Innovation and Organizational Sciences (IOS)
NSF funds theory-grounded, generalizable research on innovation and organizations, including organizational effectiveness, change, dynamics, and related management phenomena, for eligible applicants through standard NSF grants.
⚑ Research must be grounded in theory and aimed at generalizable scientific knowledge; proposals focused on implementing or evaluating a specific innovation or organizational change program are not appropriate. · Industry-site or industry-university collaboration projects may also be relevant to GOALI. · No special applicant class restrictions are stated in the notice.
This is a general organizational science/basic management program, not a core IPPRA line. The closest matches are Deven Carlson and David Hogg if they frame work as organizational or institutional behavior in education/service systems, but the team’s main strengths are risk, weather, energy, and security public opinion rather than theory-driven innovation and organization research.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-08-22
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 Innovation and Organizational Sciences (IOS) program supports scientific research that advances our understanding of organizational phenomena, including innovation and innovation management, as well as other aspects of organizational effectiveness, competitiveness, dynamics, change or evolution. Levels of analysis may include (but are not limited to) individuals, groups, organizations, cross-organizational phenomena and/or institutional arrangements. Intellectual perspectives may involve (but are not limited to) organization theory, strategy, organizational behavior, social or industrial psychology, technology and innovation management, organizational sociology, entrepreneurship, organizational economics, communication sciences, information sciences , public administration, or decision and management sciences. Research methods may span a broad variety of qualitative and quantitative methods, including (but not limited to) archival analyses, surveys, simulation studies, experiments, comparative case studies, and network analyses. Research may involve industrial, educational, service, government, not-for-profits, voluntary organizations or interorganizational arrangements.
IOS-funded research must be grounded in theory and generalizable. It must advance our scientific understanding of innovation and organizations. Scientific inquiries that are relevant to real problems and organizations in generalizable ways are encouraged. Proposals that aim to implement or evaluate innovations or particular organizational change programs rather than to advance fundamental, generalizable knowledge about innovation and organizations are not appropriate for IOS.
Researchers who seek to conduct IOS-appropriate research in an industrial site and/or via an industry-university collaboration are invited to also look at the Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaisons with Industry (GOALI) homepage https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13706 .
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.