Multilateral Partnerships Leveraging Excellence
🏛 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 15, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for U.S. research teams pursuing international collaborative research. Eligible applicants include researchers and institutions based in the United States who lead multilateral research partnerships involving at least two countries outside the U.S. Proposals must address urgent research or societal challenges of global importance and require inherently international collaboration to succeed.
Projects should engage partners across distinct geographic regions and demonstrate how the collaboration enables advances beyond what narrower teams could achieve. The program welcomes diverse U.S. institutions and individuals. NSF funds only the U.S. research team; international partners must seek funding from their own national agencies or other sources.
Research topics must fall outside existing OISE or directorate program scope. MultiPLEx funds the U.S. contribution to collaborative projects.
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Program description
Many of the most pressing challenges in research and innovation require collaboration across national and disciplinary boundaries to achieve important advances. A growing number of topics are best addressed on a multilateral basis, building partnerships that leverage diverse expertise, data, infrastructure, and perspectives to advance understanding on critical topics of regional or global importance. At the same time, funders, research organizations, and researchers alike typically have limited experience with multilateral partnerships.
The Office of International Science and Engineering’s MultiPLEx program seeks to support visionary, and ambitious international multilateral research partnerships that are required to hasten progress in addressing grand challenges by leveraging research excellence in the U.S. and around the globe. The program also seeks to advance understanding of effective multilateral collaboration.
MultiPLEx welcomes proposals that
- Address urgent research and/or societal challenge of global importance (including but not limited to critical and emerging technology research) and require an inherently international multilateral approach to achieve impactful research results, partnering with at least two countries other than the U.S. Proposals that engage partners across distinct geographic regions are an area of interest.
- Make clear how the proposed international collaboration will enable research advances and broader impacts that go beyond what can be accomplished by a narrower team.
- Include a diverse group of U.S. institutions and/or individuals, leveraging the full range of talent that society has to offer
MultiPLEx funds support the U.S. research team. Research partners should seek funding from their own national funding agencies or from other sources. A typical MultiPLEx award will be up to three years in duration.
The MultiPLEX program is not intended to replace existing OISE or directorate programs. Proposals submitted to MultiPLEX must fall outside the scope of existing OISE or directorate programs. Any proposal submitted to MultiPLEx that is not responsive to this Program Description may be transferred to another OISE program or returned without review.
OISE may periodically issue a Dear Colleague Letter inviting MultiPLEx proposals in specific priority areas. PIs interested in submitting proposals that do not respond to a DCL are strongly encouraged to consult a MultiPLEx program director prior to submission to confirm appropriateness. Unless specified in a DCL, MultiPLEx proposals may be submitted any time.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- NSF PAPPG standard forms (SF-424, cover page)
- Project narrative/proposal description
- Budget and budget justification
- Biographical sketches of key personnel
- Letters of support from international partners
Program contact
- 👤 National Science Foundation
- 📧 grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
- 📞 703-292-4261
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 47.079 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$115,625,377
-
$23,201,013
-
$21,236,000
-
$20,513,222
-
$20,251,151
-
$20,210,752
-
$20,203,733
-
$20,133,005
-
$20,114,003
-
$20,100,000
Top States by Funding
- CA 11 awards $44.3M
- NJ 4 awards $30.3M
- MA 6 awards $28.4M
- NC 4 awards $28.3M
- OH 2 awards $25.1M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 47.079). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $66,550,000 | |
| 2025 | $57,610,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $12,470,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply to MultiPLEx?
U.S. researchers and institutions leading international research partnerships. You must partner with at least two countries outside the U.S. International partners do not apply directly.
What types of research does MultiPLEx support?
Urgent research addressing grand challenges of global importance. Projects must require inherently international collaboration and show how partnerships enable advances beyond narrower approaches.
How much funding can I request?
Awards typically start at $200,000 and support up to three-year projects. MultiPLEx funds only the U.S. team portion of the research.
When is the deadline?
MultiPLEx accepts proposals on a rolling basis year-round. Check for occasional Dear Colleague Letters announcing priority areas. Contact a program director before submitting if unsure about fit.
Do I need cost-sharing or matching funds?
No cost-sharing is required. However, international partners must secure their own funding independently.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Consult a MultiPLEx program director before writing your proposal if it doesn't respond to a specific Dear Colleague Letter. This saves time and ensures your idea fits the program.
- Emphasize what your multilateral team can accomplish that would be impossible with a narrower group. Clearly articulate the unique value of international collaboration.
- Ensure your partnerships span distinct geographic regions and involve at least two non-U.S. countries. Breadth of partnerships strengthens competitiveness.
- Highlight diversity across your U.S. institutions and team members. The program values inclusive research approaches.
- Demonstrate that your research falls outside existing OISE directorate programs. Clarify how MultiPLEx uniquely fits your project.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Submitting proposals that fit better in existing OISE or directorate programs rather than MultiPLEx. Failing to demonstrate why international collaboration is essential versus optional. Proposing partnerships with only one non-U.S. country when at least two are required.
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