Biological Anthropology Program - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants

The Biological Anthropology Program - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (BA-DDRIG) is a funding opportunity offered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through its Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences and Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences. The program supports dissertation research conducted by doctoral students in the field of biological anthropology, which focuses on advancing knowledge about the processes that have shaped biological diversity in living and fossil humans and their primate relatives. The research portfolio includes studies in human and primate evolution, biological variation, and the interactions between biology, behavior, and culture, and projects are expected to demonstrate engagement with biological anthropological and evolutionary theory. This opportunity is available for students enrolled at Ph.D.-granting U.S. institutions, with proposals submitted by their dissertation advisors. The program encourages a broad range of research approaches and methodologies, including field, laboratory, and computational studies. Eligible projects may use molecular, organismal, population, and ecosystem-level analyses across short-term to evolutionary time scales, and should consider ethical implications and societal impacts. The BA-DDRIG awards are intended to improve dissertation research by providing supplemental funds for expenses not typically covered by a student’s university or other funding sources. Examples of allowable costs include travel to research sites, data collection, specialized equipment or research facility fees, hiring assistants, and research fees for international fieldwork. Funding cannot be used for stipends or salaries for the student or advisors, tuition, textbooks, journals, dissertation preparation, or conference travel. Applications must be prepared and submitted through either Research.gov or Grants.gov in accordance with the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Proposals must include a one-page project summary, a project description of up to ten pages with up to five additional pages for graphics, a data management and sharing plan, and an ethics statement of no more than two pages. Additional required documents include biographical sketches, a budget and justification, a signed statement from the principal investigator, and a project personnel list spreadsheet sent via email. For projects involving human or vertebrate animal subjects, appropriate Institutional Review Board or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approvals must be obtained prior to award processing. Proposals involving Native, Tribal, or Indigenous communities require evidence of collaboration or permission. The program has two submission windows annually: January 20 to January 31 and July 20 to July 31. These dates recur annually. Awards are anticipated to total $600,000 to $800,000 per fiscal year, with individual project budgets capped at $25,000 in direct costs over a maximum of 24 months, plus indirect costs based on the institution’s federally negotiated rate. The NSF anticipates making 25 to 40 awards annually. The grant is recurring and nationally available to all eligible U.S. institutions of higher education that grant Ph.D. degrees. Applications are reviewed using NSF’s two merit review criteria: Intellectual Merit, which assesses the potential to advance knowledge, and Broader Impacts, which considers the potential to benefit society and achieve specific societal outcomes. Reviewers evaluate the significance of the research, creativity, soundness of the plan, qualifications of the applicant and team, and the adequacy of available resources. Proposals may also be co-reviewed with related NSF programs when appropriate. Key program contacts include Marta P. Alfonso-Durruty (malfonso@nsf.gov, 703-292-7811), Rebecca Ferrell (rferrell@nsf.gov, 703-292-7850), and Angelica T. Brewer (abrewer@nsf.gov, 703-292-4636). The program operates on a recurring cycle with predictable submission windows, making it suitable for applicants who wish to plan well in advance for proposal preparation.

Contact program officer with one-page summary if unsure of fit; integrate broader impacts; address ethics; budget allowable costs.