The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a funding opportunity through its Partnerships for Research Innovation in the Mathematical Sciences (PRIMES) program, aimed at fostering collaboration between minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and NSF’s Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS)-supported Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes. The program seeks to enhance the participation of underrepresented groups in mathematical sciences research by supporting faculty members from eligible MSIs in engaging with cutting-edge research at these institutes. PRIMES aims to build research capacity, facilitate knowledge transfer, and contribute to a more diverse and inclusive mathematical sciences workforce.

The PRIMES program provides two-year grants of up to $400,000 per award. The funding supports faculty participation in research programs at NSF-supported institutes, covering costs such as faculty salary (up to two months per year), a one-year replacement at the MSI, travel and lodging expenses, and participation opportunities for postdoctoral associates, graduate students, or undergraduate students from the MSI. The program emphasizes a structured approach, where faculty members first engage in institute programs before returning to their home institution to complete and disseminate their research. Collaborative projects involving multiple faculty members from one or two MSIs and partnerships with up to two research institutes will be considered.

Eligible applicants include MSIs in the United States that award degrees in the mathematical sciences but are not classified as Doctoral Universities with "Very High Research Activity" (R1 institutions) based on the latest Carnegie Classification update. Two-year and four-year Associate degree-granting institutions are generally ineligible unless they have an established degree-granting partnership with an eligible MSI. The eligible partner research institutes include the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM), Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM), Institute for Mathematical and Statistical Innovation (IMSI), Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM), and Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath).

Proposals must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov following the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Applications should include a project description that details the research plan, the appropriateness of the institute activity, broader impacts, and how the program will enhance the participation of underrepresented groups. Required supplementary documents include letters of collaboration from partner institutes and a letter of support from the applicant’s institution confirming institutional commitment, including provisions for the faculty member’s research leave.

The review process will evaluate proposals based on NSF’s merit review criteria, including intellectual merit and broader impacts. Specific evaluation factors for PRIMES proposals include the project’s potential impact on the institutional research environment, the alignment of the institute activity with faculty research programs, faculty career impact, and contributions to preparing students for advanced study or STEM careers. The NSF anticipates making 4 to 8 awards in Fiscal Year 2024, contingent on available funding.

The next submission deadlines are March 11, 2024, and August 21, 2024, with subsequent deadlines falling on the third Wednesday of August annually and the second Wednesday of February annually starting in 2025. The program is expected to be recurring. Questions regarding the program can be directed to the designated NSF program officers: Adriana Salerno (703-292-2271), Joanna Kania-Bartoszynska (703-292-4881), and Stefaan G. De Winter (703-292-2599), all reachable at PRIMES@nsf.gov.