A Comprehensive Guide for CSST Researchers
| Program | Directorate/Division | Funding Range | Duration | Approach | Key Requirements | Program Officer Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SaTC (Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace) | CISE/CNS | $50K-$500K/year | 1-3 years | Open Call | • Sociotechnical security • Human factors emphasis |
Multiple POs, rotating panels |
| Smart and Connected Communities | CISE/CNS | $150K-$2.5M | 2-4 years | Open Call | • Community partnerships required • Pilot deployment |
Contact PO before submission |
| Ethical and Responsible Research (ER2) | SBE | $25K-$400K | 1-3 years | Open Call | • Ethics of emerging tech • Responsible innovation |
Cross-directorate program |
| Human-Centered Computing | CISE/IIS | $100K-$500K | 2-3 years | Rolling | • HCI, CSCW, social computing | Core program, multiple POs |
| Science of Science | SBE/SES | $50K-$300K | 1-3 years | Open Call | • Science policy • Innovation studies |
Joint with NCSES |
NSF Review Process: Uses rotating panels of experts, program officers make funding recommendations but don't sit on panels. Learn more about NSF merit review
| Institute/Center | Focus Areas | Common Mechanisms | Special Programs | Review Process |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIMH National Institute of Mental Health |
• Digital mental health • Social media impacts • mHealth interventions |
R01, R21, R34 | • BRAIN Initiative • Suicide prevention tech |
Standing study sections |
| NLM National Library of Medicine |
• Health informatics • Data science • Consumer health tech |
R01, R43/44 | • Biomedical informatics • AI/ML in healthcare |
Special emphasis panels |
| NIBIB Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering |
• Point-of-care tech • mHealth platforms • Telehealth systems |
R01, U01, P41 | • POCTRN network • RADx Tech |
Mixed panels |
| OBSSR Office of Behavioral & Social Sciences |
• Behavior change tech • Social determinants • Community health |
Supplements, RFAs | • mHealth training • Systems science |
Trans-NIH initiatives |
NIH Review Process: Uses standing study sections with consistent membership, plus special emphasis panels. NIH Peer Review overview
| Agency | Relevant Programs | Funding Range | Approach | Special Features | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDC Centers for Disease Control |
• Public health informatics • Community interventions • Health equity tech |
$100K-$1M/year | Open Call | • State partnerships • Implementation focus |
CDC Grants |
| Department of Energy | • Smart grid social adoption • Energy behavior • Community resilience |
$250K-$2M/year | Open Call | • National lab access • ARPA-E for high-risk |
DOE EERE |
| USDA Dept of Agriculture |
• Rural broadband adoption • Precision ag interfaces • Food security tech |
$50K-$500K | Open Call | • Land-grant partnerships • Extension integration |
NIFA Grants |
| DHS Homeland Security |
• Cybersecurity awareness • Crisis informatics • Community resilience |
$100K-$750K | Network | • Centers of Excellence • HSARPA innovation |
DHS S&T |
| FDA Food & Drug Admin |
• Digital health regulation • Patient engagement • Real-world evidence |
$100K-$500K | Open Call | • Regulatory science • Industry partnerships |
FDA Grants |
| Department of Education | • EdTech effectiveness • Digital divide • Learning analytics ethics |
$100K-$2M | Open Call | • IES research grants • i3 innovation |
IES Funding |
| Agency/Office | Focus Areas | Funding Vehicles | Typical Range | Approach | Key Considerations | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DARPA Defense Advanced Research Projects |
• Social media analysis • Human-AI teaming • Influence operations |
• BAAs • Special programs • Seedlings |
$500K-$5M/year | Network | • PM relationships key • High-risk tolerance • Rapid prototypes |
DARPA Opportunities |
| IARPA Intelligence Advanced Research |
• Forecasting • Social dynamics • Hybrid threats |
• BAAs • Prize challenges • Seedlings |
$200K-$2M/year | Invitation | • Clearance helpful • Novel approaches • Metrics-driven |
IARPA Programs |
| ONR Office of Naval Research |
• Human factors • Team performance • Trust in autonomy |
• BAAs • YIP (Young Inv.) • DURIP equipment |
$150K-$500K/year | Open Call | • Basic & applied • University partnerships • International OK |
ONR Funding |
| AFOSR Air Force Office of Sci Research |
• Trust & influence • Computational cognition • Info operations |
• Core programs • MURI • YIP |
$150K-$250K/year | Open Call | • Basic research • International collab • White papers first |
AFOSR |
| ARO Army Research Office |
• Network science • Social dynamics • Human-agent teaming |
• Core BAA • STIR • MURI |
$150K-$300K/year | Open Call | • Basic research • PM pre-contact • Conference support |
ARO |
| AFRL Air Force Research Lab |
• Human performance • Decision support • Training systems |
