Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics | 19 575

Opportunity Information: Apply for 19 575

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics (MMS) Program is a discretionary grant opportunity housed within NSF's Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences. Its main purpose is to fund research that advances the core tools used across the social, behavioral, and economic sciences, especially new or improved analytical methods, statistical techniques, and measurement models. The program is explicitly interdisciplinary, meaning it is looking for methodological work that can travel across multiple fields rather than solutions that only fit a single narrow topic area.

A central theme of the MMS opportunity is innovation that is still anchored in theory. In practice, that means proposals are expected to do more than apply existing methods to a new dataset; they should introduce, extend, or rigorously evaluate methodologies in a way that strengthens how researchers design studies, measure concepts, analyze data, and draw valid conclusions. The program emphasizes broad utility, so competitive projects typically show how a new approach could be adopted in more than one domain within the social, behavioral, or economic sciences, or how it could improve common research workflows such as survey design, causal inference, modeling complex behavior, handling missing or biased data, or integrating multiple data sources.

Within its broader portfolio, MMS also supports work connected to official statistics. NSF notes that the program partners with a consortium of federal statistical agencies, reflecting an interest in research that improves the production, quality, interpretation, and practical use of government statistics. This can include methods that make large-scale data collection more reliable, enhance estimation and modeling used in official reporting, reduce measurement error, improve privacy protection while maintaining data utility, or strengthen how administrative and survey data are combined and analyzed for public-facing statistical products.

The solicitation supports several distinct funding mechanisms. It includes Regular Research Awards for standard research projects, as well as awards for conferences and community-development activities that build shared infrastructure for the field (for example, convenings that set methodological research agendas, develop standards, or expand access to tools and training). It also includes Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement (DDRI) Grants, which are designed to enhance dissertation research through targeted resources that improve the scope or quality of a doctoral project. In addition, MMS offers Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Supplements, which typically provide add-on support to involve undergraduate students in NSF-funded research, expanding training and workforce development in advanced methodology and statistics.

MMS also supports Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) awards, though CAREER has its own separate program requirements and guidance through the NSF CAREER program website. This signals that early-career faculty whose research and education plans align with MMS priorities may be able to pursue that larger, career-focused mechanism in addition to the options explicitly listed in the MMS solicitation.

From the source details provided, this opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number 19-575 and is categorized as a grant in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development area, associated with CFDA number 47.075. NSF anticipated around 35 awards, and the listed award ceiling is shown as 0, which generally indicates that a fixed maximum is not specified in the summary record and applicants should rely on the full solicitation or program guidance for budget expectations. The opportunity was created on April 10, 2019, and the original closing date was August 29, 2019. Eligibility is labeled broadly as "Others" with clarification referenced in an additional eligibility field, which typically means applicants should consult the full solicitation text to confirm which organizations and applicant types are allowed (for example, universities, nonprofit research organizations, or other eligible institutions depending on NSF rules and this program's specifics).

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.075.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 10, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 29, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 35 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 19 575

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