National Science Foundation (NSF)

NSF proposal resources

Your guide to writing successful NSF proposals

This page is a guide to learning more about National Science Foundation (NSF) proposals. NSF is an independent federal agency, established by Congress in 1950 to “promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.” Annually, NSF funds approximately 12,000 awards, supporting thousands of institutions and hundreds of thousands of researchers. NSF publishes solicitations for funding opportunities on its website. Information about specific programs appears on the pages for each of its directorates; of particular interest to FSE are Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Engineering (ENG), and Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP).

The links below direct you to specific webpages and resources relevant to preparing an NSF proposal or provide access to guides/templates for supplementary documents.

Resources and samples

NSF checklist

Use ASU Research Administration’s checklist to ensure that you submit your proposal successfully.

Review checklist

Broader impacts

Use this document to learn more about BI, find relevant resources, and draft your own BI statement.

Broader impacts resources

Mentoring Plan

Use this document as a basis for crafting your Mentoring Plan.

Download Mentoring Plan guide

Data Management Plan

This document contains links and resources for developing a high-quality DMP.

Download DMP guide

Broadening Participation in Computing Plan

Some proposals submitted to CISE programs require a BPC plan. Use this guide to craft yours.

Download BPC guide

Sample proposal documents

Browse our library of sample proposal documents.

Browse samples