MPS Mathematical Sciences Research Programs (MPS MathSci)
NSF funds foundational mathematical sciences research, infrastructure, and training projects for eligible U.S. higher education, certain nonprofit research organizations, and federally recognized tribal nations.
⚑ Multi-program umbrella notice spanning several math research programs plus infrastructure and training groups. · Proposals should be intellectually ambitious and may be purely foundational; no near-term product, deployment, or commercial outcome required. · International branch campuses may receive funds only with explicit justification that work cannot be done at the U.S. campus. · NSF eligibility is limited to the listed applicant classes (IHEs, certain nonprofit research organizations, and federally recognized tribal nations).
This is a core mathematical sciences basic-research solicitation, which is outside IPPRA’s social-behavioral, policy, risk, and survey-research portfolio. The team might use statistics methods in its work, but none of the named researchers’ own programs are in algebra/analysis/topology/probability/math sciences research as a PI line.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-08-18
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 80 strong | technical depth: substantial; funds basic research |
| IPPRA | 48 partial | outside portfolio topics; social/behavioral work is minor; funds basic research |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 10 none | deep-tech content; no commercialization signal |
Description
The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (NSF MPS) supports multiple research programs at the frontiers of discovery in theoretical and applied mathematical sciences.
Programs include:
Algebra and Number Theory
Analysis
Applied Mathematics
Combinatorics
Computational Mathematics
Foundations
Geometric Analysis
Mathematical Biology
Probability
Statistics
Topology
Mathematical Sciences Research Infrastructure
Mathematical Sciences Focused Research Groups
Mathematical Sciences Research Training Groups
NSF anticipates a portfolio of awards for these programs with a range of budgets, durations and scopes. Program budgets, number of awards, award sizes and durations are subject to the availability of funds.
NSF MPS is particularly interested in intellectually ambitious and potentially transformative foundational research. Proposals need not promise a near-term product, deployment, or commercial outcome, nor need they address later-stage development to be competitive.
Eligibility
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. -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.
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.