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NSF Smart and Connected Communities (SCC) is a grant from NSF that funds research integrating advanced technologies — including sensors, data analytics, and autonomous systems — into the physical and social infrastructure of communities.
The program supports projects that converge the expertise of multiple disciplines including engineering, social science, and computing to address real community needs in areas like transportation, energy, public safety, and environmental monitoring. Drone integration in smart city applications is a relevant research area. Eligible applicants are universities.
Awards are up to $1,000,000. Note: the version described here is archived; see NSF 25-543 for the current solicitation.
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Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) Archived funding opportunity This document has been archived. See NSF 25-543 for the latest version.
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.
Supports interdisciplinary, high-risk research that integrates intelligent technologies with natural and built environments to tackle critical challenges and enhance the quality of life in communities through collaboration with stakeholders.
The purpose of the NSF Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) program solicitation is to accelerate the creation of novel intelligent technologies and concepts through high-risk/high-reward research that addresses major challenges and issues faced by communities across the US.
A “smart and connected community” is defined as a community that synergistically integrates intelligent technologies with the natural and built environments and with the functions of civic institutions and organizations.
Proposals submitted to the program should be designed to advance one or more of the following community priorities: economic opportunity and growth; safety and security; human and environmental health and wellness; accessibility of critical services and resources; and the overall quality of life for those who live, work, learn, or travel within the community.
To meet the goals of the program, researchers should work with community stakeholders to identify and define challenges the community faces, using that interaction and input to generate high-impact, use-inspired, basic research that advances science and engineering.
Updates and announcements Access materials from the Human-Centered Data for Disaster Resilience Research webinar Program Director, CISE/CNS Program Director, CISE/CNS Program Director, CISE/CNS Program Director, CISE/CNS Program Director, CISE/CNS Program Director, CISE/IIS Program Director, CISE/IIS Program Director, ENG/CMMI Program Director, ENG/CMMI Program Director, SBE/SES Program Director, GEO/RISE Program Director, EDU/DRL February 6, 2025 - S&CC Virtual Symposium on Smart and Connected Water… January 24, 2025 - Smart & Connected Communities Webinar (NSF 25-527) November 21, 2024 - Information and Intelligent Systems (IIS) Office Hours June 16, 2023 - Human-Centered Data for Disaster Resilience Research Webinar March 16, 2022 - Smart and Connected Communities (NSF 22-529) Program Webinar January 19, 2021 - Smart and Connected Communities (NSF 21-535) Program Webinar Awards made through this program Browse projects funded by this program Map of recent awards made through this program Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) Smart Health and Biomedical Research in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Data Science (SCH) Research on Innovative Technologies for Enhanced Learning (RITEL) Confronting Hazards, Impacts and Risks for a Resilient Planet (CHIRRP) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Division of Computer and Network Systems (CISE/CNS) Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (CISE/IIS) Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) Directorate for Engineering (ENG) Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (ENG/CMMI) Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (SBE/BCS) Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SBE/SES) Directorate for Geosciences (GEO)
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Universities Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Up to $1,000,000 Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
Agricultural Technologies (AG) - NSF SBIR/STTR is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). The Agricultural Technologies topic supports innovations enabling farm production ecosystems that support the proper utilization of natural resources. Such technologies may encompass systems-level and multidisciplinary solutions to enable complex agricultural practices that support increased biodiversity balanced with yield production. Sub-topics include food waste mitigation, resilient supply & distribution, and other agricultural technologies.
NSF ADVANCE program is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF ADVANCE program aims to broaden the implementation of evidence-based systemic change strategies that promote equity for STEM faculty in academic workplaces and the academic profession. The program provides grants to enhance systemic factors that support equity and inclusion and to mitigate systemic factors that create inequities in the academic profession and workplaces.
Digital Cities' Innovation Accelerator Small Grant Program is sponsored by U.S. State Department's Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP). These small grants activate the private sector to deliver novel and innovative solutions to civic challenges. Projects must address a sub-national public service or infrastructure need AND incorporate trusted U.S. digital based solutions, empowering municipalities to improve public service delivery.
This NOFO provides an opportunity to all FY 2018 NIST SBIR Phase I awardees to submit a Phase II application following completion of Phase I. This NOFO provides instructions for FY 2019 NIST SBIR Phase II application preparation and submission requirements. In Phase II, work from Phase I that exhibits potential for commercial application is further developed. Phase II is the R&D or prototype development phase. To apply for a Phase II award, each Phase I awardee will be required to submit a comprehensive application outlining the proposed research and a detailed plan to commercialize the final product. Each NIST Phase II award is for up to $400,000 and up to a 24-month period of performance. One year after completing the Phase II R&D activity, the awardee shall be required to report on its commercialization activities. Up to an additional $6,500 may be requested for Technical and Business Assistance (TABA); see Section 5.11 for more information about TABA. Funding Opportunity Number: 2019-NIST-SBIR-02. Assistance Listing: 11.620. Funding Instrument: CA. Category: ST. Award Amount: Up to $400K per award.
Research on Circular Economy, Smart Manufacturing, and Energy-Efficient Microelectronics is sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO). This funding opportunity supports innovative technology R&D across the manufacturing sector with a focus on circular economy, smart manufacturing, and energy-efficient microelectronics. While the stated deadline for full applications has passed, AMMTO frequently issues similar solicitations, and this highlights a relevant area of interest for the DOE.
NSF's TechAccess: AI-Ready America program (NSF 26-508) opens with a Round 1 Letter of Intent due June 16 and a budget that scales to $224 million across up to 56 awards — one State or Territory Coordination Hub per state, DC, and U.S. territory. Each hub is $1M/year for three years with a possible fourth, and is tasked with five concrete functions including a public AI resource inventory, a state AI readiness plan, deployment assistance, workforce coordination, and sector convening. The first round funds 10 hubs, the second 20, and the third the remainder — a structure that makes early submission decisively more valuable than late submission. Strategy for state agencies, university systems, EDAs, and nonprofit consortia considering a bid.
Read articleNSF's relaunched SBIR/STTR program under solicitation 26-510 commits $250 million for deep-tech startups, opens Project Pitches June 2, 2026, and sets the first full-proposal deadline for July 27. The Strategic Breakthrough Awards tier — up to $30M per company — is the largest single-company commitment in NSF SBIR history.
Read articleOn May 27, 2026 NSF announced the Tech Accelerators initiative — a new program structure that funds independent organizations to stand up topic-specific accelerators in four deliberately under-capitalized deep-tech areas: agricultural technology, materials technology, ocean technology, and scientific instrumentation. The accelerators in turn fund early-stage teams against fast-paced milestones tied to patents, pilots, licenses, and customer growth. A Request for Information on SAM.gov is open through July 14 to gather feedback on the model, the four topic areas, and prospective lead organizations. This is not yet a funding solicitation — it is the design window. Which is exactly why it matters. Here is the structural model NSF is testing, the lineage from I-Corps and Convergence Accelerator, the four-topic eligibility logic, and the realistic strategy for any organization that wants to be a lead accelerator or a funded team.
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