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OpenDeadline extended (was Jan 10, 2023)Research announcementOpportunity 23-500

SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

U.S. National Science Foundation

At a glance

SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships is an open federal grant opportunity from U.S. National Science Foundation. Applications are due November 4, 2026. Individual awards are listed as $160K – $170K, with about 20 awards expected and $3M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include others (see notice). Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 47.075 (Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

  1. Oct 8, 2022Posted
  2. Nov 4, 2026Application deadlinenext date
  3. Dec 1, 2028Archived
Posted
Oct 8, 2022
Close date
Nov 4, 2026
Archive date
Dec 1, 2028
Award floor
$160,000
Award ceiling
$170,000
Est. total funding
$3,000,000
Original deadline (extended)
Jan 10, 2023
Expected awards
20
Cost sharing
Not required
Funding instrument
Grant
Opportunity category
Discretionary

Who can apply

  • Others (see notice)

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

*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).

Also named in the notice's eligibility text
  • Public colleges & universities
  • 501(c)(3) nonprofits
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status
  • Private colleges & universities
Matched from the wording above by GrantsJunction — confirm in the full announcement.

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

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.

Additional information from the agency ↗

How to apply

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Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

Reported obligations under ALN 47.075

Historical data · not a prediction
FY24$292M
FY25$219M
FY26$92.2M est.
Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 47.075. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

U.S. National Science Foundation
grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
703-292-4203

Quick answers

When is the deadline for “SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships”?

According to the official notice, applications are due November 4, 2026. Confirm the deadline and submission time on Grants.gov before applying.

Who is eligible to apply for “SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships”?

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: Others (see notice). Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $160k – $170k, total estimated program funding is $3,000,000 and the agency expects to make about 20 awards.

How do I apply for “SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity 23-500), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

OpenDeadline extendedResearchALN 47.075

Human Networks and Data Science (HNDS)

U.S. National Science Foundation
Award range
$10K – $1.2M
Closes
Jan 14, 2027
Who can apply
Unrestricted (any entity type)
Source: Grants.govVerified today
OpenDeadline extendedResearchALN 47.075

Developmental Sciences (DS)

U.S. National Science Foundation
Award range
Amount not specified
Closes
Feb 1, 2027
Who can apply
Others (see notice)
Source: Grants.govVerified today
OpenDeadline extendedResearchALN 47.075

Sociology

U.S. National Science Foundation
Award range
Amount not specified
Closes
Sep 30, 2076
Who can apply
Unrestricted (any entity type)
Source: Grants.govVerified today
OpenDeadline extendedResearchALN 47.075

Economics

U.S. National Science Foundation
Award range
Amount not specified
Closes
Oct 6, 2076
Who can apply
Unrestricted (any entity type)
Source: Grants.govVerified today