Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program

The Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS) is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent federal agency with a long-standing mission to support fundamental research and education across scientific disciplines. The HEGS Program resides within the Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Division of NSF’s Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate. The overarching goal of the program is to support scientific investigations that explore the spatial dimensions of human behaviors and activities and their interactions with environmental and social processes. It encourages a wide range of theoretically engaged, methodologically rigorous research across scales that advances geographical and geospatial science. This program solicitation welcomes proposals that address the complex interactions between human and environmental systems using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods approaches. Proposals must demonstrate how the project will contribute to generalizable scientific knowledge rather than solely producing localized or humanistic interpretations. The program prioritizes research that includes clear data collection and analysis strategies, explicit attention to confounding variables and biases, and a framework for substantiating the broader relevance and theoretical contributions of the findings. Researchers are expected to provide detailed plans for how the proposed research will advance geographical theory and geospatial methodologies. HEGS supports a variety of proposal types including Senior Research proposals, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) proposals, Research Coordination Network (RCN) proposals, and proposals for conferences, research community development activities, and transdisciplinary socio-environmental research under the TREES (Transdisciplinary Research in Environmental Social Science) track. TREES proposals specifically emphasize integrated social and environmental science approaches and require interdisciplinary collaboration with a focus on advancing social and behavioral science theories. Budgets typically range from $100,000 to $500,000 depending on project type, with TREES projects often averaging between $200,000 and $250,000 annually for up to four years. Eligibility is open to a broad range of U.S.-based entities including higher education institutions, non-profit research organizations, state and local governments, for-profit organizations, and Tribal nations. There are no restrictions on the number of submissions per institution or investigator. While the program does not require cost sharing, proposals must conform to the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide applicable to the deadline under which they are submitted. All proposals must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov, and collaborative proposals involving multiple organizations must use Research.gov. Applications are accepted on a recurring basis with two target deadlines per year: the first Friday of August and the third Friday of January. For 2026, the next expected deadline is August 7, following the January 16 deadline. Proposals not aligned with the program’s scientific objectives will be returned without review. For inquiries or to confirm fit with the HEGS program, prospective applicants are encouraged to submit a concept outline to the program email at [email protected]. Proposals are reviewed through NSF’s merit review process based on intellectual merit and broader societal impacts. The program encourages proposals that integrate research and education and promote diversity in science. Awards are issued as either Standard or Continuing Grants, with estimated funding of $7,000,000 annually and 15–25 awards anticipated per cycle depending on availability of funds and proposal quality. Prospective applicants can contact program officers Jeremy Koster ([email protected]), Nicholas Nagle ([email protected]), or business specialist Cori Jacildone ([email protected]) for further guidance.

Ensure strong alignment with HEGS program expectations or risk return without review.