The Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program (HEGS), funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), supports fundamental scientific research focused on the spatial dimensions of human behaviors, activities, and dynamics, as well as their interactions with environmental and social processes across multiple scales. The program aims to advance geographical and geospatial sciences through empirical, theoretically engaged, methodologically rigorous, and generalizable research. The program does not fund purely humanistic studies or research that lacks a theoretical framework for expanding or testing geographical science concepts.

HEGS accepts proposals for a range of research topics and methodologies, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches. Successful proposals must demonstrate a clear research question, a strong theoretical foundation, detailed data collection and analysis plans, and attention to potential biases. The program emphasizes the importance of human dimensions in research and encourages proposals that enhance, expand, and transform geographical theories and methods while benefiting society.

The funding categories under HEGS include Senior Research Proposals, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program Proposals, Research Coordination Networks (RCN), Proposals for Conferences and Research Community Development Activities, Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Graduate Students (REG) Supplemental Funding Requests, and Transdisciplinary REsearch in Environmental Social Science (TREES) proposals. Special emphasis is placed on projects that integrate diverse disciplinary perspectives, especially those that address complex interactions between human and environmental systems.

The program anticipates funding 15 to 25 awards annually, with a total program funding of $7 million, subject to availability of funds. Individual project budgets typically range from $100,000 to $500,000, while CAREER awards range between $400,000 and $450,000, and Research Coordination Networks (RCN) have a maximum budget of $350,000. Conference proposals generally do not exceed $50,000. TREES projects typically request $200,000 to $250,000 per year.

Eligible applicants include U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs), non-profit non-academic organizations, for-profit organizations with research capabilities, state and local governments, and federally recognized Tribal Nations. International branch campuses of U.S. institutions may also apply but must justify the necessity of conducting research outside the U.S.

The proposal submission deadlines are February 3, 2025, August 1, 2025, and January 16, 2026. Additionally, the program has recurring deadlines on the first Friday in August and the third Friday in January annually thereafter. Proposals must be submitted via Research.gov or Grants.gov and follow the guidelines outlined in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). No letters of intent or preliminary proposals are required.

Evaluation criteria include Intellectual Merit, assessing the potential of the research to advance knowledge, and Broader Impacts, evaluating the societal benefits of the project. Proposals are reviewed through ad hoc and panel reviews, with awards subject to NSF's standard conditions. Contact information for program officers includes Tom Evans (tevans@nsf.gov), Jeremy Koster (jkoster@nsf.gov), May Yuan (mayuan@nsf.gov), and Cori J. Jacildone (cjacildo@nsf.gov). The NSF Help Desk can be reached at 1-800-381-1532 for technical assistance.