Opportunity Information: Apply for 11 547
Apply for 11 547
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SBE Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 29, 2014 and posted on May 25, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Opportunity NSF 11 547 has been archived. Refer to NSF 14 538, 14 560, 14 551, 14 580, 14 566, 14 604, 14 578, and 14 561.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $2,500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 300 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Organization Limit Proposals may only be submitted by the following The student must be enrolled at a U.S. academic institution, but need not be a U.S. citizen. Proposals from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged. PI LimitThe proposal must be submitted by the dissertation advisor(s) on behalf of the graduate student who is at the point of initiating or already conducting dissertation research.
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Opportunity Summary:
The SBE Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIG) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity designed to strengthen the quality and reach of doctoral dissertation research in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences. Through NSF units in the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS), the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES), the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), and the SBE Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (SMA), the program provides targeted support that helps dissertation projects go beyond what a student could typically accomplish using standard university resources. The intent is to enable stronger research designs, more robust data collection, and fieldwork or other off-campus research activities that might otherwise be impractical due to cost or logistical barriers.
The core purpose of these grants is not to fund an entire dissertation from start to finish, but to provide "improvement" funds that materially enhance the dissertation research. In practice, this often means paying for specialized items, services, or data collection efforts that are not normally available through a graduate program budget. The opportunity explicitly emphasizes enabling significant data-gathering projects and field research in locations away from the student’s home campus, which can be critical in disciplines that rely on interviews, surveys, archival work, observational methods, linguistic documentation, archaeological fieldwork, or other forms of primary data collection.
Proposals are evaluated primarily on scientific merit. NSF highlights two central review considerations in the announcement: the theoretical importance of the research question and whether the proposed data and methods are appropriate for answering that question. In other words, a competitive proposal needs to show that the dissertation topic matters for the field in a clear, theory-driven way, and that the student has a well-justified plan for collecting and analyzing evidence that can credibly address the research aims. Because these are dissertation-oriented projects, the fit between the question, the design, and the feasibility of execution is especially important.
A notable feature of this opportunity is that requirements can vary by the specific program area within SBE that is supporting the proposal. NSF encourages applicants to consult the relevant program’s webpage for detailed guidance and to contact the appropriate program director when needed. This reflects the fact that dissertation research looks very different across fields, and each program may have distinct expectations about methods, allowable costs, project scope, and proposal structure.
The DDRIG mechanism is supported across a broad set of disciplinary programs. Within BCS, participating programs include Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology, Documenting Endangered Languages, Geography and Spatial Sciences, Linguistics, and Biological Anthropology. Within SES, participating programs include Decision, Risk and Management Sciences; Economics; Law and Social Science; Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics; Political Science; Science, Technology, and Society; and Sociology. Additional participating areas include NCSES’s Research on Science and Technology Surveys and Statistics program and SMA’s Science of Science and Innovation Policy program. NSF also references a contact list of cognizant program officers to help applicants identify the right point of contact for their topic and program fit.
Eligibility is centered on doctoral students enrolled at U.S. academic institutions. Citizenship is not required, which means international students can be supported as long as they are enrolled at a U.S. institution and meet the program’s other expectations. The submission process, however, is structured so that the proposal is submitted by the dissertation advisor (or advisors) on behalf of the student, rather than by the student alone. The student should be at the stage of initiating or already conducting dissertation research, meaning the project should be sufficiently developed to present a strong research plan and a clear justification for the improvement funds. NSF also states that proposals from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged, reflecting the agency’s broader interest in broadening participation in research.
From the administrative details provided, this opportunity was listed as a discretionary grant program under NSF’s Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences CFDA listing (47.075), with no cost-sharing requirement. At the time of the posting, NSF anticipated around 300 awards and listed an estimated total funding level of $2.5 million. The original posting date was May 25, 2011, with an original closing date of August 16, 2011. The specific opportunity number referenced (NSF 11-547) has since been archived, and NSF directs applicants to newer successor solicitations (including NSF 14-538, 14-560, 14-551, 14-580, 14-566, 14-604, 14-578, and 14-561), indicating that while the DDRIG concept continues, applicants must use the current active solicitation tied to their discipline or program area.
In practical terms, the program is best understood as NSF support meant to elevate a dissertation from a solid campus-based project to a stronger, more field-tested, data-rich study with broader scholarly impact. Applicants who are considering it should focus on demonstrating a compelling research question, a rigorous and feasible methodology, and a clear explanation of why the requested funds are essential to improving the dissertation research beyond what the university would normally provide.
FAQs: NSF SBE Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIG)
What is the SBE Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIG) program?
The SBE DDRIG program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funding opportunity intended to strengthen the quality and reach of doctoral dissertation research in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences. It provides targeted support through NSF units in the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS), the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES), the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), and the SBE Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (SMA).
What is the main purpose of a DDRIG award?
The purpose is to provide "improvement" funds that materially enhance a dissertation project, rather than paying for an entire dissertation from start to finish. The intent is to enable stronger research designs, more robust data collection, and fieldwork or other off-campus research activities that would otherwise be difficult due to cost or logistical barriers.
