U.S. National Science Foundation · United States

Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions: (RUI and ROA-PUI)

Open

U.S. National Science Foundation expects to make awards, from a total budget of $56 million. Eligible applicant types include others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification).

Deadline: Not published yet — check the official call
Grant amount: $56 million total budget
Funding rate: No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated
Total budget: $56 million
Cost sharing: Not required
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Reference: 14-579
Assistance listing: 47.041 Engineering; 47.049 Mathematical and Physical Sciences; 47.050 Geosciences; 47.070 Computer and Information Science and Engineering; 47.074 Biological Sciences; 47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences; 47.076 STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources); 47.078 Polar Programs; 47.079 Office of International Science and Engineering; 47.083 Integrative Activities; 47.084 NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships
Last checked: 13 Nov 2026

Open the official call ↗

About this call

The Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA) funding opportunities support research by faculty members at predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs). RUI proposals support PUI faculty in research that engages them in their professional field(s), builds capacity for research at their home institution, and supports the integration of research and undergraduate education. ROAs similarly support PUI faculty research, but these awards typically allow faculty to work as visiting scientists at research-intensive organizations where they collaborate with other NSF-supported investigators.

Eligible PUIs are accredited colleges and universities (including two-year community colleges) that award Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees, and/or Master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years.

Read the full text

All NSF directorates may support RUI and ROA funding activities. Funding for these awards is contained within research and education program allocations and not held as a separate allocation. RUI and ROA proposals are evaluated and funded by NSF programs in the disciplinary areas of the proposed research and are funded at their discretion.

Prospective PIs should contact disciplinary program officers to identify specific NSF programs and to determine the feasibility and timing of RUI/ROA requests. General RUI/ROA points of contact are available through the website http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/rui_roa/contacts.jsp .

1. Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI). An RUI proposal may be:

• A request to support an individual research project or a collaborative research project involving PUI faculty and students at their own or other institutions.

• A request involving shared research instrumentation.

2. Research Opportunity Awards (ROA). The types of ROA opportunities include:

• A supplement to an existing NSF award to support ROA activities for PUI faculty.

• Requests to rebudget funds in an existing NSF award to support ROA activities for PUI faculty.

• Submission of a new collaborative proposal between a PUI and another institution(s), with a ROA component as a subaward or as part of a linked collaborative proposal.

Who can apply

Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

-Eligible predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs) are accredited colleges and universities (including two-year community colleges) that award Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees, and/or Master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years.

*Who May Serve as PI:

See Additional Eligibility Information in Section IV.B of this solicitation.

Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.

Topics

Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Timing

Proposals accepted anytime

How to apply

Apply through the funder’s official page (link below); it states the procedure, documents and deadline.

From the call text

Who can apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Company stage: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Single applicant or consortium: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where applicants must be based: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where to apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Contact

U.S. National Science Foundation · grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov · 703-292-4203

Where these facts come from

Fact	Value	How we know	Taken from the source
Deadline	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Amount per applicant	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Total budget	$56 million	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Funding rate	No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated	read from the official text	15 Nov 2026
Who can apply	Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Where to apply	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—

Official sources

Official call page · Funder's programme page

Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 13 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.