Grants / National Science Foundation / U.S. National Science Foundation

NSF 25-534: Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI)

Closed Closed Opportunity NSF 25-534 ☆ Save

This grant is closed. Who won this program's grants before is below, and similar open grants are at the end of the page. It is in our archive of U.S. National Science Foundation notices from 2026.

• Award ceiling$750,000
• Award floor$50,000
• Total funding$9.6 million
• Cost sharingNot required
• Funding typeGrant

Key dates

Who can apply

This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.

• Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

*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 campuses/offices of eligible organizations (IHEs, Non-profit, non-academic organizations, For-profit organizations, Tribal Nations). There are no restrictions on who may serve as co-PIs, Senior/Key Personnel, or Consultant.

Is this a realistic fit?

• Most of the money in the 6 programs behind this notice (82% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
• No cost sharing or match is required.

What the grant funds

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.

Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

Other programs behind this notice

• Engineering 47.041
  $4.3 billion in five years
• Biological Sciences 47.074
  $4.2 billion in five years
• Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences 47.075
  $1.1 billion in five years

Applying now

This notice no longer takes applications. Agencies often post the same opportunity again under a new number, so check the program's notices on Grants.gov and the similar open grants below.

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