Integrated NSF Support Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Education
Agency: U.S. National Science Foundation
Assistance Listings
- 47.050 -- Geosciences
- 47.041 -- Engineering Grants
- 47.076 -- Education and Human Resources
- 47.070 -- Computer and Information Science and Engineering
- 47.075 -- Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
- 47.079 -- International Science and Engineering (OISE)
- 47.074 -- Biological Sciences
- 47.080 -- Office of Cyberinfrastructure
- 47.049 -- Mathematical and Physical Sciences
- 47.078 -- Polar Programs
- 47.081 -- Office of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
Archived opportunityLast Updated: May 13, 2026
View version history on Grants.gov
Description
The INSPIRE awards program was established to address some of the most complicated and pressing scientific problems that lie at the intersection of traditional disciplines. It is intended to encourage investigators to submit bold, exceptional proposals that some may consider to be at a disadvantage in a standard NSF review process; it is not intended for proposals that are more appropriate for existing award mechanisms. INSPIRE is open to interdisciplinary proposals on any NSF-supported topic, submitted by invitation only after a preliminary inquiry process initiated by submission of a required...
Letter of Intent. In fiscal year 2013, INSPIRE provides support through the following three pilot grant mechanisms: INSPIRE Track 1. This is essentially a continuation of the pilot CREATIV mechanism from FY 2012, which was detailed for 2012 in Dear Colleague Letter NSF 12-011. INSPIRE Track 2. These are "mid-scale" research awards at a larger scale than Track 1, allowing for requests of up to $3,000,000 over a duration of up to five years. Expectations for cross-cutting advances and for broader impacts are greater than in Track 1, and the review process includes external review.Director's INSPIRE Awards. These are prestigious individual awards to single-investigator proposals that present ideas for interdisciplinary advances with unusually strong, exciting transformative potential.All NSF directorates and programmatic offices participated in INSPIRE in FY 2012 and are continuing their participation in FY 2013.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants
Miscellaneous
- Other
Additional information
*Organization Limit: Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
-Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research labs, professional societies and similar organizations in the U.S. associated with educational or research activities.
-Universities and Colleges - Universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions.
-NSF-sponsored Federally Funded Research and Development Centers may submit. Non-NSF-sponsored FFRDCs are not permitted to submit proposals under this solicitation.
Grantor contact information
Description
NSF grants.gov support
grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
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Documents
No documents are currently available.
Link to additional information
Archived: August 28, 2014
Award
$63,000,000
Program Funding
60
Expected awards
$500,000
Award Minimum
$3,000,000
Award Maximum
Funding opportunity number:
13-518
Cost sharing or matching requirement:
No
Funding instrument type:
Grant
Opportunity Category:
Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation:
--
Category of Funding Activity:
Science technology and other research and development
Category Explanation:
--
History
Version:
4
Posted date:
November 23, 2012
Archive date:
August 28, 2014
