Combinatorics
🏛 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 researchers, primarily mathematicians and computer scientists conducting foundational research in combinatorics. Eligible applicants typically include faculty at degree-granting institutions (universities and colleges), postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students working under faculty supervision. The grant supports theoretical and applied combinatorics research, including work in discrete mathematics, graph theory, combinatorial optimization, and related areas. There are no geographic restrictions; researchers at accredited U.S. institutions and some international collaborators may be eligible. Activities supported include research projects, workshops, and conference presentations related to advances in combinatorial mathematics and its applications.
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Program description
The Combinatorics program supports research on discrete structures and includes algebraic, enumerative, existential, extremal, geometric, and probabilistic combinatorics, including graph theory.
Conferences
Principal Investigators should carefully read the program solicitation "Conferences and Workshops in the Mathematical Sciences" (link below) to obtain important information regarding the substance of proposals for conferences, workshops, summer/winter schools, and similar activities. Conference proposals must be submitted at least six months in advance of the conference, and in the same fiscal year (which begins October 1) if possible.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- NSF Standard Form 424 (SF-424) and SF-424 R&R (for research and related activities)
- Project narrative (typically 15 pages maximum for single-investigator proposals)
- Budget and budget justification
- Current and pending support statement
- Biographical sketches for all senior personnel (2-page limit per person)
- Facilities, equipment, and other resources description
- Letters of collaboration (if applicable)
- Data management plan describing how research data will be handled and shared
Program contact
- 👤 U.S. National Science Foundation
- 📧 grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
- 📞 703-292-4203
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 47.049 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
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$570,618,065
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$482,311,346
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$415,151,013
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$236,459,999
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$190,969,692
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$176,820,578
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$156,947,247
-
$145,000,000
-
$144,261,921
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$116,471,167
Top States by Funding
- VA 5 awards $965.8M
- DC 3 awards $632.1M
- AZ 8 awards $616.2M
- CA 12 awards $610.6M
- NY 7 awards $325.3M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 47.049). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,539,910,000 | |
| 2025 | $1,537,650,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $512,280,000 |
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for the NSF Combinatorics grant?
Typically faculty members at U.S. degree-granting institutions, including universities and colleges. Postdoctoral researchers and graduate students may also apply if they are affiliated with an eligible institution and have appropriate faculty mentorship.
What is the deadline for submission?
The fixed deadline is September 22, 2026. NSF recommends submitting applications well before the deadline to allow time for corrections and to avoid system overload.
What types of activities and research are supported?
The program supports research in combinatorics and discrete mathematics, including theoretical work, algorithmic development, applications to computer science and optimization, and collaborative research projects.
How competitive is this grant?
NSF research grants are highly competitive. Success rates typically range from 20-30%, with preference given to proposals demonstrating novel approaches, clear significance, and strong capability.
What is the typical funding range?
Individual investigator grants typically range from $100,000 to $500,000+ over 2-3 years, though amounts vary based on project scope and institutional circumstances.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Clearly establish the intellectual merit and broader impacts of your research before writing. NSF uses these dual criteria to evaluate all proposals, so integrate them explicitly throughout your narrative.
- Collaborate with complementary expertise when possible. Multi-investigator and collaborative proposals often score higher if the collaboration is well-justified and each team member has a clear role.
- Ground your project in the current research landscape. Cite recent work and clearly explain how your proposed combinatorics research advances or differs from existing literature.
- Include clear, measurable outcomes and metrics. NSF expects specific deliverables—published papers, datasets, software, or community resources—with timelines.
- Plan for broader impacts beyond academia. Consider how your work might benefit education, industry applications, underrepresented groups, or public understanding of mathematics.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications often fail because they lack a clear connection between the research problem and its potential impact, or they oversell speculative applications without grounding claims in current science. Another frequent issue is insufficient detail on methodology—reviewers need to understand not just what you'll study, but how you'll do it and why your approach is sound. Finally, many proposals underestimate the effort required for the broader impacts requirement; vague statements about "education" or "mentoring" score poorly compared to concrete, resourced plans.
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