The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the independent agency that funds basic research outside medicine (NIH covers medicine). Through competitive grants it supports university research across physics, math, computer science, engineering, and the social sciences.
It also funds frontier areas such as AI, quantum, semiconductors, and materials; this site's NSF grant data comes from it. By supporting research infrastructure (supercomputers, observatories) and talent, it underpins U.S. scientific capacity.
What the data shows
- We have collected 4 Federal Register documents (rules and notices) for this agency.
- It awarded $3,389,583 in federal contracts (2 awards) in our collection; the top recipient is DELTA BRAVO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INC ($1,989,583, ~59%).
- