Expeditions in Computing (Expeditions)
🏛 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Sep 4, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for academic institutions conducting foundational computing research. US institutions of higher education (2- and 4-year colleges, including community colleges) can submit proposals on behalf of faculty members. International branch campuses may participate if their involvement is justified and benefits the project. Proposals must address transformative, ambitious research agendas in computing and information science with impact extending at least a decade ahead.
Eligible research areas include new AI architectures, learning theory, neuroscience-inspired computing, embodied intelligence, robotics, next-generation networking, and high-risk interdisciplinary computing topics. Teams should be large and multidisciplinary, combining expertise across departments or institutions. Awards up to $15 million support 7-year projects.
Not the right fit? Find grants for your organization in 5 questions →
Program description
The far-reaching impact and rate of innovation in the computer and information science and engineering fields has been remarkable, generating economic prosperity, and enhancing the quality of life for people.
More than a decade ago, the NSF Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (NSF CISE) established the NSF Expeditions program to provide the NSF CISE research community with the opportunity to pursue ambitious, foundational research agendas that promise to define the future of computing and information.
Investigators are strongly encouraged to come together within or across departments or institutions to identify compelling, transformative research agendas that look ahead by at least a decade and promise disruptive innovations in computer and information science and engineering for the years ahead. Expeditions may advance a range of areas including, but not limited to, fundamentally new architectures for intelligence and the hardware and compute substrates that make them possible; rigorous physical and mathematical theories of how systems learn, generalize, and can be interpreted; neuroscience-inspired approaches to learning, memory, reasoning, and behavioral steering; intelligence embodied in the physical world through general physical intelligence, advanced robotics hardware, and novel architectures and learning paradigms for embodied systems; transformative approaches to next generation communication and networking; and high-risk, high-reward areas that no single discipline could pursue alone.
Now funded at levels up to $15,000,000 over seven years, NSF Expeditions projects represent some of the largest single investments made by the CISE Directorate. These awards are designed to promote the formation of large, multidisciplinary research teams to address transformative foundational computing research problems. This reflects CISE’s recognition that achieving deep and lasting breakthroughs often require advances in multiple fields or sub-fields. Awards made through this program will complement research areas supported by other CISE programs. The program responds to core recommendations in the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2028 Research and Development Budget Priorities Memorandum that calls for foundational research in the physical sciences and engineering, including computer science. NSF Expeditions also supports longer grant durations for transformative research, giving scientists the time and autonomy to pursue bold, ambitious projects whose most important results may take years to emerge.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- NSF Grant Proposal Guide (standard proposal format)
- Project Narrative (research plan and vision)
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Biographical Sketches (key personnel)
- Current and Pending Support (other funding)
- Institutional Commitment Letters
- Data Management Plan
Program contact
- 👤 U.S. National Science Foundation
- 📧 grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
- 📞 703-292-4203
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 47.070 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$1,012,398,088
-
$376,000,000
-
$146,395,788
-
$84,249,997
-
$78,999,134
-
$38,082,925
-
$37,758,328
-
$37,023,406
-
$36,793,220
-
$31,497,099
Top States by Funding
- CO 6 awards $1,090.6M
- TX 10 awards $661.1M
- IL 10 awards $304.8M
- CA 18 awards $249.1M
- IN 3 awards $93.7M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 47.070). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $965,230,000 | |
| 2025 | $916,340,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $331,630,000 |
FAQ
Who can submit proposals for Expeditions?
US institutions of higher education (including community colleges) can submit on behalf of faculty members. International branch campuses may participate if justified.
What is the award size and project duration?
Awards reach up to $15 million over seven years. These are among the largest CISE investments.
What kind of research does this program fund?
Transformative, foundational computing research addressing ambitious agendas. Focus areas include AI architectures, learning theory, embodied intelligence, robotics, and novel networking approaches.
Must projects be multidisciplinary?
Yes. Large, multidisciplinary teams combining expertise across fields are strongly encouraged to address complex computing problems.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is July 27, 2027. Check the NSF solicitation for any updates or rolling submission periods.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Form interdisciplinary teams early. Diverse expertise across computing and related fields strengthens competitiveness.
- Articulate a compelling vision for the next decade. Expeditions fund bold, transformative research with long-term impact potential.
- Address why existing single-discipline approaches cannot solve your problem. Justify the need for a large, multidisciplinary team.
- Provide a detailed 7-year research roadmap. Show milestones, expected breakthroughs, and mechanisms for team coordination.
- Emphasize feasibility and team capacity. Large awards require demonstrated institutional support and management capability.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Teams fail to articulate truly transformative, decade-scale ambitions. Vague or incremental research agendas don't stand out. Insufficient justification for multidisciplinary approach; reviewers question why single disciplines can't address the problem. Weak project management plans for coordinating large, complex teams across institutions.
Similar grants
- OPEN Expeditions in Computing — U.S. National Science Foundation
- CLOSING SOON Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE): Future Computing Research — U.S. National Science Foundation
- OPEN National Science Foundation Fostering Interdisciplinary Networks to Develop Emergent and Responsive Solutions Foundry — U.S. National Science Foundation
- ROLLING NSF National Innovation Corps Teams (NSF National I-Corps (TM) Teams) program — U.S. National Science Foundation
- OPEN Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (CyberTraining) — U.S. National Science Foundation