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National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Grants for Exploratory Research is a grant program from the National Science Foundation that funds preliminary, high-risk, and exploratory research in science, engineering, and education. SGER awards support novel and untested ideas, ventures into emerging research areas, urgent data collection needs such as natural disaster response, and new approaches to established research topics.
Proposals are accepted at any time with no fixed deadline. Investigators must contact the relevant NSF program officer before submitting. Awards are submitted to individual NSF programs; researchers should consult the Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 04-23) for submission requirements.
Note: this opportunity is currently archived.
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Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER) Archived funding opportunity This document has been archived.
NSF's implementation of the revised 2 CFR NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website . These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.
Important information for proposers All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements.
Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.
Updates to NSF Research Security Policies On July 10, 2025, NSF issued an Important Notice providing updates to the agency's research security policies, including a research security training requirement, Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program annual certification requirement, prohibition on Confucius institutes and an updated FFDR reporting and submission timeline.
Proposals for exploratory and high-risk research in the fields of science, engineering, and education normally supported by NSF may be submitted to individual programs.
Such research is characterized as preliminary work on untested and novel ideas; ventures into emerging research ideas; the application of new expertise or new approaches to "established" research topics; having extreme urgency with regard to availability of or access to data, facilities, or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural disasters and similar unanticipated events; and efforts of similar character likely to catalyze rapid and innovative advances.
Proposals are accepted at any time. Investigators must contact the NSF program officer(s) most germane to the proposal topic before submitting an SGER proposal ( view CHE staff directory ). This will make it easier to determine whether the proposed work meets the SGER guidelines described here and the availability of funding, or whether it would be more suitable for submission as a traditional proposal.
For details on how to submit an SGER, please see the Grant Proposal Guide NSF 04-23 . Examples of SGER awards funded within the NSF Division of Chemistry are linked below.
Additional program resources SGER: Radiationless Magnetic Resonance Imaging SGER: Liquid Crystal Chemical Valves SGER: Homodyne Amplified Resonant Rayleigh Polarized Scattering (HARRPS) SGER: Development of Dynamic Diamond Anvil Cell Spectroscopy SGER: Surface Enhanced Raman Optical Activity SGER: Collaborative Research: Mapping and Analyzing Emergent Multiorganizational networks in the Hurricane Katrina Responsee SGER: Trapping and Controlling Single Nanoscale Objects SGER: Ultrasonic Stimulation of High Order Nuclear Spin Multiple Quantum Coherence SGER: Collaborative Research: 2YC-REU: Two-Year College Research Experience for Undergraduates Site SGER: Nonstationary Time Series Analysis and Qualitative Nonlinear Dynamics of Nonequilibrium Nanoscale Processes SGER: Pattern Formation in Chemical Systems with Nonstandard Diffusion SGER: A Generic Silica Sol-Gel Bio-Encapsulation for Sensor Development Grant Proposal Guide, NSF 04-23, Effective September 1, 2004 Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) Division of Chemistry (MPS/CHE)
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Universities, colleges, and other nonprofit research institutions. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $200,000. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Grants for Exploratory Research is funded by National Science Foundation. 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.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
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