MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro)

The U.S. 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 Research

Astronomical Sciences Technology & Instrumentation

Astronomical Sciences Innovations

Research 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 product, deployment, or commercial outcome, nor need they address later-stage development to be competitive.