# Polar Programs (47.078)

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/programs/47-078-polar-programs/  
Publisher: Well Told Grants. Data: USAspending.gov and Grants.gov, updated November 7, 2026.

Polar Programs is run by National Science Foundation. From fiscal 2021 to 2025 it awarded $609 million in 1,151 grants, about $528,902 per award.

## Objectives

To strengthen and enhance the national scientific enterprise through the expansion of fundamental knowledge and increased understanding of the polar regions. To encourage and support basic research that is best conducted in or can only be conducted in the Arctic and Antarctic.

## Funding by fiscal year

| Year | Amount | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $145 million | 364 |
| 2022 | $126 million | 349 |
| 2023 | $123 million | 384 |
| 2024 | $100 million | 280 |
| 2025 | $114 million | 215 |

## Largest recipients

| Recipient | State | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | Alaska | $71.5 million |
| Oregon State University | Oregon | $43.1 million |
| University of California San Diego | California | $36.8 million |
| University of Wisconsin System | Wisconsin | $34.6 million |
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | Massachusetts | $29.8 million |
| The Regents of the University of Colorado | Colorado | $28.7 million |
| University of Washington | Washington | $26.5 million |
| Trustees of Dartmouth College | New Hampshire | $25.7 million |
| The University of Chicago | Illinois | $18.9 million |
| Regents of the University of Minnesota | Minnesota | $18.3 million |
| The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York | New York | $16.7 million |
| University of Texas at Austin | Texas | $10.4 million |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | California | $9.7 million |
| Earthscope Consortium Inc. | District of Columbia | $7.2 million |
| The Ohio State University | Ohio | $7.2 million |
| Rutgers, the State University | New Jersey | $6.9 million |
| The Leland Stanford Junior University | California | $6.7 million |
| University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science | Maryland | $6.2 million |
| University of California Santa Cruz | California | $5.8 million |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College | Massachusetts | $5.1 million |

## Open opportunities

- [National Science Foundation Translation to Practice (NSF TTP)](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/25-540-national-science-foundation-translation-to-practice-nsf-ttp/), closes November 17, 2026
- [EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (FEC)](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/24-573-epscor-research-infrastructure-improvement-program-focused/), closes January 26, 2027
- [Major Research Instrumentation Program: (MRI)](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/27-500-major-research-instrumentation-program-mri/), closes January 29, 2027
- [Findable Accessible Interoperable Reusable Open Science (FAIROS)](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/25-533-findable-accessible-interoperable-reusable-open-science/), closes April 14, 2027
- [Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/23-601-research-experiences-for-undergraduates-reu/), closes August 18, 2027
- [Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Excellence in Research (HBCU - EiR)](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/23-598-historically-black-colleges-and-universities-excellence-in/), closes October 19, 2027
- [National Science Foundation National Innovation Corps Teams (NSF National I-CorpsTM Teams) Program](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/25-549-national-science-foundation-national-innovation-corps-teams/), closes October 6, 2076
- [Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions: (RUI and ROA-PUI)](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/14-579-facilitating-research-at-primarily-undergraduate/), closes October 14, 2076