Science and Technology Centers: Integrative Partnerships
🏛 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Oct 8, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for doctoral research institutions seeking to launch major research centers. Applicants must be U.S. institutions of higher education with doctoral degree-granting research programs. The lead institution must develop partnerships with other universities, national labs, or private sector entities. PIs must be full-time faculty with a track record of leading research teams. Centers may focus on any area of science or engineering supported by NSF.
Not the right fit? Find grants for your organization in 5 questions →
Program description
The Science and Technology Centers (STC): Integrative Partnerships program supports exceptionally innovative, complex research and education projects that require large-scale, long-term awards. STCs focus on creating new scientific paradigms, establishing entirely new scientific disciplines and developing transformative technologies which have the potential for broad scientific or societal impact. STCs conduct world-class research through partnerships among institutions of higher education, national laboratories, industrial organizations, other public or private entities, and via international collaborations, as appropriate. They provide a means to undertake potentially groundbreaking investigations at the interfaces of disciplines and/or highly innovative approaches within disciplines. STCs may involve any area of science and engineering that NSF supports. STC investments support the NSF vision of creating and exploiting new concepts in science and engineering and providing global leadership in research and education.
Centers provide a rich environment for encouraging future scientists, engineers, and educators to take risks in pursuing discoveries and new knowledge. STCs foster excellence in education by integrating education and research, and by creating bonds between learning and inquiry so that discovery and creativity fully support the learning process.
NSF expects STCs to both involve individuals who are members of groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering at all levels within the Center (faculty, staff, students, and postdoctoral researchers) as well as be a leader in broadening participation in STEM. Individuals who may be underrepresented in STEM include those who identify as women, persons with disabilities, Blacks and African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Other Pacific Islanders. The terms for these racial and ethnic populations are derived from the US government’s guidance for federal statistics and administrative reporting (OMB Statistical Policy Directive No. 15, Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting). Although these social identities are listed separately, they do not exist in isolation from each other and the intersection of one of more of these social identities may need to be considered when designing plans for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the STC Center. Centers may use either proven, or innovative mechanisms based on the relevant literature, to address issues such as recruitment, retention, success, and career progression of all individuals in the Center.
Centers must undertake activities that facilitate knowledge transfer, i.e., the exchange of scientific and technical information with the objective of disseminating and utilizing knowledge broadly in multiple sectors. Examples of knowledge transfer include technology transfer, providing key information to public policy-makers, or dissemination of knowledge from one field of science to another.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- Colleges (all higher ed)
- HBCU
- HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution)
- Private University
- Public University
Demographic focus
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- NSF Preliminary Proposal
- Project Narrative (research and education plan)
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Institutional Support Letters
- Partner Institution Letters of Commitment
- Data Management Plan
- Diversity and Inclusion Plan
- Knowledge Transfer Strategy
Program contact
- 👤 U.S. National Science Foundation
- 📧 grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
- 📞 703-292-4203
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 47.075 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$38,357,018
-
$18,499,999
-
$13,999,656
-
$10,999,998
-
$8,993,747
-
$8,043,354
-
$5,500,000
-
$5,237,549
-
$5,200,000
-
$5,047,151
Top States by Funding
- MI 9 awards $94.1M
- DC 6 awards $20.7M
- IL 5 awards $19.5M
- MA 7 awards $18.5M
- NY 9 awards $17.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
FAQ
Who can lead an STC proposal?
You must be a full-time faculty member at a doctoral-granting U.S. university with an established record of leading research teams.
Can my institution partner with industry or national labs?
Yes. You're expected to build partnerships with other universities, national laboratories, industry, or other research entities to strengthen the center.
What topics are eligible?
Any area of science and engineering supported by NSF qualifies. Centers focus on innovative, complex research at disciplinary interfaces.
How long do awards last?
STC awards support large-scale, long-term projects typically spanning 5-10 years, though specific duration varies by award.
What is the funding level?
Individual awards range from $1.5 million to $6 million, though total center budgets can be much larger through partnerships.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Build a strong, multi-institutional team early. NSF expects partnerships across universities, labs, and sectors.
- Emphasize transformative potential. Show how your center will create new paradigms or entirely new disciplines, not incremental advances.
- Integrate education deeply into research. Design programs that develop future scientists and engineers alongside research activities.
- Address diversity and inclusion explicitly. Outline concrete strategies to recruit and retain underrepresented groups at all levels.
- Plan for knowledge transfer. Identify how you'll disseminate findings to industry, policymakers, or other scientific fields.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Proposals lack evidence of truly transformative research vision; centers framed as multi-institution collaboration without clear strategic partnership structure. Insufficient attention to broadening participation; diversity plans mentioned but not integrated into center operations and career progression. Weak knowledge transfer strategy; applicants overlook technology transfer, policy engagement, or cross-disciplinary dissemination opportunities.
Similar grants
- OPEN Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot — Office of Science
- OPEN OJJDP FY 2026 Internet Crimes Against Children On-Line Child Protection System (ICACCOPS) — Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention
- OPEN ROSES 2025: B.8 Heliophysics Spaceflight Science Foundations — NASA Headquarters
- OPEN ROSES 2025: B.7 The Heliophysics Low-Cost Access to Space — NASA Headquarters
- ROLLING Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act Demonstration Projects — SIPPRA