NSF/FDA SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE AT FDA | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The NSF/FDA Scholar in Residence at FDA opportunity is a joint program run by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to support research on emerging scientific and engineering challenges tied to medical device technology. On the NSF side, the program sits within the Directorate for Engineering, Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET). On the FDA side, it is hosted by the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). The core idea is to place or embed researchers and trainees into the FDA's intramural research environment so they can build real collaborations with FDA scientists while working on problems that matter for the next generation of medical devices and related radiological technologies.

The program is structured as an interagency partnership focused on investigating scientific and engineering issues that arise as device technology evolves. Rather than funding purely academic work at a distance, it is meant to create hands-on collaborations inside the FDA setting, where regulatory science questions, performance evaluation, safety and effectiveness considerations, and technology assessment needs are part of day-to-day work. The target community is broad across science, engineering, and mathematics, reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of modern device development and evaluation, including areas that connect to engineering, bioengineering, environmental/transport concepts where relevant, and computer and information science.

A notable feature of the solicitation is that it offers four flexible mechanisms, allowing participation at different career stages. The first mechanism is "Faculty at FDA," which supports faculty members to work in residence and collaborate directly with FDA researchers. The second mechanism is Graduate Student Fellowships, designed to support graduate students conducting research aligned with FDA/CDRH needs while gaining experience in the FDA research environment. The third mechanism is Postdoctoral Fellowships, which provide support for postdoctoral researchers to pursue focused work in collaboration with FDA scientists, typically well suited to more specialized, independent projects. The fourth mechanism is Undergraduate Student Research Experiences, intended to introduce undergraduates to research in regulatory science and medical device-related topics in a real FDA setting. A specific eligibility condition applies to the undergraduate mechanism: undergraduates supported with NSF funds must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity under the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" activity category. The opportunity lists NSF CFDA numbers 47.041 (Engineering Grants) and 47.070 (Computer and Information Science and Engineering), signaling that proposals can fit within engineering and computing-oriented research domains relevant to medical devices and FDA/CDRH priorities. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement, which generally lowers barriers for applicants that might otherwise struggle to commit non-federal funds.

In terms of scale and timing, the opportunity anticipated around 10 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $500,000 as listed in the source data. Historically, the solicitation included several dated proposal deadlines (for example, April 27, 2010; March 15, 2011; and March 15 annually thereafter). The current listing indicates that proposals are accepted anytime, implying a more open submission window rather than a single annual cutoff, although applicants would still need to follow the specific guidance in the NSF publication and any current NSF process requirements.

Eligibility is described as "unrestricted" (open to any type of entity) with the caveat that applicants should review any clarifications provided in the official solicitation text. The opportunity is administered by NSF, and applicants are directed to the NSF publication referenced as "NSF Publication 10-533" for full details. For access or technical issues, the contact information points to NSF Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov, which is mainly for troubleshooting access to the announcement rather than scientific/programmatic questions.

Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a collaboration-focused residency and fellowship program that connects academic and training pipelines directly to FDA/CDRH intramural research. It is designed to strengthen regulatory science and advance knowledge around emerging medical device technologies by enabling faculty, graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduates to work alongside FDA researchers on timely, real-world scientific and engineering questions.

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