MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro) — U.S. National Science Foundation funding opportunity
U.S. National Science Foundation · Federal agency

MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro)

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The 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...

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match
Deadline Nov 16 Location Alabama Type grant Level Federal Open posted Aug 17, 2026
✦ AI Summary
  • Who can apply: Federal-level applicants (see eligibility for details).
  • Funding amount: total funding pool ~$100,000,000.
  • Next deadline: November 16, 2026.
  • Issued by: U.S. National Science Foundation.
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.

Who can apply — at a glance

  • Eligible applicants: see the Eligibility tab for the criteria from the official announcement.
  • Where: 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.
  • Award: amount not specified by the source. Total program pool: $100,000,000.
  • Matching funds: not required.
  • Deadline type: Fixed.

Compiled from the official listing's structured fields — always verify with the funder before applying.

About the funder

U.S. National Science Foundation is a federal-level funder.

See all 826 open programs from this agency →

Deadline
Nov 16
Nov 16, 2026
Total pool
$100M

About this opportunity

The 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:Astronomical Sciences Core ResearchAstronomical Sciences Technology & InstrumentationAstronomical Sciences InnovationsResearch 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 commercial outcome, nor need they address later-stage development to be competitive.

Funding agency

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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:

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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 ID363620
PostedAug 17, 2026

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