Decision, Risk and Management Sciences

The Decision, Risk, and Management Sciences (DRMS) program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), supports scientific research aimed at improving the understanding and effectiveness of decision-making processes across individuals, groups, organizations, and society. The program funds disciplinary and interdisciplinary research that is grounded in social and behavioral sciences, with an emphasis on theoretical foundations and practical applications. It is designed to advance knowledge in areas such as judgment and decision-making, decision analysis and aids, risk perception and communication, societal decision-making, and management science. The program provides funding for a variety of research efforts, including standard research grants, Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIGs), and conference funding. Additionally, it supports research through the RAPID mechanism for studies involving ephemeral data tied to disasters or unforeseen events. Occasionally, the program funds high-risk, proof-of-concept projects through the Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) mechanism. However, purely algorithmic management science proposals should be directed to the Operations Engineering (OE) program rather than DRMS. Funding is available for research that has broad societal impacts and is generalizable beyond specific cases. Proposals should be guided by rigorous research methodologies and theoretical frameworks. Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIGs) are also available to improve the quality of dissertation research, and applicants must refer to the separate solicitation for DRMS-DDRIG for detailed proposal guidelines. Proposals must adhere to the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and comply with the specified proposal requirements. The program has an annual application cycle with target submission dates in August and January each year. Applicants are encouraged to use Research.gov or Grants.gov for proposal submission, following the guidelines outlined in the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide. The DRMS program is housed within the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE), specifically under the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SBE/SES). Applicants seeking more information or guidance are encouraged to reach out to program directors. Additionally, the program hosts periodic office hours to address inquiries related to funding opportunities.