• BAAs • SBIR/STTR • Coop agreements |
$100K-$1M | Network | • Applied focus • Transition paths • Lab partnerships |
AFRL |
| OSD Office of Secretary of Defense |
• Innovation adoption • Acquisition reform • Strategic competition |
• Minerva • Special topics |
$100K-$1.5M | Open Call | • Policy relevance • Social science focus |
Minerva |
| Program Type | Description | Eligibility | Funding Range | Key Features | Application Tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBIR Small Business Innovation Research |
Commercialization-focused R&D | Small businesses (<500 employees) |
Phase I: $50-275K Phase II: $750K-1.8M |
• 3.2% federal R&D setaside • All major agencies • Retain IP rights |
• Partner with universities • SBIR.gov |
| STTR Small Business Tech Transfer |
University-small business partnerships | SB + research institution | Phase I: $50-275K Phase II: $750K-1.8M |
• Requires university partner • 0.45% setaside • Technology transfer |
• Define IP split early • Clear work division |
| BAA Broad Agency Announcement |
Open-ended research calls | All entity types | Varies widely | • Flexible topics • White papers often • Multiple awards |
• Contact PM first • Read amendments |
| Cooperative Agreements | Substantial agency involvement | Usually nonprofits, universities | $100K-$10M+ | • Shared governance • Agency partnership • Multi-year typical |
• Relationship crucial • Plan governance |
| OTA Other Transaction Authority |
Flexible R&D agreements | Non-traditional contractors | $500K-$100M+ | • Bypasses FAR • Rapid execution • IP flexibility |
• DoD emphasis • Consortia access |
| Foundation | Relevant Programs | Typical Grants | Approach | Program Officers/Areas | Application Process | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred P. Sloan Foundation | • Public Understanding of Tech • Data & Society • Digital Infrastructure |
$50K-$2M | Network | • Joshua Greenberg (Digital Infra) • Doron Weber (Public Understanding) • Program-specific POs |
• LOI → Invitation • PO consultation key |
Sloan Programs |
| Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | • Digital Financial Services • Data for Development • Global Health Tech |
$100K-$10M+ | Invitation | • Strategy-specific teams • Regional offices |
• Grand Challenges • By invitation mostly |
Gates Grants |
| William and Flora Hewlett Foundation | • Cyber Initiative • Democracy Program • Open Educational Resources |
$50K-$1M | Network | Program-specific directors | • LOI process • Strategy alignment critical |
Hewlett Programs |
| Charles Stewart Mott Foundation | • Civil Society • Democratic Practice • Community Systems |
$50K-$500K | Network | Geographic & thematic POs | • LOI → Full proposal • Place-based emphasis |
Mott Work |
| Ford Foundation | • Technology & Society • Internet Freedom • Civic Engagement Tech |
$100K-$1M | Invitation | Regional & thematic teams | • BUILD grants • Strategy alignment |
Ford Grants |
| MacArthur Foundation | • Technology & Human Rights • Criminal Justice Tech • Nuclear Challenges |
$150K-$3M | Invitation | Initiative-specific directors | • Big Bets approach • 100&Change competition |
MacArthur Programs |
| Andrew W. Mellon Foundation | • Digital Humanities • Scholarly Communications • Arts & Culture Tech |
$50K-$2M | Network | Program directors by area | • Inquiry form • University partnerships |
Mellon Programs |
| Knight Foundation | • Media Innovation • Smart Cities • Informed Communities |
$50K-$1M | Open Call | Media & community POs | • Knight News Challenge • Prototype Fund |
Knight Challenges |
| Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | • Digital Health Equity • Data for Health • Community Well-being Tech |
$100K-$500K | Open Call | Theme-based teams | • Evidence for Action • Pioneering Ideas |
RWJF Grants |
| Russell Sage Foundation | • Future of Work • Social Inequality • Behavioral Economics |
$35K-$175K | Open Call | Single program officer model | • Letter of inquiry • 2 cycles/year |
RSF Apply |
| Omidyar Network | • Beneficial Tech • Digital Identity • Platform Accountability |
$100K-$1M+ | Network | Initiative leads | • Impact investing blend • Systems change focus |
Omidyar |
| Mozilla Foundation | • Internet Health • Trustworthy AI • Data Stewardship |
$10K-$250K | Open Call | Program managers | • Fellows program • Awards track |
Mozilla Funding |
| Company | Programs | Focus Areas | Funding/Support | Approach | Timeline | Links & Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Research Awards • PhD Fellowships • Faculty Awards • exploreCSR |
• AI for Social Good • Privacy & Security • HCI & Visualization • Computational Social Science |
• Awards: $50-150K • Fellows: $100K • Cloud credits • Dataset access |
Open Call | • Annual cycles • Fall deadlines typical |
Google Research Unrestricted funds |
|
| Microsoft | • Azure Research Credits • AI for Good grants • AETHER grants • Ada Lovelace Fellowship |
