Engineering for Civil Infrastructure

The Engineering for Civil Infrastructure (ECI) program is a funding initiative managed by the National Science Foundation (NSF), specifically within the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (ENG/CMMI). NSF is an independent U.S. federal agency tasked with promoting the progress of science across a wide array of disciplines. The ECI program is aligned with NSF’s strategic objectives to drive forward-thinking research that addresses national needs and societal challenges through robust scientific inquiry. This program supports fundamental research in multiple branches of civil infrastructure engineering including geotechnical, structural, architectural, materials, and coastal engineering. Its overarching purpose is to strengthen the long-term sustainability, resilience, and adaptability of the nation’s physical civil infrastructure systems. ECI’s funding scope includes, but is not limited to, buildings and residential construction, flood protection components, water and wastewater systems, energy infrastructure (excluding nuclear), and transportation systems (excluding pavements). The program is particularly interested in research that fosters climate change adaptation, hazard mitigation, and equitable infrastructure systems that support community welfare. Proposals should emphasize basic research with strong theoretical underpinnings. The program does not support projects focused on hazard characterization, measurement technologies, or resource extraction. Instead, it prioritizes projects that investigate the behavior of civil infrastructure during construction, regular service, or under extreme conditions like earthquakes, floods, landslides, and fires. ECI encourages studies that advance the understanding of infrastructure and material behavior across multiple scales and environmental conditions. Experimental, analytical, and computational research are all eligible, particularly where multi-physics and multi-functional behaviors are studied. To amplify impact, ECI supports proposals that leverage the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) resources for data, modeling, and testing. The program also aligns with national research priorities through its contributions to the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP). Applicants are advised to reference the NHERI Science Plan for topic alignment and encouraged to incorporate NSF-supported modeling and simulation tools available at designsafe-ci.org. While there are no fixed submission windows for the core ECI program—full proposals are accepted at any time—certain associated solicitations like EAGER, RAPID, or CAREER may have specific deadlines. It is strongly recommended that potential applicants, especially those submitting multidisciplinary proposals or working within domains also supported by other federal/state agencies, consult with ECI Program Officers. A one-page project summary can be submitted for pre-submission guidance. There are no pre-application requirements for this program, and proposals must comply with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) in effect at the time of submission. Contact for the program is shared via a centralized email address ([email protected]), staffed by multiple Program Directors. Principal Investigators (PIs) are encouraged to participate in periodic ECI office hours to ask questions and stay current on program developments. Although the program is open year-round, it is categorized as recurring and researchers should stay alert to updates in NSF policy or submission guidelines.