Funding Opportunities

NIST funds industrial and academic research in a variety of ways. The Small Business Innovation Research Program funds R&D proposals from small businesses. We also offer other grants to encourage work in specific fields: precision measurement, fire research, and materials science.

Grants/awards supporting research at industry, academic, and other institutions are available on a competitive basis through several different Institute offices. For general information on NIST grants programs, please contact Christopher Hunton at christopher.hunton@nist.gov and (301) 975-5718.

NIST Construction Grant Program (NCGP)—The goals and objectives of the program are to provide competitively awarded grant funds for research science buildings through the construction of new buildings or expansion of existing buildings. “Research science building” means a building or facility whose purpose is for the conduct of scientific research, including laboratories, test facilities, measurement facilities, research computing facilities, and observatories. U.S. institutions of higher education and non-profit science research organizations are eligible to apply.

NIST Recovery Act Information—On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The act includes funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In the near future, this web page will include information about specific NIST programs to be funded through the act. For information on fellowships, grants, and other funding available from NIST, please monitor NIST's Recovery Act page.

Measurement Science and Engineering Research Grants Programs—Support NIST laboratories with research in fields such as: material measurement; physical measurement; engineering;  fire research; information technology; neutron research; nanoscale science and technology; standards services; and law enforcement standards. This link will take you to the Full Announcement of this federal funding opportunity. To see a summary of the program, click on this link to the Grants.gov Synopsis. To apply for this grant electronically through Grants.gov, click on the Application box near the top of the Synopsis screen. Contact: Chris Hunton at christopher.hunton@nist.gov or (301) 975-5718.

Precision Measurement Grants—Support researchers in U.S. colleges and universities for experimental and theoretical studies of fundamental physical phenomena. Contact: Peter Mohr, (301) 975-3217.

Small Business Innovation Research Program—Solicits research and development proposals from small businesses that respond to specific technical needs that are described in the annual Solicitation. SBIR contracts are awarded for R&D that directly supports a NIST project and for R&D needed to extend technologies developed at NIST for the purpose of commercializing the NIST technology. No unsolicited proposals are accepted. Program information is available at www.nist.gov/sbir

Nanoelectronics—Supports research and innovation in nanoelectronics through a partnership between NIST and the Semiconductor Research Corp. (SRC). A news release is available with details on the NIST/SRC partnership. To apply for funding see the SRC’s Nanoelectronics Research Initiative Web site.

Technology Innovation Program—Provides cost-shared awards to industry, universities and consortia for research on potentially revolutionary technologies that address critical national and societal needs.

The NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) Comprehensive Grant Program provides funding to eligible proposers to support research involving neutron research and spectroscopy specifically aimed at assisting visiting researchers at the NCNR, developing new instrumentation for neutron research, conducting collaborative research with NIST scientists, and to conduct other outreach and educational activities that advance the use of neutrons by U.S. academia and industrial scientists. To view the full announcement of the Federal Funding Opportunity, click here http://www.ncnr.nist.gov/news/2012_NCNR_FFO-FINAL.pdf. To see a summary of the program, click on this link (http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=132293) to the Grants.gov Synopsis. To apply for funding under this program electronically through Grants.gov, click on the Application box near the top of the Synopsis screen. For assistance in applying electronically, contact Christopher Hunton at christopher.hunton@nist.gov or (301) 975-5718. For more information on the NCNR, see the NCNR website http://www.ncnr.nist.gov.

For additional information on grant opportunities, visit www.grants.gov.