Decision, Risk and Management Sciences

The Decision, Risk and Management Sciences (DRMS) program, offered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is designed to support fundamental research aimed at enhancing the understanding and effectiveness of decision-making by individuals, groups, organizations, and society. As a part of the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, specifically under the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SBE/SES), the DRMS program is grounded in the social and behavioral sciences. Its intent is to advance scientific knowledge while addressing critical societal issues, prioritizing research that incorporates robust theoretical frameworks and contributes generalizable insights. The DRMS program funds research across a variety of domains related to decision science, including but not limited to judgment and decision making, decision analysis and aids, risk perception and communication, public policy decision-making, and management science and organizational design. The scope of supported research includes standard disciplinary and interdisciplinary studies, doctoral dissertation research improvement grants (DDRIGs), and conferences. Additionally, the program offers two special mechanisms for specific types of projects: RAPID, for time-sensitive studies related to unforeseen events like disasters, and EAGER, for early-stage, high-risk, potentially transformative research. However, purely algorithmic or technical management-science proposals should be submitted instead to the Operations Engineering Program. Eligibility for DRMS funding extends to researchers affiliated with U.S.-based institutions, including universities and colleges. The program emphasizes that all research proposals must be rooted in theory and demonstrate potential for generalization beyond specific contexts. Researchers are expected to comply with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) in effect at the time of submission. Proposals must be submitted either via Research.gov or Grants.gov, depending on the preferred platform, and must adhere strictly to the application guidelines specified for each. The application timeline for DRMS includes two target dates for full proposals each year: August 18 and January 18 (adjusted to the nearest business day). These deadlines recur annually, offering consistent opportunities for researchers to apply. For the 2026 cycle, the upcoming deadlines are August 18, 2026, and January 19, 2027, with subsequent deadlines on August 18 and January 18 annually thereafter. The program is currently in the "Forecasted" stage, as the most recent deadline has passed, and the next submission window has not yet opened. Program evaluation emphasizes scientific merit and broader societal impact. Proposals must demonstrate methodological rigor and articulate the potential to contribute significantly to theoretical and practical understanding in decision sciences. While DRMS does not host regular office hours, applicants can direct inquiries to program directors Robert E. O’Connor and Claudia Gonzalez-Vallejo, whose contact information is publicly available. The DRMS program continues to play a pivotal role in fostering high-quality research that addresses complex decision-making challenges in diverse societal contexts. Through consistent funding cycles and a structured submission process, it offers a reliable mechanism for advancing interdisciplinary work that informs both academic theory and real-world applications.