The National Science Foundation (NSF) awards grants to doctoral students to improve the quality of dissertation research. These grants allow doctoral students to undertake significant data-gathering projects and to conduct field research in settings away from their campus which would not otherwise be possible. Proposals are judged on the basis of their scientific merit, including the theoretical importance of the research question and the appropriateness of the proposed data and methodology to be used in addressing the question. 

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• Costs associated with travel and related expenses to conduct research at field sites, archives, specialized collections, and/or facilities away from the student's campus.
• Costs for data-collection activities, including the conduct of experiments, surveys, and/or questionnaires.
• Costs for securing data and for archiving data.
• Costs for equipment necessary for the conduct of the project that will be devoted to the project over the duration of the award. (Note that any equipment purchased with NSF funds becomes property of the awardee organization.)
• Costs for payments to research subjects and/or language informants.
• Costs for materials and supplies required for the conduct of the project.
• Costs for travel to one domestic professional meeting to present preliminary research results and obtain feedback to further improve the project. (Note that NSF will not recommend a DDRIG solely for sharing research results at conferences.)

Programs and Due Dates

Many programs in the seven NSF directorates accept doctoral dissertation improvement grant proposals. Requirements vary across programs, so applicants are advised to consult the relevant program's solicitation and instructions. Refer here for a summary of programs and due dates. 

Archaeology & Archaeometry

The Archaeology & Archaeometry Program provides funding for research that furthers anthropologically relevant archaeological knowledge.  The program sets no priorities based on time period, geographic region or specific research topic. Full proposals are accepted anytime. 

Biological Anthropology 

The Biological Anthropology Program supports multifaceted research that works to advance scientific knowledge of human biology and ecology, including the understanding of our evolutionary history and mechanisms that have shaped human and nonhuman primate biological diversity. Full proposals are due in  January and July annually. 

 Cultural Anthropology

The Cultural Anthropology Program  supports basic scientific research on the causes, consequences, and complexities of human social and cultural variability. Anthropological research spans a wide gamut, and contemporary cultural anthropology is an arena in which diverse research traditions and methodologies are valid. Recognizing the breadth of the field’s contributions to science, the Cultural Anthropology Program welcomes proposals for empirically grounded, theoretically engaged, and methodologically sophisticated research in all sub-fields of cultural anthropology. DDRIG proposals are due in January and August annually.  

Decision, Risk, and Management Sciences 

The Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Program supports scientific research directed at increasing the understanding and effectiveness of decision making by individuals, groups, organizations, and society. Disciplinary and interdisciplinary research, doctoral dissertation research improvement grants (DDRIGs), and workshops are funded in the areas of judgment and decision making; decision analysis and decision aids; risk analysis, perception, and communication; societal and public policy decision making; management science and organizational design. DDRIG proposals are due in January and August annually. 

Economics 

The Economics Program supports research designed to improve the understanding of the processes and institutions of the U.S. economy and of the world system of which it is a part. This program also strengthens both empirical and theoretical economic analysis as well as the methods for rigorous research on economic behavior. It supports research in almost every area of economics, including econometrics, economic history, environmental economics, finance, industrial organization, international economics, labor economics, macroeconomics, mathematical economics, and public finance. DDRIG proposals are due in January and August annually.  

Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences 

The Human-Environment and Geographical (HEGS) Program supports basic scientific research about the nature, causes, and/or consequences of the spatial distribution of human activity and/or environmental processes across a range of scales. Projects about a broad range of topics may be appropriate for support if they enhance fundamental geographical knowledge, concepts, theories, methods, and their application to societal problems and concerns. DDRIG proposals are accepted any time. 

Linguistics: Dynamic Language Infrastructure 

The Dynamic Language Infrastructure Program supports doctoral research focusing on building dynamic language infrastructure (DLI).  Developing language infrastructure includes the documentation and preservations of languages in ways that articulate or advance linguistic theory, as well as the use of digitization techniques and novel computational methods that support and advance the study of language. Special emphasis is given to human languages that are endangered, i.e., understudied and at risk of falling out of use. The program supports the development of the next generation of researchers that contribute to language data management and archiving, and to the analysis of these archives to advance language infrastructure. Funding can support fieldwork and other activities relevant to the digital recording, documenting, and archiving of endangered languages, including the preparation of lexicons, grammars, text samples, and databases. DDRIG proposals are accepted any time. 

Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics 

The Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics (MMS) Program is an interdisciplinary program in the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences that supports the development of innovative, analytical, and statistical methods and models for those sciences. MMS seeks proposals that are methodologically innovative, grounded in theory, and have potential utility for multiple fields within the social and behavioral sciences. As part of its larger portfolio, the MMS Program partners with a consortium of federal statistical agencies to support research proposals that further the development of new and innovative approaches to surveys and to the analysis of survey data. DDRIG proposals are due in January and August annually.  

Political Science

In 2020, APSA received a grant from the NSF to administer the Political Science DDRIG Program for the next three years. See Special Instructions for Applying to the PS-DDRIG Program via APSA.

The Political Science Program at the NSF supports scientific research that advances knowledge and understanding of citizenship, government, and politics. Research proposals are expected to be theoretically motivated, conceptually precise, methodologically rigorous, and empirically oriented. Substantive areas include, but are not limited to, American government and politics, comparative government and politics, international relations, political behavior, political economy, and political institutions. DDRIG proposals are due to APSA in June annually. 

Science, Technology, and Society 

The Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Program supports research that uses historical, philosophical, and social scientific methods to investigate the intellectual, material, and social facets of the scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical (STEM) disciplines. It encompasses a broad spectrum of STS topics including interdisciplinary studies of ethics, equity, governance, and policy issues that are closely related to STEM disciplines, including medical science. DDRIG proposals are due in August annually. 

Sociology

In 2020, the American Sociological Association (ASA) received a grant from the NSF to administered the Sociology DDRIG Program for the next four years. See Special Instructions for Applying to the Sociology DDRIG Program via ASA. 

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Summary of Programs and Due Dates 

Strategies for Success 

• Start the process early. 
• Read the entire solicitation very carefully and repeatedly. 
• Ask questions of your advisor (PI), University grant specialists, and NSF program officer. 
• Demonstrate review criteria in application materials. 
• Write clearly, concisely, confidently, and truthfully. 
• Draw on accomplishments more than aspirations. 
• Write multiple drafts and show them to others for review. 
• Check for spelling, grammar, and required formatting. 
• Verify materials are uploaded correctly in the appropriate places in the application system. 
• Be ready to submit your application before the deadline day to allow for any unexpected technical issues or system errors. 

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