Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics

The Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics (MMS) program is an ongoing interdisciplinary initiative housed within the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) of the National Science Foundation (NSF). It aims to enhance the development and application of innovative statistical and analytical methods across the social, behavioral, and economic sciences. By funding research that is both theoretically grounded and broadly applicable, MMS plays a vital role in improving the quality of data and research methodologies that inform a range of scientific and policy-making activities. The program further partners with a consortium of federal statistical agencies to promote research that supports the production and effective use of official statistics. MMS supports a variety of proposal types including Regular Research Awards, Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement (DDRI) Grants, conference and community development activities, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) supplements. Regular research awards, which constitute the bulk of submissions, fund cutting-edge methodological research that spans disciplinary boundaries. A unique component of the MMS program is its collaboration with federal statistical agencies through the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy and the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology. This partnership emphasizes research to advance survey design, data collection, statistical modeling, and alternatives to traditional survey-based methods. Allowable research topics are diverse and include methodological innovations for multi-mode surveys, small area estimation, data integration from administrative sources, and advances in inferential methods. Infrastructure projects that broadly benefit the MMS research community are also eligible. The program does not impose restrictions on PI eligibility except in the case of DDRI awards, which require the principal investigator to be the doctoral advisor and the co-PI to be the doctoral student. Proposals may be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov and must comply with current NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) requirements. No letters of intent or preliminary proposals are required. The program’s merit review process follows NSF’s standard criteria, assessing intellectual merit and broader impacts. Successful proposals should demonstrate methodological innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and relevance across multiple fields within the social sciences. For DDRI proposals, funding is limited to $18,000 and supports dissertation-specific research expenses excluding tuition and student stipends. REU supplements can support up to two undergraduates with a maximum of $8,000 per student. Voluntary committed cost sharing is not permitted under any award type. The MMS program has two annual deadlines: the last Thursday in January and the last Thursday in August. Proposals submitted by the January deadline are given full consideration for co-review by federal statistical agencies. All submissions must be received by 5:00 p.m. in the submitter’s local time zone. Award announcements typically follow the standard NSF review timeline, with funding decisions communicated approximately six months after submission. Anticipated funding for the program is $3.76 million annually, with between 15 to 35 awards issued per year, contingent on available funding. For further information, applicants may contact Nicholas N. Nagle at the NSF via phone at (703) 292-4490 or email at [email protected]. Additional submission and award details are available through the official NSF program website and the PAPPG. Applicants are encouraged to ensure that all proposal components, including the required Data Management Plan, adhere strictly to NSF’s formatting and submission guidelines.

Highlight interdisciplinary impact and data utility across social science fields.