilience, environmental protection, and equitable access.

---

Due Dates

• Full Proposal Deadlines:
  • April 17, 2025
  • March 6, 2026
    (Proposals due by 5:00 p.m. local time of submitting organization)

---

Funding Amount

• Award Size: Up to $750,000 total per project (for up to 3 years)
• Estimated Program Funding: $9.6 million (pending availability of funds)
• Expected Number of Awards: Approximately 15
• Cost Sharing: Not required or allowed
• Indirect Costs: No special limitations

---

Eligibility

• 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 organizations (U.S.-based, including small businesses)
  • Tribal Nations (federally recognized American Indian or Alaska Native entities)

• Principal Investigator (PI) Requirements:

  • Must hold an appointment at a U.S.-based campus/office of an eligible organization
  • No restrictions on co-PIs, senior/key personnel, or consultants

• Proposal Limits:

  • An individual may participate as PI, co-PI, senior/key personnel, or consultant on only one proposal per annual deadline (strictly enforced)

---

Application Process

• Submission Platforms:

  • Research.gov
  • Grants.gov

• Proposal Preparation:

  • Letters of Intent: Not required
  • Preliminary Proposals: Not required
  • Full proposals must follow the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
  • Proposal title must begin with “SAI:”
  • Project description (max 15 pages) must include:
    • Focal Infrastructure
    • Integrative Research
    • Access and Inclusion
    • Stakeholder Engagement
    • Broader Impacts (separate section)
  • Required supplementary documents:
    • List of Project Personnel and Partner Organizations
    • Management and Coordination Plan (max 2 pages)
    • Letters of Collaboration (if applicable)
    • Data Management and Sharing Plan

• Review Criteria:

  • Intellectual Merit
  • Broader Impacts
  • Convergence and interdisciplinarity

• Special Requirements:

  • At least one SBE science must provide leadership in the project
  • Deep integration with at least one other STEM discipline
  • All projects must address access and inclusion related to the focal infrastructure
  • Annual PI meetings in Washington, DC area (budget accordingly)

---

Additional Information

• New in this cycle: For-profit organizations and Tribal Nations are eligible to apply.
• Focus: Projects must be centered on a specific, well-defined infrastructure (not generic or abstract).
• Broader Participation: Proposals from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs), and those broadening participation in STEM are strongly encouraged.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Proposals must identify and plan for engagement with relevant infrastructure stakeholders (e.g., government, industry, community groups).
• Transition to Practice: Proposals may include piloting or prototyping of research results.

---

External Links

• NSF SAI Program Solicitation & Details
• Download Solicitation PDF
• NSF SBE Disciplinary Programs
• NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG)
• Apply via Grants.gov

---

Contact Information

For technical support with Research.gov:

• Research.gov Help Desk: 1-800-381-1532 | rgov@nsf.gov

For Grants.gov support:

• Grants.gov Contact Center: 1-800-518-4726 | support@grants.gov