U.S. National Science Foundation · United States

Science of Science: Discovery, Communication and Impact (SoS:DCI)

Open

Eligible applicant types include unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility".

Deadline: Not published yet — check the official call
Grant amount: Not stated — see the official call
Funding rate: No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated
Cost sharing: Not required
Likely applicant types: Companies, SMEs / start-ups, Non-profits, Universities & research, Public bodies, Individuals From source categories or programme rules; the call decides.
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Reference: PD-19-126Y
Assistance listing: 47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
Last checked: 13 Nov 2026

Open the official call ↗

About this call

The Science of Science: Discovery, Communication and Impact (SoS:DCI) program is designed to advance theory and knowledge about increasing the public value of scientific activity. Science of Science draws from multiple disciplinary and field perspectives to advance theory and research about scientific discovery, communication and impact. SoS:DCI welcomes proposals applying rigorous empirical research methods to advance theory and knowledge on:

• The social and structural mechanisms of scientific discovery.

• Theories, frameworks, models and data that improve our understanding of scientific communication and outcomes.

• The societal benefits of scientific activity and how science advances evidence-based policy making and the creation of public value.

The SoS:DCI program, which expands upon the former Science of Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP) program, funds research that builds theoretical and empirical understanding of the social science of science. SoS:DCI welcomes proposals to conduct research at the individual, organizational and institutional levels or from micro, meso and macro scales and complex system levels. SoS:DCI encourages multiple disciplinary perspectives, interdisciplinary research and diverse methodological approaches in the pursuit of new knowledge to advance the science of science and evidence-based policy making. With these goals in mind, proposals should:

Read the full text

• Draw from and advance theory, knowledge and frameworks on the science of science.

• Develop models, data, indicators and associated analytical tools that constitute and enable transformative advances rather than incremental change.

• Provide credible rigorous assessments of the proposed project’s impact and social and policy implications.

• Include robust data management plans with the goal of advancing open science and increasing public access to usable, valid and reliable scientific materials.

Of particular interest are proposals with the potential to strengthen America’s global leadership in science and increase national competitiveness across a broad range of domains. These include proposals that analyze strategies for strengthening and expanding the scientific workforce, as well as ways to cultivate high-impact discovery across sectors. The program strongly encourages convergent research and collaboration.

In addition to intellectual merit, the program strongly encourages potential PIs to carefully consider the broader impacts of their work. The broader impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired policy outcomes. The Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate has released additional guidance on broader impacts for SBE proposals .

The SoS:DCI program places a high priority on broadening participation in the sciences. It encourages proposals from early-career researchers and from researchers who represent groups and regions that have historically participated at disproportionately low rates in science, mathematics, and engineering.

SoS:DCI supports the following types of proposals:

• Standard Research Grants and Grants for Collaborative Research

• A Science of Science Approach to Analyzing and Innovating the Biomedical Research Enterprise (SoS:BIO)

• Conference Grants

SoS:DCI also participates in certain specialized funding opportunities through NSF’s cross-cutting and cross-directorate activities .

Who can apply

Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"

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	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Funding rate	No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated	read from the official text	15 Nov 2026
Who can apply	Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"	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.