Responsible Design, Development, and Deployment of Technologies
This funding initiative provides financial support for multidisciplinary teams across various sectors to promote responsible innovation in technology, particularly in artificial intelligence and biotechnology, while ensuring ethical and societal values are integrated throughout the development process.
The Responsible Design, Development, and Deployment of Technologies (ReDDDoT) program is a funding initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF), aimed at encouraging responsible innovation practices across several critical technological domains. The program supports multidisciplinary, multi-sector teams committed to integrating ethical, legal, societal, and community values into the life cycle of technology development. Emphasis is placed on artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and technologies aimed at preventing or mitigating both natural and anthropogenic disasters. NSF's ReDDDoT program promotes partnerships across academia, industry, non-profits, and government sectors. It emphasizes the importance of embedding responsible design principles in early technology development phases and extending through deployment. The program also aims to educate and prepare the STEM workforce on these approaches, and it supports efforts to broaden public engagement in technology creation. A key objective is to enable positive societal and economic outcomes while minimizing negative consequences. For fiscal year 2025, three types of project proposals are considered: Execute, Explore, and Inform (Workshop). Execute Projects support established teams capable of impactful, sustainable work in responsible technology design. Explore Projects fund early-stage, cross-sector collaborations aiming to test new approaches. Inform Projects are designed for convenings, such as workshops, that gather expertise and disseminate knowledge throughout the responsible tech ecosystem. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based for-profit organizations with research or education strengths, state and local governments, accredited U.S. institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal nations, and non-profit, non-academic organizations such as museums and community groups with educational or research activities. Special instructions apply for proposals involving international branches of U.S. institutions. The estimated total funding available through the ReDDDoT program is $12 million, with awards ranging from $75,000 to $1.5 million. Thirty-one awards are expected. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. Proposals must be submitted by July 8, 2025, and the program opened on April 18, 2025. Contact for assistance is available through NSF grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
Award Range
$75,000 - $1,500,000
Total Program Funding
$12,000,000
Number of Awards
31
Matching Requirement
No
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -For-profit organizations: U.S.-based commercial organizations, including small businesses, with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a passion for innovation. -State and Local Governments -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus. -Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. 5130-5131. - Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, community organizations, and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated witheducational or research activities or that bring relevant expertise/perspectives. *Who May Serve as PI: ;lt;p class="paragraph" style="vertical-align: baseline;gt;;lt;span class="normaltextrungt;The project leadership team should include individuals with experience and expertise in topics and areas broadly associated with responsible design, development, and/or deployment of technologies.;lt;/span;gt;
Geographic Eligibility
All
Application Opens
April 18, 2025
Application Closes
July 8, 2025
Grantor
National Science Foundation
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