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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the NSF Environmental Sustainability program focused on?

The NSF Environmental Sustainability program funds engineering research that creates sustainable engineered systems. The goal is to improve human well-being while staying compatible with healthy natural systems, with sustainability framed around protecting and extending "natural capital" and the ecological services people depend on.

How does the program define sustainability?

Sustainability is framed in terms of protecting and extending natural capital and ecological services. Projects are expected to take a long-term view, not just deliver short-term performance improvements.

What kinds of research approaches are encouraged?

Proposals must be grounded in engineering principles. At the same time, the program explicitly welcomes complementary perspectives from social sciences, behavioral research, economics, and ethics when they strengthen sustainability outcomes or improve the decision-making context.

Does NSF prioritize any particular sustainability outcomes?

Yes. The opportunity prioritizes research that helps society balance ecological protection with stable economic conditions, and that advances sustainability in measurable ways.

What are the main research tracks in this program?

NSF highlights four main research tracks: Industrial Ecology, Green Engineering, Ecological Engineering, and Earth Systems Engineering. Other sustainability topics may also be considered if they are well-justified and clearly framed within environmental sustainability and engineering.

What is included under the Industrial Ecology track?

Industrial Ecology emphasizes better methods to model and measure sustainability across systems and supply chains. Examples include life cycle assessment, materials flow analysis, input-output economic modeling, and developing new sustainability metrics. A key theme is understanding material movement through industrial systems to support substitution of less toxic or longer-lived materials, and evaluating how those substitutions affect downstream waste streams. The program also encourages tools that estimate costs, tradeoffs, and broader ramifications of sustainable development, especially when those tools are developed, tested, and validated.

What is included under the Green Engineering track?

Green Engineering supports research advancing sustainability in chemical and manufacturing processes and the built environment (including green buildings and infrastructure). This program is especially interested in cross-cutting, systems-level, holistic research rather than incremental process improvements that may be funded elsewhere.

What water-related topics are emphasized in Green Engineering?

A major emphasis is next-generation water and wastewater treatment, particularly approaches that dramatically reduce energy and material use, adopt new service-delivery paradigms, and extend the lifespan of engineered systems. Additional supported areas include improved distribution and collection systems aligned with smart growth, stormwater prevention and management, wastewater technologies, indoor air quality, drinking water recycling and reuse, and other green engineering approaches that enable more sustainable construction and infrastructure projects.

What is included under the Ecological Engineering track?

Ecological Engineering focuses on engineering contributions to restoring or enhancing ecological function in natural systems. The program is interested in fundamental engineering knowledge needed for ecological engineering to operate sustainably in real-world settings, such as stream restoration, urban river revitalization, and wetland rehabilitation. Projects are expected to emphasize engineering analysis, design, and performance to restore natural processes and improve natural capital in ways that support sustainable development.

What is included under the Earth Systems Engineering track?

Earth Systems Engineering covers large-scale engineering research tied to global environmental challenges. This includes mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change, and addressing other regional-to-planetary scale concerns. Proposals should remain engineering-driven, but may involve complex coupled human-natural systems and large infrastructure or technology transitions when presented explicitly through an environmental sustainability lens.

Are proposals allowed outside the four named tracks?

Yes. NSF highlights four main tracks, but allows other well-justified sustainability topics, provided the work is explicitly framed in environmental sustainability terms and driven by engineering principles.

What does NSF mean by proposals needing to be "engineering-driven"?

The program expects proposals to be based on engineering principles and aimed at engineered systems or engineering solutions. Proposals should not be purely descriptive environmental studies; they should emphasize engineering analysis, design, modeling, measurement, or performance in ways that advance sustainability.

Is interdisciplinary work encouraged?

Yes. Interdisciplinary integration is encouraged when it strengthens the technical work and helps address sustainability tradeoffs, adoption barriers, or broader societal impacts.

Are there student training or participation expectations?

Yes. The program places a training emphasis on involving students. Proposals should include participation by at least one graduate student and also involve undergraduates in the engineering research effort.

What is the typical award duration for unsolicited research awards?

Unsolicited research awards are typically funded for one to three years.

What is the typical award size?

The average annual award size is about $100,000.

Are there specific submission windows for proposals?

Yes. The solicitation uses specific submission windows, and proposals submitted outside the announced dates are returned without review.

How do CAREER awards fit into this opportunity?

NSF notes the standard five-year duration for CAREER awards. Engineering CAREER proposals are generally due in July each year, following the CAREER solicitation.

Can conference, workshop, or supplement proposals be submitted anytime?

Yes. Conference, workshop, and supplement proposals may be submitted at any time, but applicants are expected to discuss them with the program director before submitting.

What are RAPID and EAGER proposals, and are they allowed here?

RAPID and EAGER proposals (which replaced the older SGER mechanism) are mentioned as options. They require prior discussion with the program director, and applicants are directed to follow the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) when preparing submissions.

Is cost sharing required?

No. The opportunity does not require cost sharing.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under NSF Engineering Grants (CFDA 47.041).

Who is eligible to apply?

The listing is broadly open to eligible applicants and does not show a restrictive applicant type in the provided information, though applicants should follow any eligibility clarifications in the full text.

Is this program announcement current or archived?

The archived listing indicates this program announcement was later replaced by a subsequent program description. However, the core intent remains centered on engineering research that measurably advances sustainability at the intersection of human systems and the environment.

What guidance should applicants follow when preparing proposals?

Applicants are directed to follow the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), and to coordinate with the program director in cases where prior discussion is required (such as conference/workshop/supplement proposals and RAPID/EAGER proposals).