The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
The Science of Science: Discovery, Communication, and Impact (SoS:DCI) program aims to support research that increases the public value of scientific activity. It focuses on understanding the social and structural mechanisms of scientific discovery, improving the theories, frameworks, models, and data that inform scientific communication and outcomes, and elucidating the societal benefits of scientific activity for evidence-based policymaking. The program is interested in proposals that:
The SoS:DCI program encourages interdisciplinary research, diverse methodological approaches, and proposals that have the potential to strengthen America's leadership in science and its national competitiveness. It also emphasizes broadening participation in science, encouraging proposals from underrepresented groups and institutions. The program supports standard research grants, collaborative research grants, projects analyzing the biomedical research enterprise, and conference grants. The emphasis is also placed on the broader impacts of research, including its benefit to society and contribution to policy outcomes.