Statistics | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): NSF "Statistics" (PD 08 1269)

1) What is this grant opportunity?

This is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity titled "Statistics", Funding Opportunity Number PD 08 1269. It supports research in statistical theory and statistical methods, including both fundamental and applied work.

2) What kinds of research does the program support?

The program supports a broad range of statistics research, including:

• Advances in core statistical theory
• Development of new statistical methodology
• Creation of statistical techniques motivated by real problems in any area of science and engineering

Projects may be purely theoretical, strongly methodological, or driven by applications, as long as they contribute meaningfully to statistics and help enable progress in other fields.

3) What is the main focus or theme of the program?

A central theme is the connection between theory and practice. Statistical theory is described as the foundation of statistical science, and statistical methods translate that foundation into tools for stochastic modeling and data analysis.

4) Does NSF expect proposals to be application-driven?

Not necessarily. The opportunity indicates that proposals can be purely theoretical, methodological, or application-inspired. The key expectation is that the work advances statistics as a discipline and/or strengthens the reliability of data-driven discovery in science and engineering.

5) What does the opportunity say about uncertainty quantification and inference?

The program emphasizes uncertainty quantification and principled inference. It highlights the importance of improving how researchers model randomness and uncertainty, collect and analyze data, and interpret results in ways that are scientifically sound and broadly useful.

6) What types of proposal teams are allowed?

The program welcomes a range of project structures, including:

• Single-investigator proposals
• Interdisciplinary, multi-investigator team efforts

This suggests NSF is open to both tightly focused contributions and larger collaborations that include domain scientists or engineers alongside statisticians.

7) What is the funding instrument and category for this opportunity?

The listing describes the funding instrument as a discretionary grant under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category. It is aligned with CFDA 47.049 (Mathematical and Physical Sciences).

8) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states that there is no cost sharing or matching requirement listed, meaning applicants are not required to provide additional institutional or external funds as a condition of receiving the award (based on the information provided in the listing).

9) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the competition is broadly open to eligible entity types, subject to any clarifications in the full program text.

10) When was the opportunity posted, and what were the deadlines?

The listing states:

• Posted date: November 16, 2009
• Original closing date: November 7, 2010
• Annual submission window: October 23 through November 7
• Current closing date (as listed in the record): November 7, 2015
• Archive date: December 7, 2022

11) Is this opportunity still active?

Based on the information provided, the record includes an archive date of December 7, 2022, which indicates the solicitation is no longer active in its posted form. The description also notes that NSF programs often continue under updated solicitations or refreshed program descriptions.

12) Where can applicants find the program description referenced in the listing?

The listing references an additional information link to the NSF program description for PD 08 1269. (The specific URL is not included in the provided text.)

13) Who should be contacted for Grants.gov access or submission issues?

For access and submission issues, the listing points applicants to NSF Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

14) What would NSF likely consider a strong fit, based on the description?

Based on the stated priorities, a strong fit would involve statistical research that improves one or more of the following:

• How randomness and uncertainty are modeled
• How data are collected
• How data are analyzed
• How results are interpreted with scientific rigor

The opportunity also signals value in work that connects theoretical foundations to practical tools and enables advances across science and engineering.

15) Does the opportunity limit applications to specific science or engineering fields?

No. The description explicitly indicates that statistical techniques may be motivated by real problems in any area of science and engineering, as long as the work contributes meaningfully to statistics.