The Findable Accessible Interoperable Reusable Open Science (FAIROS) Program is an initiative of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), aiming to promote open science practices and improve research data management (RDM) across multiple scientific disciplines. This program supports research, education, and cyberinfrastructure development activities that enhance sustainable multidisciplinary adherence to FAIR principles—findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability. Additionally, it incorporates the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance and the TRUST Principles for digital repositories. The FAIROS program has evolved to expand participation across all NSF directorates and now includes research proposals beyond its initial focus on Research Coordination Networks.

FAIROS encourages proposals in two specific tracks: "Disciplinary Improvements," which target specific scientific communities, and "Cross-Cutting Improvements," which apply broadly across scientific disciplines. Proposals must identify their track in the project title and include targeted activities such as developing data portals, enhancing RDM services, creating new scientific communication models, and fostering international collaborations. All proposals must be collaborative and community-oriented, focusing on addressing socio-technical challenges in RDM, improving data infrastructure, and advancing FAIR and open science principles.

The program invites proposals from institutions of higher education, non-profit research organizations, tribal nations, and federally funded research and development centers. Individual investigators are limited to participation in only one proposal per annual submission cycle. Proposal submissions do not require a letter of intent or a preliminary proposal and can be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov. Standard research proposals are accepted, with budgets of up to $600,000 over a three-year period, not exceeding $200,000 per year.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with relevant NSF program officers at least one month prior to submission. The full proposal must adhere to the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and include a one-page summary, a 15-page project description with broader impacts, and specified solicitation-specific review criteria. Evaluation will be based on intellectual merit, broader impacts, and how well the proposal meets the program’s objectives regarding open science impact, leveraging cyberinfrastructure, and producing measurable outcomes.

The FAIROS program is supported across numerous NSF directorates, including Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Geosciences, Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, and others. The full proposal deadline for this cycle is April 9, 2025, with recurring annual deadlines on the second Wednesday of April thereafter. Contact for inquiries is centralized at FAIROSQueries@nsf.gov, and general support is available through NSF’s Research.gov and Grants.gov platforms.