MPS Physics Research Programs (MPS Physics)

The MPS Physics Research Programs funding opportunity is administered by the National Science Foundation through its Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. The program supports foundational physics research across scales ranging from quantum effects in atoms and molecules to living systems, particle physics, gravitation, plasma physics, and cosmology. The solicitation covers core programs in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, Elementary Particle Physics, Gravitational Physics, Integrative Activities in Physics, Nuclear Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Physics of Living Systems, Plasma Physics, and Quantum Information Science, as well as the cross-cutting Advanced Physics Instrumentation, Focused Research Hubs in Theoretical Physics, and Physics at the Information Frontier programs. NSF emphasizes intellectually ambitious and potentially transformative foundational research, including interdisciplinary work and scientifically justified uses of AI, advanced computation, and automation. Supported activities include theoretical, experimental, computational, and observational studies. Funding may support single investigators and groups, centers and institutes, national user facilities, multidisciplinary collaborations, equipment and instrument development, and new tools and techniques. Proposals may fit within one program or span multiple programs, with co-review possible at the discretion of cognizant program officers. Principal Investigators should submit a single proposal to one program rather than multiple related proposals to several programs. NSF anticipates approximately 300 awards and an estimated total program budget of 180000000, subject to the availability of funds. The solicitation does not establish an award floor or ceiling. NSF encourages proposals requesting up to five years of support when longer awards would benefit ambitious research and reduce administrative burden. Voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited, and no program-specific indirect cost or other budget limitation is stated. Eligible proposers are the categories identified in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide, Chapter I.E. Unaffiliated individuals are specifically ineligible to submit proposals under this solicitation. There are no restrictions or limits on who may serve as Principal Investigator, no limit on proposals per organization, and no intended limit on proposals per PI or co-PI. However, NSF strongly encourages a single proposal for possible co-review instead of multiple related submissions. Investigators considering multiple proposals or already holding an active Physics award are encouraged to consult the relevant program before preparing another proposal, subject to the exceptions described in the solicitation. Proposals outside the scope of the selected program may be returned without review, and NSF encourages consultation with program officers when program fit is uncertain. Full proposals may be submitted through Research.gov or Grants.gov and must follow the applicable NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide and solicitation-specific instructions. Collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must use Research.gov. A Collaborator and Other Affiliations form is required for every senior personnel member. Current and Pending Support information must include the objectives of associated projects, potential overlap in scope, budget or personnel, total proposed award amounts including indirect costs, and person-month commitments. Letters of collaboration should be submitted only when an external collaborator is critical and must use the prescribed statement of intent. Letters of membership in scientific collaborations are also permitted in the specified format. Conferences and workshops require prior contact with the appropriate program, while long-duration efforts and projects involving Arctic or Antarctic infrastructure have additional consultation requirements. NSF evaluates proposals using the National Science Board approved Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts criteria. Review may include ad hoc review, panel review, internal NSF review, site visit review, or reverse site review. At least two primary reviewers are assigned to each research proposal, and in most cases three or more external experts also participate after the proposal passes the initial compliance check. Advanced Physics Instrumentation proposals and long-duration efforts may undergo site visits, and long-duration proposals may additionally be assessed for performance schedules, life-cycle planning, prior milestones, and comparison with other long-term scientific efforts and priorities. NSF also emphasizes scientific rigor, transparency, reproducibility, research integrity, and adherence to applicable Gold Standard Science principles. Proposals are accepted at any time and therefore the opportunity is currently accepting applications. Individual programs may publish target submission dates, and NSF encourages submission before those target dates to ensure consideration in the corresponding panel review cycle. A proposal received after a target date may be held for the following review cycle. Letters of Intent and preliminary proposals are not required. Because submissions are accepted continuously, the solicitation does not establish a single application closing date or recurring annual deadline. Award recipients are generally required to submit annual project reports and a project outcomes report for the public. Program-specific questions should be directed to the relevant NSF program inbox, including AMO-E@nsf.gov, AMO-T@nsf.gov, EPP-E@nsf.gov, EPP-T@nsf.gov, Gravity@nsf.gov, IAP@nsf.gov, NP-E@nsf.gov, NP-T@nsf.gov, PA@nsf.gov, POLS@nsf.gov, Plasma@nsf.gov, QIS@nsf.gov, FRHTP@nsf.gov, or PIF@nsf.gov. Research.gov technical assistance is available through the NSF IT Service Desk at rgov@nsf.gov or 1-800-381-1532, and Grants.gov assistance is available at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726. The NSF general information number is 703-292-5111. Applicants should consult the individual physics program webpages for current program-specific target dates and contact information before submission.

Align the proposal to the scope of one or more listed physics programs and submit a single proposal to one program for possible co-review; consult the relevant program officer before submitting if scope is uncertain, before conferences or workshops, before long-duration efforts, and before Arctic or Antarctic infrastructure work; address Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts; emphasize rigorous, transparent, reproducible foundational research and justify use of AI, advanced computation, or automation scientifically rather than incidentally; follow prescribed letter formats because noncompliant letters may cause return without review.