Accountable Institutions and Behavior
NSF funds basic empirical research on attitudes, behavior, institutions, public policy, and public services, plus undergraduate research experiences and social/behavioral research infrastructure or methodological innovations, for eligible applicants.
⚑ No applied research funded; research must be basic, theoretically motivated, methodologically rigorous, and empirically oriented. · Also supports undergraduate research experiences and infrastructural/methodological innovation activities. · Program suggests related NSF programs for law and science, security/preparedness, and research infrastructure in social and behavioral sciences.
This is a basic social-science/public-policy program, so it is adjacent to IPPRA’s survey and institutional-attitudes work, but it is not a direct home for their main energy, weather, and nuclear-risk agenda. The best fit is for Deven Carlson on education policy/institutions, with the others only if framed as public opinion, decision-making, or public-policy attitude formation rather than applied hazard or energy research.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-07-07
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| IPPRA | 65 good | outside portfolio topics; signature methods: surveys longitudinal, policy analysis; social/behavioral work is central; funds basic research; capped at 65 (limited social-science role) |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 55 good | technical depth: minor; funds basic research |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 5 none | no commercialization signal |
Description
The Accountable Institutions and Behavior (AIB) Program supports basicscientific research that advances knowledge and understanding of issues broadly related to attitudes, behavior, and institutions connected to public policy and the provision of public services.Research proposals are expected to be theoretically motivated, conceptually precise, methodologically rigorous, and empirically oriented. Substantive areas include (but are not limited to) the study of individual and group decision-making, political institutions (appointed or elected), attitude and preference formation and expression, electoral processes and voting, public administration, and public policy. This work can focus on a single case or can be done in a comparative context, either over time or cross-sectionally.The Program does not fund applied research.The Program also supports research experiences for undergraduate students and infrastructural activities, including methodological innovations. In addition, we encourage you to examine the websites for the National Science Foundation’s Law and Science(LS), Security and Preparedness (SAP) and Research Infrastructure in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (RISBS) programs.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: U.S. National Science Foundation <grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · National Science Foundation conventions SEE AN NSF EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — National Science Foundation's document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.