This is an NSF research program, not a business grant: it funds social scientific studies of law and law-like systems and how science and technology intersect with legal contexts. Eligibility is unrestricted, so a small business can technically apply, but only if it is proposing genuine research, conferences, or collaborative research on those topics. If you want money to run or grow a business, this is not your program.
| Industry | Estimated fit |
|---|---|
| Technology & SoftwareMatches your industry (technology, tech, cyber) | 59 |
| Education & TrainingMatches your industry (education, stem) | 51 |
| Environment & ConservationMatches your industry (environment) | 50 |
| Social Services & NonprofitMatches your industry (social) | 48 |
| Healthcare & BiotechLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 43 |
| Finance & BankingMatches your industry (economic) | 42 |
| Industry | Estimated fit |
|---|---|
| Energy & Clean TechLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 41 |
| Arts & CultureLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 37 |
| Housing & Real EstateLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 34 |
| Retail & E-CommerceMatches your industry (economic) | 34 |
| Food & BeverageLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 32 |
| Agriculture & FarmingLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 31 |
| ManufacturingLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 30 |
| Transportation & LogisticsLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 29 |
| Construction & InfrastructureLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 27 |
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's Law & Science Program funds social scientific research on law and law-like systems, including how science and technology intersect with legal contexts. Unrestricted eligibility means any entity, including small businesses, may apply. Supports standard and collaborative research grants, conference awards, and cross-cutting programs like CAREER, REU, RAPID, and EAGER.
The Law & Science Program considers proposals that address social scientific studies of law and law-like systems of rules, as well as studies of how science and technology are applied in legal contexts. The Program is inherently interdisciplinary and multi-methodological. Successful proposals describe research that advances scientific theory and understanding of the connections between human behavior and law, legal institutions, or legal processes; or the interactions of law and basic sciences, including biology, computer and information sciences, STEM education, engineering, geosciences, and math and physical sciences. Scientific studies of law often approach law as dynamic, interacting with multiple arenas, and with the participation of multiple actors. Fields of study include many disciplines, and often address problems including, though not limited, to:
- Crime, Violence, and Policing
- Cyberspace
- Economic Issues
- Environmental Science
- Evidentiary Issues
- Forensic Science
- Governance and Courts
- Human Rights and Comparative Law
- Information Technology
- Legal and Ethical Issues related to Science
- Legal Decision Making
- Legal Mobilization and Conceptions of Justice
- Litigation and the Legal Profession
- Punishment and Corrections
- Regulation and Facilitation of Biotechnology (e.g., Gene Editing, Gene Testing, Synthetic Biology) and Other Emerging Sciences and Technologies
- Use of Science in the Legal Processes
LS supports the following types of proposals:
- Standard Research Grants and Grants for Collaborative Research
- Conference Awards
LS also participates in a number of specialized funding opportunities through NSF's cross-cutting and cross-directorate activities, including, for example:
- Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program
- Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
- Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI)
- Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID)
- Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER)
For information about these and other programs, please visit the Cross-cutting and NSF-wide Active Funding Opportunities homepage.
The listing does not include detailed eligibility text. Check the official listing before you apply.
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