The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued a solicitation for the Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI) program, which seeks to fund human-centered, use-inspired, and interdisciplinary research aimed at improving America’s infrastructure. The program encourages projects that focus on the integration of social, behavioral, and economic sciences (SBE) with other scientific and engineering disciplines to support transformative research. Proposals should address how knowledge in human decision-making, governance, and cultural processes can inform infrastructure design and maintenance. The program aims to spur innovation, improve quality of life, and strengthen communities through effective infrastructure, emphasizing long-term societal impacts and sustainability.

The SAI program focuses on a broad range of infrastructures, including transportation, energy, water management, education, and healthcare systems, among others. Projects should identify specific and well-defined focal infrastructure and describe how the research will contribute to its development, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and resilience. Proposals are required to integrate expertise from SBE fields with disciplines supported by NSF directorates such as Engineering, Biological Sciences, and Geosciences. A human-centered approach to understanding the socio-economic and cultural dimensions of infrastructure is essential, and proposals should demonstrate a convergence of methodologies from multiple disciplines.

Funding for the program is anticipated to be up to $9.6 million, supporting approximately 15 standard grants. Each project can request funding for up to three years with a maximum budget of $750,000. Eligibility includes U.S.-based higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit entities with strong research capabilities, and federally recognized Tribal Nations. Proposals are limited to one submission per principal investigator or co-investigator per deadline. Collaborative projects involving diverse institutions, including minority-serving and emerging research institutions, are encouraged to promote broader participation.

Proposals must include specific sections addressing focal infrastructure, integrative research, access and inclusion, and stakeholder engagement. These sections should outline the scientific and societal goals of the project, detailing plans for equitable participation and collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including government agencies and private organizations. Proposals should also demonstrate plans for sustainable and environmentally conscious infrastructure design. Additionally, all proposals must adhere to NSF’s guidelines, including the submission of a data management plan and a broader impacts statement.

The evaluation criteria for this program include NSF’s merit review principles of intellectual merit and broader impacts, emphasizing the potential for transformative knowledge and societal benefits. Reviewers will assess the creativity, organization, and feasibility of the proposed activities, as well as the qualifications of the research team and the resources available to them. Proposals must also outline mechanisms for success evaluation and stakeholder involvement to ensure practical applicability.

The deadline for submission of full proposals is April 17, 2025, with a subsequent deadline on March 6, 2026. Interested applicants must submit their proposals through NSF’s Research.gov or Grants.gov platforms, ensuring compliance with submission guidelines. For further inquiries, contact information for relevant program officers is provided in the solicitation. Participation in annual principal investigator meetings in Washington, D.C., is mandatory for all awardees, and budgets should account for these meetings.