What does U.S. National Science Foundation do?

The U.S. National Science Foundation focuses on advancing scientific discovery and engineering innovation across a diverse range of disciplines. Its core mission emphasizes the funding of fundamental research in the physical, engineering, and life sciences, as well as the social sciences and humanities. Strategic priorities include the development of scientific instrumentation, transport phenomena, chemical process systems, and environmental resiliency. The agency also prioritizes the professional formation of engineers and the expansion of artificial intelligence capabilities through initiatives like AI-Ready America, alongside specialized research in Arctic systems and biomedical engineering. Procurement patterns are heavily weighted toward research and development services. The agency frequently solicits specialized scientific expertise and technical consulting to support academic and applied research. This includes a significant emphasis on Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, which facilitate the transition of research into commercial applications. Additionally, the agency procures professional development training, computing infrastructure, and data systems to support its research ecosystem. The agency primarily targets vendors within NAICS categories related to physical and social science research and development, engineering services, and professional training. While it engages a broad spectrum of scientific and technical consulting services, its procurement history shows a strong reliance on specialized research firms and academic institutions. The U.S. National Science Foundation operates as an independent agency. Its procurement scope is broad, encompassing everything from high-level scientific research and space technology to the construction of institutional buildings and the management of educational programs.

How do I find contracts from U.S. National Science Foundation?

You can find contracts from U.S. National Science Foundation on CLEATUS by visiting the agency's contracts tab. Search and filter by contract type, NAICS code, set-aside, and more. CLEATUS aggregates data from SAM.gov, FPDS, USASpending.gov, and state procurement systems.

What contracts does U.S. National Science Foundation award?

U.S. National Science Foundation awards government contracts across various categories. Browse contract opportunities from this agency.

How do I do business with U.S. National Science Foundation?

To do business with U.S. National Science Foundation, start by registering in SAM.gov and obtaining a UEI number. Then search for contract opportunities from this agency on CLEATUS. Review the agency's procurement history, identify relevant NAICS codes, and prepare competitive proposals. The contractors tab shows companies that have won contracts from this agency.

Who are the top contractors for U.S. National Science Foundation?

View the full list of contractors who have won awards from U.S. National Science Foundation in the contractors tab . You can filter by contract value, NAICS code, and set-aside type to find relevant competitors and potential teaming partners.

What set-aside programs does U.S. National Science Foundation use?

U.S. National Science Foundation uses 1 different set-aside program, including Total Small Business Set-Aside (SBIR/STTR mandate, < 500 employees). These programs reserve a portion of contracts for qualifying businesses. View the set-aside breakdown on the agency overview.

← Back to Agencies Directory

Federal Agency· NSF

U.S. National Science Foundation

Federal Government Agency

National Science Foundation focuses on advancing scientific discovery and engineering innovation across a diverse range of disciplines. Its core mission emphasizes the funding of fundamental research in the physical, engineering, and life sciences, as well as the social sciences and humanities.

U.S. National Science Foundation is a government agency with procurement activity across contracts, awards, and contractors. It currently has 38 open contract opportunities.

U.S. National Science Foundation

Federal Government Agency

Leadership and vacancies

Recent U.S. National Science Foundation Contracts

Chemical Process Systems (CPS)

Engineering Environmental Resiliency (EER)

Transport Phenomena (TP)

Engineering Biological and Biomedical Systems (EBBS)

Professional Formation of Engineers

Collaboratory to Advance Mathematics Education and Learning (CAMEL) for K-12

NSF National Innovation Corps Teams (NSF National I-Corps (TM) Teams) program

NSF STEM K-12

NSF-DFG Lead Agency Opportunity in Chemistry and Chemical Process and Transport Systems

NSF's Eddie Bernice Johnson Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) Initiative

Search all U.S. National Science Foundation contracts

Search all U.S. National Science Foundation contractors

Frequently Asked Questions

What does U.S. National Science Foundation do?

What contracts does U.S. National Science Foundation award?

How do I do business with U.S. National Science Foundation?

Who are the top contractors for U.S. National Science Foundation?

What set-aside programs does U.S. National Science Foundation use?

Recently Posted by U.S. National Science Foundation

Get AI-powered intelligence on U.S. National Science Foundation procurement

Recently Posted by U.S. National Science Foundation

Leadership and vacancies

Recent U.S. National Science Foundation Contracts

Chemical Process Systems (CPS)

Engineering Environmental Resiliency (EER)

Transport Phenomena (TP)

Engineering Biological and Biomedical Systems (EBBS)

Professional Formation of Engineers

Collaboratory to Advance Mathematics Education and Learning (CAMEL) for K-12

NSF National Innovation Corps Teams (NSF National I-Corps (TM) Teams) program

NSF STEM K-12

NSF-DFG Lead Agency Opportunity in Chemistry and Chemical Process and Transport Systems

NSF's Eddie Bernice Johnson Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) Initiative

Search all U.S. National Science Foundation contracts

Search all U.S. National Science Foundation contractors

Frequently Asked Questions

What does U.S. National Science Foundation do?

What contracts does U.S. National Science Foundation award?

How do I do business with U.S. National Science Foundation?

Who are the top contractors for U.S. National Science Foundation?

What set-aside programs does U.S. National Science Foundation use?