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Program status is Waiting for new publication. No current deadline. Previous solicitation: NSF 25-507.
Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS) is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). Supports basic scientific research about the nature, causes, consequences, or evolution of the spatial dimensions of human behaviors, activities, and dynamics as well as their interactions with environmental and social processes across a range of scales.
This includes research on socio-environmental systems and human-environmental interactions, which can encompass aspects of polycentric governance and common pool resources. The program has a new Transdisciplinary REsearch in Environmental Social Science (TREES) track for integrating social and environmental science.
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Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS) Status: Waiting for new publication Important information for proposers and award recipients All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in the funding opportunity and in the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and its supplements .
All NSF grants and cooperative agreements are subject to the applicable set of NSF award terms and conditions . NSF has updated its research security policies for NSF funded projects. Supports fundamental research that examines how human behavior interacts with environmental and social processes, advancing geographical theory and geospatial methods through rigorous, impactful studies.
Supports fundamental research that examines how human behavior interacts with environmental and social processes, advancing geographical theory and geospatial methods through rigorous, impactful studies.
The objective of the Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program is to support basic scientific research about the nature, causes, consequences, or evolution of the spatial dimensions of human behaviors, activities, and dynamics as well as their interactions with environmental and social processes across a range of scales. Contemporary geographical research encompasses diverse research traditions and methodologies.
Recognizing the breadth of the field’s contributions to science, the HEGS Program welcomes proposals for empirically grounded, theoretically engaged, methodologically rigorous, and generalizable research that advances geographical and geospatial sciences.
Because the National Science Foundation's mandate is to support fundamental scientific research, the HEGS program cannot fund research that takes as its primary goal humanistic interpretations or findings that are not generalizable or reproducible. HEGS welcomes proposals that utilize quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods in novel ways.
However, a proposal that applies geographical or geospatial methods to a geographic problem without proposing how that problem provides an opportunity to make a theory-testing or theory-expanding contribution to geographical science, broadly defined, will be returned without review.
HEGS supported projects are expected to yield results that will enhance, expand, and transform fundamental geographical theory and geospatial methods and that will have broader impacts that benefit society.
Generally, successful HEGS proposals should describe clear and detailed plans for data collection (including sample selection if appropriate), justification for proposed methods, plans for data analysis, attention to confounding variables, and efforts to address biases (e.g., confirmatory biases, selection biases, etc.). Competitive HEGS proposals should substantiate the validity of findings and generalizability to broader contexts.
It should be noted that HEGS is situated in the Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Division of the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate at NSF. Therefore, it is critical that research projects submitted to the HEGS program illustrate how the proposed research questions engage human dimensions that are relevant and important to people and societies.
A proposal that fails to be responsive to these program expectations will be returned without review. Updates and announcements NSF expands wildland fire research teams and capabilities through FIRE-PLAN awards, several supported by HEGS HEGS Program invites supplemental funding requests to support undergraduate and graduate students General inquiries should be submitted to HEGS-info@nsf. gov .
If you are interested in serving as a reviewer or panelist for the HEGS program, please convey your interest in an email message to HEGS-info@nsf. gov .
Business Operations Specialist February 1, 2023 - Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Office Hours January 25, 2023 - Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Office Hours January 18, 2023 - Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Office Hours January 11, 2023 - Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Office Hours Additional program resources Dear Colleague Letter: High School Student Research Assistantships in the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE-High) Dear Colleague Letter: HEGS Research Experience for Graduates (REG) and Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Supplements to support students from Minority Serving Institutions and Community Colleges Dear Colleague Letter: Human-Environment & Geographical Sciences (HEGS) Research Experience for Graduates (REG) and Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Supplements NSF programs to stop accepting proposals via FastLane website Awards made through this program Browse projects funded by this program Map of recent awards made through this program Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Awards (HEGS-DDRI) Cultural Anthropology Program Senior Research Awards (CA-SR) Cultural Anthropology Program - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (CA-DDRIG) Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (SBE/BCS)
Key questions and narrative sections extracted from the solicitation.
Project Description following standard NSF PAPPG format must address: research questions, theoretical background, methodological design, and broader impacts
Must include clear and detailed plans for data collection and sample selection with justification
Must provide justification for proposed methods and detailed data analysis plans
Must address confounding variables and strategies to mitigate biases (confirmatory, selection, etc.)
Must illustrate human dimensions relevant to people and societies
Must demonstrate how results will enhance, expand, or transform geographical theory and geospatial methods
TREES proposals require management plan showing coordination among research team members and clarification of responsibilities
Scoring criteria used to review proposals for this grant.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Universities and research institutions are eligible. Proposals should be empirically grounded, theoretically engaged, methodologically rigorous, and generalizable. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $100,000 to $500,000 (regular awards); $200,000-$250,000 per year (TREES awards). Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The most recent published deadline was November 1, 2024, which has passed. This is an annual program, so a new cycle should follow. Check the funder's website for the next application window.
Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS) is funded by National Science Foundation (NSF). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
The solicitation lists 9 required documents: Project Summary, Project Description, Budget and Budget Justification, Biographical Sketches, Current and Pending Support, and Data Management and Sharing Plan, among others (the full list is in the Required Documents section on this page). Check the official notice for formatting and page-limit rules.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
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