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The aim of the PAC program is to support empirically grounded, theoretically engaged and methodologically sophisticated research in a wide range of topic areas related to human perceptual, motor, and cognitive processes and their interactions. The PAC program welcomes a wide range of perspectives and a variety of methodologies (including computational modeling if the goal is to expand explanatory theories of human perception, action, or cognition). PAC strongly encourages proposals that examine human behavior in realistic (or real-world) scenarios and that include varied subject population. It is expected that knowledge gained from PAC-supported projects will have a clear and direct path towards benefitting society. PAC is open to co-review of proposals submitted to other programs both within the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate and across other directorates. Note: Proposals may be returned without review if the primary goal of the research is to understand (1) structure/function mappings between PAC processes and neural activity; (2) clinical populations per se; or (3) behavior of non-human animals without a clear and direct impact on our understanding of human perception, action or cognition. Before submitting a proposal, investigators are encouraged to email sbe-pac@nsf.gov with a one-page summary of the proposed research (modeled after the Project Summary page of a standard proposal and including a description of both Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts) in order to confirm appropriateness of the work for the PAC program. PIs are strongly encouraged to submit the Single Copy Document titled “List of Suggested Reviewers” with their full proposal. Sharing of data and other materials is an expectation for funded research. Please consult the NSFDear Colleague Letter: Effective Practices for Data for more details. Interested in talking with a program director? Send a one-page description of the proposed research to sbe-pac@nsf.gov.
Funding Opportunity Number: PD-09-7252. Assistance Listing: 47.075. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ST. Award Amount: $7.3M total program funding.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Eligible applicants: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $7.3M total program funding. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Applications for Perception, Action & Cognition are due August 3, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
Yes — Perception, Action & Cognition is offered by U.S. National Science Foundation and this listing comes from Grants.gov, an official U.S. federal source. Federal applications generally require registrations (for example SAM.gov or an agency submission portal), so allow extra lead time.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
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