SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

Key facts

Funder

U.S. National Science Foundation

Application deadline

November 4, 2026

Award range

$160K – $170K

Eligibility

*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: - Proposals must be submitted by the individual and not the host institution. NSF SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowship proposals are submitted directly by the postdoctoral fellow to NSF and the award is made directly to the postdoctoral fellow. Awards are not made or transferred to the host institution under any circumstance. Each postdoctoral fellow must identify one sponsoring scientist and host institution (with whom the sponsoring scientist is affiliated) at the time of proposal submission. Fellowship proposers may propose to hold the fellowship at: <ul> <li>Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members.</li> <li>Nonprofit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities.</li> </ul> *Who May Serve as PI: Fellowship candidates must meet all of the following eligibility requirements: <ul> <li>The proposer must be a U.S. citizen, national or legally admitted permanent resident alien of the United States as of the proposal deadline.</li> <li>The proposer must have obtained a doctoral degree in the SBE scienceswithin the 3 years prior to the proposal deadline or will obtain a doctoral degree within 12 months after the proposal deadline but before the anticipated start date.</li> <li>The proposer cannot already hold a full-time tenure-track faculty appointment.</li> <li>The proposer cannot submit the same research to another NSFprogram.</li> </ul> Proposals must be submitted by the individual and not the host institution. NSF SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowship proposals are submitted directly by the postdoctoral fellow to NSF and the award is made directly to the postdoctoral fellow. Awards are not made or transferred to the host institution under any circumstance. Each postdoctoral fellow must identify one sponsoring scientist and host institution (with whom the sponsoring scientist is affiliated) at the time of proposal submission. Fellowship candidates may propose to hold the fellowship at: <ul> <li>Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members.</li> <li>Nonprofit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities.<a id="_anchor_1" name="_msoanchor_1" href="#_msocom_1"></a></li> </ul> Note:It is anticipated that the research will be conducted at an institution other than the proposer's doctoral-granting or current postdoctoral fellowship institution. However, if the proposer chooses to remain at their current institution, the project description should include a strong justification detailing how this choice benefits their research and career development. There are no restrictions on the number of postdoctoral fellows a sponsoring scientist proposes to mentor. Proposals that fail to meet the above eligibility requirements will be returned without review. By signing and submitting the proposal, the fellowship candidate is certifying that they meet the eligibility criteria specified in this program solicitation. Willful provision of false information in this request and its supporting documents or in reports required under an ensuing award is a criminal offense (U.S. Code, Title 18, Section 1001).

Geography

United States

Focus areas

Research

Opportunity number

23-500

Program overview

The Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) offers Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to encourageindependence earlyin the fellow'scareerby supporting his or herresearch and training goals.The research and training plan of each fellowship must address important scientific questions within thescope of the SBE directorate and the specific guidelines in this solicitation. The SPRF program offers two tracks: (I) Fundamental Research in the SBE Sciences (SPRF-FR) and (II) Broadening Participation in the SBE Sciences (SPRF-BP). See the full text of the solicitation for a detailed description of these tracks.

How to apply

1. Confirm your organization meets the eligibility criteria above.
2. Read the full funding opportunity announcement from U.S. National Science Foundation.
3. Draft your narrative against the funder's stated priorities and review criteria.
4. Submit before November 4, 2026, allowing time for registration and validation.

View the official funding announcement

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