MPS Chemistry Research Programs (MPS Chem)

MPS Chemistry Research Programs (MPS Chem) is a U.S. National Science Foundation funding opportunity administered through the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. The solicitation consolidates multiple disciplinary chemistry research programs and supports foundational research across the chemical sciences. Covered programs include Chemical Catalysis, Chemical Measurement and Imaging, Chemical Mechanism, Function and Properties, Chemical Structure and Dynamics, Chemical Synthesis, Chemical Systems and Solutions, Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods, Chemistry of Life Processes, and Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry. NSF is particularly interested in intellectually ambitious and potentially transformative foundational research, including both systematic advances on prior scholarship and high-risk inquiries capable of reshaping fields. Supported research may include designing, synthesizing, and characterizing molecules, catalysts, macromolecular assemblies, and nanostructures; improving methods for creating chemical structures and functions; developing measurement, imaging, instrumentation, data, and machine learning tools; advancing understanding of chemical composition, structure, dynamics, and transformation; developing theories, computational methods, models, and data analytics; and integrating experimental and computational approaches. Interdisciplinary foundational chemistry at the boundaries of biological sciences, materials, and nanoscience is also supported. Proposals fitting a single program and interdisciplinary proposals spanning multiple programs are welcome, and both individual researchers and small teams may participate. Industrial and international collaborations are encouraged. NSF also encourages scientifically justified uses of AI, advanced computation, and automation. The anticipated funding amount is 150000000, subject to availability of funds, with approximately 300 awards expected. Awards may be Standard Grants or Continuing Grants. The solicitation does not establish a general minimum or maximum individual award amount. NSF seeks projects across a range of funding levels and durations and encourages proposals requesting up to five years of support when longer awards would benefit ambitious and transformative research and reduce administrative burden. Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. The solicitation identifies no applicable indirect cost limitation or other budgetary limitation. Supported projects are expected to advance measures such as research publications and scholarly outputs, establishment or expansion of data sets, invention disclosures, new technologies or techniques, and support for undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. Progress on applicable measures must be reported in annual reports. Eligible submitting organizations are accredited two- and four-year Institutions of Higher Education, including community colleges, that have a campus in the United States and submit on behalf of faculty members; U.S.-located nonprofit, non-academic organizations such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies, and similar organizations directly associated with educational or research activities; and federally recognized Tribal Nations. There are no restrictions or limits on who may serve as PI and no organizational proposal limit. Beginning September 1, 2026, no more than two proposals per year across the nine covered disciplinary chemistry programs may list the same individual as PI, co-PI, or senior/key personnel, subject to stated exceptions. If two proposals list the same individual, at least one must be a multi-investigator or collaborative proposal. Full proposals may be submitted through Research.gov or Grants.gov and must follow the applicable NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide requirements or the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide. Collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must use Research.gov. Letters of Intent and preliminary proposals are not required. Proposals under GOALI, NSF-DFG, and NSF-BSF opportunities have specified title conventions and related guidance. EAGER, RAPID, RAISE, conference proposals, and supplemental funding requests may be submitted after consultation with the cognizant NSF program officer. Except for identified exceptions, proposals to the covered chemistry programs must be submitted through this solicitation or they will be returned without review. NSF evaluates proposals using the National Science Board-approved Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria. After an initial compliance check, proposals are reviewed by an NSF Program Officer, and in most cases three or more external experts also participate through ad hoc review, panel review, or both. Internal NSF review may also be used. NSF states that, all else being equal after merit review, it may give preference to institutions with lower indirect cost rates. Award recipients are subject to standard NSF award conditions and reporting requirements, including annual project reports and a project outcomes report for the general public unless the award notice specifies otherwise. The opportunity is not yet open as of the analysis date of August 21, 2026. Full proposals will be accepted anytime beginning September 1, 2026, with no final application deadline stated. Accordingly, the program is treated as a continuously available or rolling opportunity once submissions begin rather than as a recurring deadline cycle. General program inquiries may be directed to cheminfo@nsf.gov. Program-specific email addresses are provided for each of the nine chemistry programs. Questions about Research.gov may be directed to rgov@nsf.gov or 1-800-381-1532, while Grants.gov assistance is available at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726.

Address Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts; emphasize rigorous foundational research capable of advancing knowledge; clearly justify the scientific role of AI, advanced computation, or automation rather than using these tools incidentally; consider intellectually ambitious and potentially transformative approaches, interdisciplinary connections, and opportunities for exceptional early-career investigators; ensure applicable measures of success can be reported in annual reports