What kinds of activities does DDRIG funding emphasize?
The opportunity emphasizes significant data-gathering projects and field research away from the student’s home campus. This can be especially important for work involving interviews, surveys, archival research, observational methods, linguistic documentation, archaeological fieldwork, or other primary data collection approaches.
Does DDRIG fund the entire dissertation project?
No. NSF describes DDRIG as support to improve a dissertation research project, not to fund the whole dissertation from start to finish. The focus is on specific additions or enhancements that make the research stronger than what could be done with typical university resources.
How are DDRIG proposals evaluated?
Proposals are evaluated primarily on scientific merit. NSF highlights two central review considerations: (1) the theoretical importance of the research question, and (2) whether the proposed data and methods are appropriate for answering that question. A strong proposal clearly links a theory-driven question to a well-justified, feasible plan for data collection and analysis.
Why does NSF call this an "improvement" grant?
The program is designed to help dissertation projects go beyond what a student could typically accomplish using standard university resources. In practice, this often means supporting specialized items, services, or data collection efforts that are not normally available through a graduate program budget.
Which NSF units participate in supporting DDRIG proposals?
The program is supported through NSF units in the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS), the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES), the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), and the SBE Office of Multidisciplinary Activities (SMA).
What disciplinary programs are included within BCS for DDRIG?
Within BCS, participating programs include Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology, Documenting Endangered Languages, Geography and Spatial Sciences, Linguistics, and Biological Anthropology.
What disciplinary programs are included within SES for DDRIG?
Within SES, participating programs include Decision, Risk and Management Sciences; Economics; Law and Social Science; Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics; Political Science; Science, Technology, and Society; and Sociology.
Are there additional participating areas beyond BCS and SES?
Yes. Additional participating areas include NCSES’s Research on Science and Technology Surveys and Statistics program and SMA’s Science of Science and Innovation Policy program.
Do DDRIG requirements vary by discipline or program area?
Yes. NSF notes that requirements can vary by the specific program area within SBE that is supporting the proposal. Applicants are encouraged to consult the relevant program’s webpage for detailed guidance and to contact the appropriate program director when needed.
Who is eligible to receive support under this opportunity?
Eligibility is centered on doctoral students enrolled at U.S. academic institutions. Citizenship is not required, meaning international students may be supported as long as they are enrolled at a U.S. institution and meet other program expectations.
Does the student submit the proposal directly to NSF?
No. The submission process is structured so that the proposal is submitted by the dissertation advisor (or advisors) on behalf of the student, rather than by the student alone.
What stage of the PhD should the student be in to apply?
The student should be at the stage of initiating or already conducting dissertation research. The project should be sufficiently developed to present a strong research plan and a clear justification for the improvement funds.
Are proposals from particular groups encouraged?
Yes. NSF states that proposals from women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged, consistent with NSF’s broader interest in broadening participation in research.
What is CFDA 47.075 in relation to this opportunity?
The opportunity was listed as a discretionary grant program under NSF’s Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences CFDA listing (47.075), based on the administrative details provided.
Is cost sharing required for DDRIG awards?
No. The administrative details provided indicate there was no cost-sharing requirement.
How many awards and how much total funding were anticipated in the posting described?
At the time of the posting described, NSF anticipated around 300 awards and listed an estimated total funding level of $2.5 million.
What were the original posting and closing dates for the opportunity information provided?
The original posting date was May 25, 2011, and the original closing date was August 16, 2011.
What does it mean that the opportunity number NSF 11-547 is archived?
It means that the specific opportunity number referenced (NSF 11-547) is no longer active as a current solicitation. NSF directs applicants to newer successor solicitations, indicating that the DDRIG concept continues but applicants must use the current active solicitation tied to their discipline or program area.
Are there successor solicitations mentioned for this archived opportunity?
Yes. NSF references newer successor solicitations including NSF 14-538, 14-560, 14-551, 14-580, 14-566, 14-604, 14-578, and 14-561.
What is the practical value of DDRIG funding for a dissertation?
NSF frames DDRIG as support meant to elevate a dissertation from a solid campus-based project to a stronger, more field-tested, data-rich study with broader scholarly impact by enabling enhancements that would otherwise be impractical.
What are applicants encouraged to do to confirm fit and expectations?
Applicants are encouraged to consult the relevant program’s webpage for detailed guidance and to contact the appropriate program director when needed. NSF also references a contact list of cognizant program officers to help applicants identify the right point of contact for program fit.
What should a strong justification for DDRIG funds focus on?
A strong justification should explain why the requested funds are essential to improving the dissertation research beyond what the university would normally provide, while also presenting a compelling research question, a rigorous and feasible methodology, and a clear plan for collecting and analyzing evidence.
What kinds of research approaches are explicitly mentioned as relevant to this opportunity?
The description explicitly mentions interviews, surveys, archival work, observational methods, linguistic documentation, archaeological fieldwork, and other forms of primary data collection as examples of research approaches that may benefit from the program’s emphasis on data gathering and off-campus field activities.
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