Key facts
| Opportunity number | 25-534 |
|---|
| Agency | U.S. National Science Foundation |
|---|
| Assistance listing (ALN, formerly CFDA) | 47.075, 47.050, 47.049, 47.074, 47.076, 47.041 |
|---|
| Posted | Oct 5, 2026 |
|---|
| Deadline | Not listed |
|---|
| Award ceiling | $750,000 |
|---|
| Award floor | $50,000 |
|---|
| Estimated total program funding | $9,600,000 |
|---|
| Cost sharing or matching required | No |
|---|
| Funding type | Grant |
|---|
| Category | Science technology and other research and development |
|---|
| Last updated here | Oct 16, 2026 |
|---|
Summary from the notice
Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI) is an NSF program seeking to stimulate human-centered, use-inspired, fundamental and potentially transformative research aimed at strengthening America’s infrastructure. Effective infrastructure provides a strong foundation for socioeconomic vitality and broad improvement in quality of life. Robust, reliable and effective infrastructure spurs private-sector innovation, grows the economy, creates jobs, makes public-sector service provision more efficient, strengthens communities, promotes equal opportunity, protects the natural environment, enhances national security and fuels American leadership. Achieving these objectives requires the integration of expertise from across all science and engineering disciplines. SAI focuses on how fundamental knowledge about human reasoning and decision-making, governance, and social and cultural processes enables the building and maintenance of effective infrastructure that improves lives and society and builds on advances in technology and engineering. Successful projects will represent a convergence of expertise in one or more social, behavioral or economic sciences, deeply integrated with other disciplines to support substantial and potentially pathbreaking fundamental research applied to strengthening a specific focal infrastructure.
General inquiries regarding this funding opportunity should be sent to NSF-SAI@nsf.gov.
Who can apply
The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible:
- Others named in the notice (see the eligibility text)
Not listed as eligible
- Small businesses
- Nonprofits
- Colleges and universities
- State governments
- Local governments
- Tribal governments and organizations
- Larger for-profit companies
- Individuals
Unless the eligibility text in the notice names you, this opportunity is probably not for you.
Eligibility details from the notice
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
-For-profit organizations: U.S.-based commercial organizations, including small businesses, with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a passion for innovation.
-Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.
-Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
-Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131.
*Who May Serve as PI:
PIs must hold appointments at U.S.-based camp...
Registrations you will likely need
Most applications submitted through Grants.gov need the following. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. The notice lists the exact requirements.
Past awards for this program
Totals for assistance listing 47.075, 47.050, 47.049, 47.074, 47.076, 47.041 from public USASpending.gov data, as of Sep 23, 2026. Past awards do not predict future funding.
| Year | Listing | Awards | Total | Average |
|---|
| 2026 |
47.075 |
1 |
$13,900,000 |
$13,900,000 |
| 2026 |
47.041 |
12 |
$310,155,075 |
$25,846,256 |
| 2026 |
47.076 |
14 |
$335,416,836 |
$23,958,345 |
| 2026 |
47.074 |
7 |
$187,602,317 |
$26,800,331 |
| 2026 |
47.050 |
19 |
$1,656,677,479 |
$87,193,552 |
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