Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (LEAPS-MPS)

The Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (LEAPS-MPS) program is administered by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). NSF is an independent federal agency created in 1950 to support research and education in all fields of science and engineering. The MPS Directorate oversees the Divisions of Astronomical Sciences, Chemistry, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences, and Physics. This solicitation, NSF 25-535, posted on January 21, 2025, replaces NSF 22-604 and reflects updates to eligibility, program description, and submission deadlines. The purpose of the LEAPS-MPS program is to support the launch of research careers for pre-tenure faculty at institutions that historically have not received significant NSF MPS funding. Eligible institutions include Carnegie Research 2 universities, minority-serving institutions, predominantly undergraduate institutions, and community colleges. The program specifically excludes institutions classified as Research 1: Very High Research Activity universities. Awards are designed to help faculty initiate productive research programs, generate preliminary results, and prepare competitive proposals for subsequent NSF opportunities, such as CAREER or core disciplinary programs. The scope of LEAPS-MPS includes projects in fundamental research supported by MPS Divisions. Each award may provide up to $250,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) for a duration of up to 24 months. Between 45 and 75 awards are expected, with a total program funding level estimated between $11,000,000 and $18,750,000, contingent on the availability of funds and quality of proposals. Budgets must include travel support for the Principal Investigator to attend a required meeting of LEAPS award recipients in Washington, DC. Cost sharing is prohibited, and co-Principal Investigators are not allowed. Eligibility for Principal Investigators requires that applicants hold a doctoral degree in an MPS-supported field, be in a pre-tenure or tenure-track equivalent faculty position expected to last at least three years, and not have previously served as a Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator on an NSF research award. Proposals must be submitted on behalf of eligible faculty by accredited U.S. institutions of higher education that are not classified as R1 universities. Proposals more appropriate for other NSF directorates or federal agencies will be returned without review. Applications must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov, following NSF’s Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Proposals must include a project description linking the proposed activities to the investigator’s long-term research goals, a discussion of how the project will support future proposals, and a plan for broadening participation in STEM among underrepresented and underserved communities. Required supplementary materials include a two-to-three-page LEAPS-MPS Impact Statement and a signed departmental or college letter confirming eligibility and institutional support. Letters of Intent and preliminary proposals are not required. Proposals will be reviewed using NSF’s merit review process, which evaluates both intellectual merit and broader impacts. Additional solicitation-specific review criteria apply, including the likely impact on the PI’s research trajectory, institutional research capacity, and the targeted student population. Awards will be made as standard grants, and all awards are subject to NSF’s general terms and conditions. Reporting requirements include annual and final reports, as well as a project outcomes report for the public. Key deadlines for this program include April 17, 2025, and January 22, 2026. Beginning in 2027, proposals will be due annually on the fourth Thursday in January. Given the recurring structure of the program, the next expected submission deadline after 2026 will be January 28, 2027. Program contacts include Simon C. Schuler (sschuler@nsf.gov, 703-292-8123), Anne-Marie Schmoltner (aschmolt@nsf.gov, 703-292-4716), Nitsa Rosenzweig (nirosenz@nsf.gov, 703-292-7256), Tomek Bartoszynski (tbartosz@nsf.gov, 703-292-4885), and Kathleen V. McCloud (kmccloud@nsf.gov, 703-292-8236). General inquiries may also be directed to NSF’s Research.gov Help Desk at 1-800-381-1532 or the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726.