Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants

The National Science Foundation (NSF), through its Division of Astronomical Sciences (AST), offers the Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Grants (AAG) program to support scientific research in all areas of astronomy and astrophysics. AST is the main federal funding body for ground-based astronomy in the United States and supports a wide range of activities including national observatories, instrumentation development, and individual investigator research. The AAG program is specifically designed to fund projects that address fundamental questions in astronomy through observational, theoretical, laboratory, or archival data studies. It also supports the development of tools and techniques that facilitate or enhance astronomical research. Proposals may be submitted by individual investigators or teams and can span multiple disciplines and use varied methodologies, provided the work is anchored within an astronomical context. Projects leveraging NASA data must justify why NSF support is appropriate, and a special section in the proposal must explain the need for NASA resources in pursuit of NSF goals. The program accepts proposals across four broad research areas: Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology (EXC), Galactic Astronomy (GAL), Planetary, Exoplanetary and Solar Astronomy (PLA), and Stellar Astronomy and Astrophysics (SAA). Cross-disciplinary work is welcomed if the astronomical relevance is clear. Approximately 100 new or continuing awards are made each year under this program, subject to the availability of funds. For fiscal year 2023, the anticipated total program funding is approximately $50 million. Awards may be made either as Standard Grants or Continuing Grants. Cost sharing is prohibited, and indirect cost limitations do not apply. The AAG program also accepts Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering (CDS&E) proposals under specific guidelines, as well as supplemental funding requests for REU, RET, ROA, and similar initiatives tied to existing grants. Applications must be submitted electronically via Research.gov or Grants.gov and must follow the guidelines detailed in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Proposals are accepted annually during the submission window from October 1 to November 15, by 5:00 p.m. submitter’s local time. Proposals not demonstrating clear astronomical context will be returned without review. Reviewers evaluate proposals based on NSF’s two standard criteria: Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts. Eligibility is open to all organizations identified in Chapter I.E. of the PAPPG, which includes institutions of higher education, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations, among others. Unaffiliated individuals may not apply. There are no restrictions on the number of proposals an organization or PI may submit. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact one of the many listed program officers for domain-specific inquiries. The lead contact for the AAG Program is Hans A. Krimm, who can be reached via phone at (703) 292-2761 or email at hkrimm@nsf.gov. Additional contacts are listed for each subfield. For general inquiries or technical support with NSF systems, assistance is available via Research.gov or Grants.gov. This funding opportunity is recurring annually, with the same submission window of October 1 to November 15. If missed in the current cycle, applicants can prepare to apply in the next round beginning in October of the following year.

Reviewers evaluate based on Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts. Ensure all proposals demonstrate clear relevance to astronomy and comply with NSF proposal structure.