The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
The Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) and Research Opportunity Awards (ROA) programs are designed to support research activities by faculty members at predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs). These initiatives aim to:
Specifically, RUI proposals may support individual or collaborative research projects, including those involving students and shared research instrumentation. ROAs focus on enabling PUI faculty to participate as visiting scientists in research-intensive environments, promoting collaborations with NSF-supported investigators. These opportunities are directed at accredited colleges and universities that offer associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees in NSF-supported fields but award a limited number of Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees.
Funding comes from within existing research and education program allocations, covering a variety of disciplines as administered by the NSF. Prospective principal investigators (PIs) are encouraged to communicate with NSF program officers to explore suitable programs and assess the feasibility and timing for RUI/ROA requests.