Environmental Sustainability — U.S. National Science Foundation funding opportunity
U.S. National Science Foundation · Federal agency

Environmental Sustainability

The Environmental Sustainability program supports engineering research with the goal of promoting sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environ...

99
match
Award $300k Deadline Fixed Location Alabama Type grant Level Federal Open posted Dec 3, 2010
✦ AI Summary
  • Who can apply: Federal-level applicants (see eligibility for details).
  • Funding amount: starting at $300,000.
  • Issued by: U.S. National Science Foundation.
Sign in to generate AI summary
How was this generated?

The “key facts” mode pulls structured fields directly from the official source posting (amount, deadline, eligibility tags). The AI mode adds a short plain-English narrative on top, generated from the same source. Always verify with the agency before applying.

AI-generated. Always verify with the official source.

Award amount
$300k
Deadline
Fixed
Total pool
$5.4M

About this opportunity

The Environmental Sustainability program supports engineering research with the goal of promoting sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems. These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival. The long-term viability of natural capital is critical for many areas of human endeavor. Research in Environmental Sustainability typically considers long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics.This program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions. There are four principal general research areas which are supported, but others can be proposed:Industrial EcologyGreen EngineeringEcological EngineeringEarth Systems EngineeringTopics of interest in Industrial Ecology include advancements in modeling such as life cycle assessment, materials flow analysis, input/output economic models, and novel metrics for measuring sustainable systems. Understanding materials flow and taking advantage of such understanding to substitute less toxic, longer lived materials are important areas for consideration. The effects of substituted materials on waste streams can be explored. Innovations in industrial ecology are encouraged. Engineering tools for estimating costs and ramifications of sustainable development must be evaluated.In Green Engineering, research is encouraged to advance the sustainability of chemical processes, other manufacturing processes, green buildings, and infrastructure. Many programs in the Engineering Directorate support research in environmentally benign manufacturing or chemical processes. The Environmental Sustainability program supports research that would affect more than one chemical or manufacturing process or that takes a systems or holistic approach to green engineering for infrastructure or green buildings. Of particular interest is the next generation of water and wastewater treatment that will dramatically decrease material and energy use, consider new paradigms for delivery of services, and promote longer life for engineered systems. Improvements in distribution and collection systems that will advance smart growth strategies and ameliorate effects of growth are research areas that are supported by Environmental Sustainability. Innovations in prevention and management of storm water, wastewater technology, indoor air quality, recycling and reuse of drinking water, and other green engineering techniques to support sustainable construction projects may also be fruitful areas for research.Ecological Engineering topics should focus on the engineering aspects of restoring ecological function to natural systems. Engineering research in enhancement of natural capital to foster sustainable development is encouraged. Many communities are involved in stream restoration, revitalization of urban rivers, and rehabilitation of wetlands that require engineering input. What is the fundamental engineering knowledge that is necessary for ecological engineering to function sustainability?Earth Systems Engineering considers aspects of large scale engineering research that involve mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to climate change, and other global scale concerns.Proposals should address the novelty of the concept being proposed, compared to previous work in the field. Also, it is important to address why the novelty might be important in terms of engineering science, as well as to also project the potential impact on society and /or industry of success in the research. The information requested in this paragraph should be included, as a minimum, in the Project Summary of each proposal.All proposed research should be driven by engineering principles, and be presented explicitly in an environmental sustainability context.

Funding agency

U.S. National Science Foundation
Federal agency

Tags

Manufacturing Technology & Software Energy & Utilities Education & Research Construction & Housing Climate & Environment Transportation & Logistics Science, Tech & Engineering (STEM)
Want help applying?

Our specialists will check your eligibility, prepare the application, and walk you through every step — for free. Create a free account →

Who can apply

Eligibility details aren't on file yet — check the agency source link in the Documents tab for the latest rules.

Geographic eligibility

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming
  • District of Columbia

How to apply

We don't have application instructions on file yet — head straight to the official source.

Apply on agency site
Tip from our team:

Read the agency's eligibility checklist before you start — it's almost always shorter than the full NOFO and will tell you in 90 seconds whether to keep going.

Need help getting in touch with the right agency contact?

Create a free account and our specialists will guide you through the application end-to-end.

Source documents

View on agency site
Canonical NOFO, application packet, and forms
No supplemental documents yet.

Direct downloads (NOFO PDFs, application forms, FAQs) will appear here once our team attaches them. For now, the agency site has the canonical packet.

Citation details

Source systemgrants.gov
Source ID59009
PostedDec 3, 2010

Frequently asked questions

No FAQs yet.

Have a question about this fund? Sign in to open a ticket about this fund.

Similar grants

Construction & Housing
Transportation Department

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Fiscal Year 2025 and 2026 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Program

83
match

- **Who can apply:** Federal-level applicants (see eligibility for details). - **Issued by:** Transportation Department. - **About:** The Federal Railroad Administration has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (…

Amount varies Rolling Nationwide, USA
Transportation & Logistics
Transportation Department

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Fiscal Years 2025-2026 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program for Projects Located on the Northeast Corridor (Partnership-NEC)

97
match

- **Who can apply:** Federal-level applicants (see eligibility for details). - **Issued by:** Transportation Department. - **About:** The Federal Railroad Administration has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (…

Amount varies Rolling Nationwide, USA
Agriculture & Farming
Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery

Farm and Ranch Solid Waste Cleanup and Abatement Grant Program FR91

71
match

Purpose: The Farm & Ranch Solid Waste Clean Up & Abatement Grant program provides funding for cleaning up and preventing illegal dumping on agricultural properties (CCR, Section 17991(d)). Each fiscal year has four ap…

Amount varies Rolling California, USA
Nonprofit & Community
CA State Library

2026-2027 LSTA Digital Literacy and Access

68
match

Purpose: Public libraries provide access to digital resources and the skills to safely use those resources, which are key components of the Broadband for All Initiative . The goals of this opportunity are to help libr…

Amount varies Rolling California, USA
Apply on agency site