Sociology

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research across a wide array of scientific disciplines, including sociology. Within the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, the Division of Social and Economic Sciences manages the Sociology Program. This program focuses on advancing understanding of human social organization and processes of social change, including how individuals, groups, institutions, and societies interact and evolve. The NSF’s mission emphasizes promoting the progress of science while broadening participation across underrepresented groups, institutions, and regions, making diversity and inclusivity central to the funding process. The Sociology Program supports theoretically grounded empirical investigations that contribute to the explanation of fundamental social processes. The program welcomes research projects on topics such as social networks, population dynamics, stratification and mobility, family dynamics, socialization, social movements, organizational behavior, and the sociology of science and technology. Both original data collection and secondary data analysis are eligible, and the program encourages methodological innovation to improve data collection and analysis in sociology. Projects that contribute broadly to social theory while advancing empirical understanding are prioritized. Proposals are evaluated using NSF’s two standard merit review criteria: intellectual merit and broader impacts. To be competitive, proposed research must meet several core requirements. The issues addressed should be theoretically grounded, research should be empirically observable or subject to empirical validation, the design must be appropriate to the research questions, and the work must advance understanding of social processes, structures, or methods. Broader impacts should demonstrate benefits beyond academic contributions, such as outreach, training, or policy relevance. Applicants must adhere to the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) or, if submitting through Grants.gov, the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide. Applications to the Sociology Program are accepted at any time, with no fixed deadline. Proposals must be submitted electronically through Research.gov or Grants.gov, following the detailed submission guidelines for each system. The program accepts proposals for standard research grants, as well as for projects that align with NSF crosscutting opportunities such as CAREER awards, the Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and Research Experiences for Undergraduates. Principal investigators should select PD 98-1331 in the program announcement block when submitting to the Sociology Program. Eligibility for this program is broad and inclusive, allowing proposals from U.S. institutions of higher education, both public and private, as well as nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, tribal organizations, and certain for-profit entities where appropriate. The NSF explicitly encourages participation from groups and institutions historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This broad eligibility framework ensures that the program supports a wide variety of institutions and researchers working on sociological questions. Contact information for the Sociology Program is provided to assist applicants. The current program directors are Joseph Whitmeyer (jwhitmey@nsf.gov, 703-292-7808), Antwan Jones (aajones@nsf.gov, 703-292-4973), and Mamadi Corra (mcorra@nsf.gov, 703-292-7149), all of whom are housed within the Division of Social and Economic Sciences. These program directors serve as points of contact for questions regarding fit, eligibility, or the review process. The NSF headquarters are located at 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, with a central office phone line at 703-292-5111. The Sociology Program has no pre-application requirement, set opening date, or closing date, making it a flexible opportunity for researchers to pursue funding as their projects are ready. Since proposals are accepted anytime, the program operates on a rolling basis and is considered a recurring funding opportunity. Researchers considering applying should familiarize themselves with the NSF submission systems, research security policies, and proposal requirements, and are encouraged to reach out to program officers for clarification and guidance prior to submission.