The Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA) funding opportunities support research by faculty members at predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs). RUI proposals support PUI faculty in research that engages them in their professional field(s), builds capacity for research at their home institution, and supports the integration of research and undergraduate education. ROAs similarly support PUI faculty research, but these awards typically allow faculty to work as visiting scientists at research-intensive organizations where they collaborate with other NSF-supported investigators.
Eligible PUIs are accredited colleges and universities (including two-year community colleges) that award Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees, and/or Master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years.
All NSF directorates may support RUI and ROA funding activities. Funding for these awards is contained within research and education program allocations and not held as a separate allocation. RUI and ROA proposals are evaluated and funded by NSF programs in the disciplinary areas of the proposed research and are funded at their discretion.
Prospective PIs should contact disciplinary program officers to identify specific NSF programs and to determine the feasibility and timing of RUI/ROA requests. General RUI/ROA points of contact are available through the website
http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/rui_roa/contacts.jsp.
1. Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI). An RUI proposal may be:
- A request to support an individual research project or a collaborative research project involving PUI faculty and students at their own or other institutions.
- A request involving shared research instrumentation.
2. Research Opportunity Awards (ROA). The types of ROA opportunities include:
- A supplement to an existing NSF award to support ROA activities for PUI faculty.
- Requests to rebudget funds in an existing NSF award to support ROA activities for PUI faculty.
- Submission of a new collaborative proposal between a PUI and another institution(s), with a ROA component as a subaward or as part of a linked collaborative proposal.
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
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Eligible predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs) are accredited colleges and universities (including two-year community colleges) that award Associate's degrees, Bachelor's degrees, and/or Master's degrees in NSF-supported fields, but have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees in all NSF-supported fields during the combined previous two academic years.
*Who May Serve as PI:
See Additional Eligibility Information in Section IV.B of this solicitation.
Most applications submitted through Grants.gov need the following. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. The notice lists the exact requirements.
Totals for assistance listing 47.076, 47.074, 47.041, 47.084, 47.070, 47.075, 47.083, 47.049, 47.078, 47.079, 47.050 from public USASpending.gov data, as of Sep 23, 2026. Past awards do not predict future funding.