Data / Federal grants / 22-603
Mid-Career Advancement (MCA)
U.S. National Science Foundation is accepting applications until March 1, 2027. It lists 45 awards expected, $18 million in total.
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Key facts
- Opportunity number
- 22-603
- Status
- Posted, open
- Posted
- June 11, 2022
- Closes
- March 1, 2027
- Expected awards
- 45
- Total funding
- $18,000,000
- Cost sharing
- Not required
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Category
- Science and Technology and other Research and Development
- Assistance listing
- 47.050 Geosciences; 47.074 Biological Sciences; 47.075 Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences; 47.076 STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources); None None
- Contact
- U.S. National Science Foundation · [email protected] · 703-292-4203
Who can apply
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
*Who May Serve as PI: PIs must be a) at the Associate Professor rank (or equivalent; see Additional Eligibility Information) and b) at that rank for at least 3 years by the proposal submission date. PIs must have current or proposed research that falls within the purview of a participating disciplinary program. Pilot PUI Track in Directorates for Biological Sciences and Geosciences only, extends PI eligibility: Researchers at the Full Professor rank (or equivalent; see Additional Eligibility Information) at PUI institutions only and with proposed research that falls within the purview of a participating program within the Directorate for Biological Sciences or the Directorate for Geosciences may also apply. The collaborative partner(s) may not be listed as co-principal investigator(s) on the cover page. Instead the partner(s) should be designated as senior/key personnel or consultants.
What the agency says
The MCA program offers an opportunity for scientists and engineers at the mid-career stage (see restrictions under Additional Eligibility Information) to substantively enhance and advance their research program and career trajectory. Mid-career scientists are at a critical career transition stage where they need to advance their research programs to ensure long-term productivity and creativity but are often constrained by service, teaching, or other activities that limit the amount of time devoted to research.
The MCA program provides protected time, resources, and the means to gain new skills through synergistic and mutually beneficial partnerships, typically at an institution other than the candidate's home institution. Partners from outside the Principal Investigator's (PI) own subdiscipline or discipline are encouraged, but not required, to enhance interdisciplinary networking and convergence across science and engineering fields. Research p rojects that envision new insights on existing problems or identify new problems made accessible with cutting-edge methodology or expertise from other fields are encouraged .
A key component of a successful MCA will be the demonstration that the PI's current research program could substantively benefit from the protected time, mentored partnership(s), and resources provided through this program, such that there is a substantial enhancement to the PI's research and career trajectory, enabling scientific and academic advancement not likely without this support.
The MCA is the only cross-directorate NSF program specifically aimed at providing protected time and resources to established scientists and engineers targeted at the mid-career stage. Participating programs in the Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO), Geosciences (GEO), Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), and Education and Human Resources (EHR) will accept MCA proposals. To help identify the disciplinary program in which the MCA should be reviewed, PIs are urged to investigate the research areas supported by the different directorates and participating programs.
PIs are strongly encouraged to discuss the suitability of their MCA proposal with a Program Officer from the appropriate directorate (see https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/mca-mid-career-advancement/announcements/111199 ). PIs from EPSCoR jurisdictions are especially encouraged to apply.
Other open grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation
| Opportunity | Status | Closes | Award ceiling | Total funding | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometric Analysis PD-22-1265 | Open | Nov 3 | $8,800,000 | grants.gov | |
| Topology PD-22-1267 | Open | Nov 3 | grants.gov | ||
| NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs: A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation 26-511 | Open | Nov 4 | $40,000,000 | grants.gov | |
| SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (SPRF) 23-500 | Open | Nov 4 | $170,000 | $3,000,000 | grants.gov |
| U.S. National Science Foundation State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs: 26-513 | Open | Nov 4 | $100,000,000 | grants.gov | |
| Unlocking Dataset Value for AI-Enabled Scientific Discovery (AI Datasets) 26-512 | Open | Nov 4 | $100,000,000 | grants.gov |
· Everything closing in March 2027
Read from the Grants.gov API, last updated 2026-10-23. The agency's notice on Grants.gov is the official record; check it before you apply.