SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

The SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships program, administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is designed to support early-career scientists within the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) domain. These fellowships aim to foster independent research and professional development by enabling scholars to pursue innovative research projects. The Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences offers this opportunity to individuals who have recently earned or will soon complete their doctoral degrees in the SBE fields. This fellowship program offers two distinct tracks: the SPRF-FR (Fundamental Research in the SBE Sciences) and the SPRF-BP (Broadening Participation in the SBE Sciences). While both tracks emphasize high-quality research, the SPRF-BP track additionally encourages contributions that enhance diversity and broaden participation within the academic and research communities. Applicants must align their research and training goals with the priorities of one of these tracks. The award is uniquely structured such that the proposal is submitted directly by the individual fellow rather than their host institution. Each applicant must identify a sponsoring scientist affiliated with a U.S.-based host institution, which may be a higher education institution or a nonprofit research organization. Although fellows are encouraged to conduct their research at an institution other than their doctoral or current postdoctoral institution, exceptions are allowed with justification. Each fellowship award is valued between $160,000 and $170,000, with approximately 20 fellowships awarded annually. The total program funding is estimated at $3,000,000. The NSF does not require cost sharing or matching contributions from applicants. Proposals that fail to meet the strict eligibility criteria—such as U.S. citizenship or residency, recent PhD conferral, and lack of a tenure-track appointment—will be returned without review. The current funding cycle closes on November 4, 2026, and the opportunity is expected to recur annually, with the next anticipated cycle opening in November 2027. Applications must be submitted through the official NSF channels by the individual applicants themselves. The program does not accept submissions from institutions, nor can awards be transferred to the host organizations. Program-related inquiries and support requests can be directed to NSF’s grants.gov support team at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

Justify remaining at current institution clearly; confirm mentor and institutional alignment; meet strict eligibility criteria or be returned without review.