This NSF program funds fundamental robotics research, not product development or commercial projects. Your project must center on a robot or class of robots and aim to close a fundamental gap in robotics science; proposals that fit better elsewhere at NSF will be returned without review. If you are a small business looking for money to build or sell a product, or your work only touches robotics at the edges, do not bother applying.
| Industry | Estimated fit |
|---|---|
| Environment & ConservationMatches your industry (environment) | 67 |
| Technology & SoftwareCurrently accepting applications | 63 |
| Education & TrainingMatches your industry (stem) | 62 |
| Energy & Clean TechLimit: Nothing in this notice points to energy & clean tech | 54 |
| Healthcare & BiotechLimit: Nothing in this notice points to healthcare & biotech | 54 |
| Arts & CultureLimit: Nothing in this notice points to arts & culture | 50 |
| Industry | Estimated fit |
|---|---|
| ManufacturingLimit: Nothing in this notice points to manufacturing | 50 |
| Social Services & NonprofitLimit: Nothing in this notice points to social services & nonprofit | 50 |
| Housing & Real EstateLimit: Nothing in this notice points to housing & real estate | 49 |
| Finance & BankingLimit: Nothing in this notice points to finance & banking | 47 |
| Food & BeverageLimit: Nothing in this notice points to food & beverage | 47 |
| Agriculture & FarmingLimit: Nothing in this notice points to agriculture & farming | 46 |
| Construction & InfrastructureLimit: Nothing in this notice points to construction & infrastructure | 46 |
| Retail & E-CommerceLimit: Nothing in this notice points to retail & e-commerce | 46 |
| Transportation & LogisticsLimit: Nothing in this notice points to transportation & logistics | 46 |
These are our matcher’s estimates for a typical business in each industry. A real match depends on your size, your state and what you need the money for — check your own fit.
NSF program funding fundamental research in robotics—projects must center on a robot or class of robots and advance foundational engineering/computer science capabilities. Eligibility is unrestricted, so universities, businesses, nonprofits, and other entities may apply.
The Foundational Research in Robotics (FRR) program, jointly led by the CISE and ENG Directorates, supports research on robotic systems that exhibit significant levels of both computational capability and physical complexity. For the purposes of this program, a robot is defined as intelligence embodied in an engineered construct, with the ability to process information, sense, plan, and move within or substantially alter its working environment. Here intelligence includes a broad class of methods that enable a robot to solve problems or to make contextually appropriate decisions and act upon them. The program welcomes research that considers inextricably interwoven questions of intelligence, computation, and embodiment. Projects may also focus on a distinct aspect of intelligence, computation, or embodiment, as long as the proposed research is clearly justified in the context of a class of robots.
The focus of the FRR program is on foundational advances in robotics. Robotics is a deeply interdisciplinary field, and proposals are encouraged across the full range of fundamental engineering and computer science research challenges arising in robotics. To be responsive to the FRR program, each proposal should clearly articulate the following three points:
- The focus of the research project should be a robot or a class of robots, as defined above. [Is there a robot?]
- The goal of the project should be to endow a robot or a class of robots with new and useful capabilities or to significantly enhance existing capabilities. [Will a robot gain a new or significantly improved capability?]
- The intellectual contribution of the proposed work should address fundamental gaps in robotics. [Is robotics essential to the intellectual merit of the proposal?]
Meaningful experimental validation on a physical platform is encouraged.
Projects that do not represent a direct fundamental contribution to the science of robotics or are better aligned with other existing programs at NSF should not be submitted to the FRR program.
Potential investigators are strongly encouraged to discuss their projects with an FRR Program Officer before submission. Non-compliant proposals may be returned without review.
The listing does not include detailed eligibility text. Check the official listing before you apply.
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