Transport Phenomena (TP)
Can you apply?
This grant is for researchers at universities, national laboratories, and other research institutions conducting fundamental research in transport phenomena. Eligible applicants include faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students at degree-granting institutions. Projects must focus on understanding and modeling the transport of mass, momentum, energy, or species across multiple scales, with clear applications to engineering or national priorities like AI, manufacturing, or clean energy.
Proposals may involve experimental, theoretical, or computational approaches. Research on fluid dynamics, thermal transport, interfacial phenomena, and combustion are all supported. Cost sharing is not required.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents are typically eligible. International collaborations are encouraged but the primary applicant institution should be U.S.-based. The program operates on a rolling deadline with no specific geographic restrictions.
Program description
The Transport Phenomena (TP) program supports fundamental research to understand, model, and control the transport of mass, momentum, energy, and species across multiple scales. Innovative TP research supports advances in artificial intelligence; manufacturing; biotechnology; microelectronics; energy generation, extraction, and utilization; nuclear energy; quantum science and engineering; and other national priorities.
TP projects involve experiments, theory, and/or computational modeling. They aim to improve understanding and to create novel analytical techniques. While projects focus on fundamental principles, they also have a clear vision of how research outcomes will benefit applications in engineering.
TP supports research on the dynamics of single- and multiphase systems. Special interests include flow separation, transition to turbulence, drag reduction, cavitation, instabilities, and reactive flows. The program encourages research on the connection between dynamics at the microscale and material and flow properties at the macroscale. Fluids of interest include liquids, gases, suspensions, emulsions, granular materials, active fluids, biological fluids, colloids, aerosols, bubbles and drops, and fluids with surfactants.
TP supports research on physicochemical phenomena at the interfaces between fluids and between fluids and solids. These phenomena include adsorption and desorption of nanoparticles and surfactants; bulk and interfacial rheology; wetting and capillarity phenomena; electrokinetics; flow in porous media; and directed and self-assembly of particles.
TP supports research on thermodynamics and thermal transport involving conduction, diffusion, convection, phase transition, and radiation. Research may be across scales, in complex structures and at interfaces, in microelectronic devices, and in biological systems. Projects involving phonon transport and quantum thermal phenomena are welcome.
TP encourages proposals focused on combustion of gas, liquid and solid fuels. Combustion topics of interest include chemical kinetic modeling, turbulence-chemistry interactions, detonations, plasma assisted reacting flows, sustainable fuels, mechanisms for pollutant control, and in-situ diagnostic methods. The program also supports research on wildland fire behavior that aims to prevent wildfire spread, inhibit its growth, and/or predict and mitigate fires at the wildland-urban interface.
Partnerships: To speed discovery and innovation, NSF partners with federal agencies, industry, international groups, and others. Current opportunities are at NSF ENG Partnerships.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- NSF Standard Cover Sheet (SF-424)
- Project Narrative and Technical Description
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Biographical sketches of key personnel
- Current and pending support documentation
- Facilities and Equipment description
Program contact
- 👤 U.S. National Science Foundation
- 📧 grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
- 📞 703-292-4203
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 47.041 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$41,946,862
-
$39,061,846
-
$38,277,956
-
$37,936,436
-
$36,940,111
-
$36,277,271
-
$36,183,087
-
$32,471,912
-
$32,414,114
-
$31,561,058
Top States by Funding
- TX 3 awards $90.6M
- CA 7 awards $85.0M
- IL 4 awards $70.2M
- AZ 2 awards $68.7M
- NC 2 awards $61.1M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 47.041). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $752,230,000 | |
| 2025 | $727,730,000 | |
| 2026 est. | $181,990,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply for TP funding?
Faculty at universities, researchers at national labs, and other research institutions can apply. International collaborations are welcome if the lead institution is U.S.-based.
What types of research does TP support?
Fundamental research on transport phenomena including fluid dynamics, thermal transport, interfacial phenomena, and combustion. Both experimental and computational projects are eligible.
Is there a rolling deadline for TP?
Yes, TP operates on a rolling submission basis. Proposals can be submitted anytime, though review timelines vary by season.
What makes a TP proposal competitive?
Strong fundamental science combined with a clear vision for engineering applications. Interdisciplinary work addressing national priorities strengthens proposals.
Do I need cost sharing?
No cost sharing is required for TP proposals. However, demonstrating institutional commitment can strengthen applications.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Connect fundamental science to practical engineering applications or national priorities like AI, manufacturing, or clean energy.
- Include innovative analytical techniques or novel experimental/computational methods that advance the field.
- Clearly articulate the connection between microscale and macroscale phenomena if your research spans scales.
- Demonstrate multidisciplinary collaboration and partnership opportunities where applicable.
- Use strong preliminary data to support feasibility and the promise of your proposed approach.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Proposals lacking clear connection to engineering applications or national priorities often score lower. Insufficient preliminary data or unclear methodology weakens competitiveness. Overly incremental research without innovative elements rarely succeeds in this highly competitive program.
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