Key facts
| Opportunity number | 26-520 |
|---|
| Agency | U.S. National Science Foundation |
|---|
| Assistance listing (ALN, formerly CFDA) | 47.049 |
|---|
| Posted | Aug 17, 2026 |
|---|
| Deadline | Oct 8, 2076 |
|---|
| Award floor | $300,000 |
|---|
| Expected number of awards | 600 |
|---|
| Estimated total program funding | $200,000,000 |
|---|
| 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
The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (NSF MPS) supports multiple research programs at the frontiers of discovery in theoretical and applied mathematical sciences.
Programs include:
NSF anticipates a portfolio of awards for these programs with a range of budgets, durations and scopes. Program budgets, number of awards, award sizes and durations are subject to the availability of funds.
NSF MPS is particularly interested in intellectually ambitious and potentially transformative foundational research. Proposals need not promise a near-term product, deployment, or commercial outcome, nor need they address later-stage development to be competitive.
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:
-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.
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 47.049 from public USASpending.gov data, as of Sep 23, 2026. Past awards do not predict future funding.
| Year | Listing | Awards | Total | Average |
|---|
| 2026 |
47.049 |
16 |
$1,790,278,386 |
$111,892,399 |
| 2025 |
47.049 |
21 |
$1,947,852,199 |
$92,754,867 |
| 2024 |
47.049 |
22 |
$1,981,475,770 |
$90,067,080 |
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