• AI Ethics • Accessibility • Sustainability • Future of Work |
• $50-200K + Azure • Fellowships: $42K/yr • Compute resources |
Open Call | • Rolling & cycles • Program-specific |
MSR Academic IP flexible |
| Meta (Facebook) | • Research Awards • Fellowship Program • Ethics in AI • PyTorch grants |
• Social Technologies • Privacy-preserving tech • AR/VR society • Integrity systems |
• Awards: $50-100K • Fellows: $42K/yr • Data partnerships |
Open Call | • 1-2 cycles/year • RFP-based |
Meta Research Open science model |
| Amazon | • Amazon Research Awards • AWS Cloud Credits • Alexa Fund • Amazon Scholars |
• Fairness in AI • Robotics HRI • Sustainability • Economics & computation |
• Awards: $20-100K • AWS credits: $20K+ • Equipment loans |
Open Call | • Annual cycle • Fall deadline |
Amazon Science Can't be sole funder |
| IBM | • PhD Fellowship • Faculty Awards • Shared University Research • AI Horizons |
• AI Ethics • Quantum computing • Hybrid cloud • Security |
• Awards: $50-150K • Equipment access • Collaboration |
Network | • Relationship-based • Some open calls |
IBM University IP negotiable |
| Apple | • Apple Scholars • ML Research |
• Privacy tech • ML fairness • Health sensing |
• PhD support • Mentorship focus |
Invitation | Limited programs | Apple ML Very selective |
| Adobe | • Research Grants • PhD Fellowship • Faculty Awards |
• Creative AI • Document intelligence • HCI for creativity |
• Awards: $50K • Software access |
Open Call | Annual programs | Adobe Research |
| Nvidia | • Academic Grants • GPU Grant Program • Fellowship |
• AI infrastructure • Applied AI • Graphics & society |
• Hardware grants • Cash awards rare |
Open Call | Rolling basis | Nvidia Academic |
| Sector/Company | Research Interests | Partnership Models | Typical Support | Approach Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) |
• 5G applications • Smart cities • Digital equity |
• Innovation labs • Sponsored research • Testbeds |
$50K-$500K + infrastructure | Network through university relations |
| Financial Services (JPMorgan, Mastercard, Visa) |
• FinTech adoption • Financial inclusion • Fraud & trust |
• Research centers • PhD programs • Challenges |
$100K-$1M | Network or RFPs |
| Healthcare/Pharma (J&J, Pfizer, Roche) |
• Digital therapeutics • Patient engagement • Real-world evidence |
• Investigator grants • Innovation centers • Data partnerships |
$50K-$500K | Open Call for some |
| Automotive (Ford, GM, Toyota) |
• Mobility systems • Human-autonomy interaction • Smart infrastructure |
• University alliances • Open innovation • Challenges |
$100K-$2M | Network relationships |
| Retail/Consumer (Walmart, P&G, Target) |
• Consumer behavior • Supply chain tech • Sustainability |
• Innovation partnerships • Store labs • Data access |
$50K-$250K | Invitation typical |
| Funder/Program | Eligibility | Focus Areas | Funding Range | Key Requirements | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Research Council (ERC) | US researchers with EU host | • All fields • Excellence-based • Frontier research |
€1.5-2.5M | • EU host institution • 50%+ time in Europe |
ERC |
| Horizon Europe | US partners in consortia | • Digital transformation • Green transition • Social innovation |
€2-10M (total) | • Multi-country consortia • Self-funded US partners |
Funding Portal |
| UKRI (UK Research & Innovation) | US-UK partnerships | • AI & data • Future leaders • Global challenges |
£500K-5M | • UK lead usually • Match funding |
UKRI |
| DFG (German Research Foundation) | US-German collaboration | • All disciplines • Excellence clusters |
€200K-2M | • German partner • Joint proposals |
DFG |
| JSPS (Japan) | US-Japan partnerships | • Science diplomacy • Aging society • Disaster resilience |
¥10-50M | • Japanese collaborator • Exchange component |
JSPS |
| Wellcome Trust | Global, health focus | • Digital health • Global health equity • Science & society |
£100K-5M | • Health relevance • LMIC partnerships valued |
Wellcome |
| Volkswagen Foundation | International teams | • AI & society • Global challenges • Knowledge transfer |
€100K-1.5M | • Interdisciplinary • Young researchers |
VW Foundation |
Finding State Opportunities: Check state government websites, subscribe to economic development newsletters, connect with state university system offices
| Information to Track | Where to Find It | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Program Officer Interests | • Webinars • Conference talks • Dear Colleague Letters |
Align proposals with current priorities |
| Funding History | • Award databases • Annual reports • 990 forms (foundations) |
Understand typical award sizes, success rates |
| Review Panel Composition | • Public panel rosters • Colleague networks |
Frame proposals for likely reviewers |
| Strategic Plans | • Agency websites • Congressional testimony • Foundation strategy docs |
Anticipate future opportunities |