Mind, Machine and Motor Nexus

The National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent agency of the United States government, supports fundamental research and education in all non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its new funding initiative, the Mind, Machine, and Motor Nexus (M3X) program, aims to foster research that deepens understanding of how intelligent engineered systems interact with humans in dynamic, physics-based environments to promote safety, productivity, and well-being. The M3X program funds research that advances bidirectional interactions between humans and intelligent engineered systems, which are systems that collect and analyze data to make decisions and take actions toward specific goals. These systems, whether physical, virtual, or hybrid, must operate within environments where interactions are governed by physical laws such as gravity, friction, force, and inertia. Emphasis is placed on the ability of these systems to adapt and collaborate with humans through sensory modalities like vision, haptics, and sound, particularly in scenarios such as elder care, disaster response, and dynamic workplaces. Projects must make significant contributions to one or more of three focal areas: conceptual frameworks and theoretical modeling, dynamic interaction analysis and simulation, and innovative technologies for enhanced interaction. These areas encompass creating structured models of human-system interaction, analyzing complex behavioral dynamics, and developing new methods and tools for multimodal interaction and evaluation. Proposals should clearly specify how the research advances bidirectional human-system interaction and are encouraged to include novel perspectives across one or more focus areas. Applicants are invited to submit a one-page Project Summary to the program email address for feedback from Program Directors prior to full proposal submission. Proposals may be submitted at any time; there are no fixed deadlines. The opportunity is ongoing, with rolling submissions allowed through Research.gov or Grants.gov, in accordance with NSF’s Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide or the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide. There are no specific pre-application deadlines or application question timelines. Applications for EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER), Rapid Response Research (RAPID), supplements, or workshops are also accepted year-round with prior approval from a cognizant Program Director. For more information, interested applicants can contact Alexander Leonessa or Alexandra Medina-Borja at m3x@nsf.gov, or call 703-292-2633 or 703-292-7557, respectively. Additional details, webinar materials, and updates are available on the NSF website. While the exact award amounts and number of awards are not specified, funding supports foundational research aligned with M3X’s strategic goals. Matching funds are not required.

PIs are encouraged to submit a one-page Project Summary to m3x@nsf.gov for feedback from Program Directors before submitting a full proposal.