OpenDeadline extended (was Nov 16, 2026)Research announcementOpportunity 26-522

MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro)

At a glance

MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro) is an open federal grant opportunity from U.S. National Science Foundation. Applications are due October 7, 2076. Total estimated funding is $100M. The notice is unrestricted by applicant type, subject to any clarifications in the notice. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 47.049 (Mathematical and Physical Sciences).

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

Key facts

Aug 17, 2026Posted
Oct 7, 2076Application deadlinenext date

Posted: Aug 17, 2026
Close date: Oct 7, 2076
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: $100,000,000
Original deadline (extended): Nov 16, 2026
Expected awards: Not specified
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Grant
Opportunity category: Discretionary

Typical awards for this program (SAM.gov listing for ALN 47.049, not this notice): Range Low: $2,773 Range High: $61,500,000 Average: $166,921

Who can apply

Unrestricted (any entity type)

Can your organization apply?

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 U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (NSF MPS) supports multiple research programs in the astronomical sciences. NSF MPS funds foundational astronomical sciences research and instrumentation focused on exploring space and advancing fundamental understanding of the universe.

The programs covered by this funding opportunity are:

Research supported by these programs is essential for ongoing discovery in a range of fields. The programs provide a strong scientific foundation for America's capabilities in multiple areas: predicting solar storms, discovering potentially habitable planets in other solar systems, understanding the physical workings of extreme astrophysical objects like black holes, and more.

NSF MPS is particularly interested in intellectually ambitious and potentially transformative foundational research. Proposals need not promise a near-term product, deployment, or commercial outcome, nor need they address later-stage development to be competitive.

Additional information from the agency ↗

How to apply

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Read the full announcement (NOFO)Eligibility, evaluation criteria, page limits and required attachments are in the full notice on Grants.gov. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type above; no cost sharing is required.
Register (or renew) in SAM.gov and get a UEIFree. New registrations can take several weeks; registrations must be renewed every year. Open ↗
Set up Grants.gov accessCreate a Grants.gov account and make sure someone has the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role. Open ↗
Open the application packageUse opportunity number 26-522 on Grants.gov (Grants.gov Workspace). Open ↗
Prepare narrative, budget and attachmentsFollow the notice's format exactly — page limits and required forms are common reasons applications are rejected.
Ask the agency contact any questions earlyU.S. National Science Foundation · grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov Open ↗
Submit before October 7, 2076Proposals accepted anytime Submit a few days early and keep your Grants.gov confirmation and validation emails.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

47.049Mathematical and Physical SciencesProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 47.049

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$1.54B

FY25

$1.54B

FY26

$512M est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 47.049. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Who was funded under ALN 47.049

Historical data · not a prediction

Since October 1, 2023, 9,616 grant awards had funding actions under Mathematical and Physical Sciences, with 2,002 sub-awards passed on to other organizations. These are program-wide awards, not awards from this specific notice.

ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES INC$415M
ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, INC.$412M
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY$191M
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY$134M
CORNELL UNIVERSITY$114M

Recipients, states, recent awards and sub-awards →Source: USAspending.gov.

Agency contact (as published)

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

Quick answers

When is the deadline for “MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro)”?

According to the official notice, applications are due October 7, 2076. The notice adds: “Proposals accepted anytime” Confirm the deadline and submission time on Grants.gov before applying.

Who is eligible to apply for “MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro)”?

The notice lists eligibility as unrestricted — open to any type of entity — subject to clarifications in the notice's additional eligibility information.

How much funding is available through “MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro)”?

Per the notice, total estimated program funding is $100,000,000.

How do I apply for “MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro)”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity 26-522), 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.

Closes todayDeadline extendedResearchALN 47.041, 47.049…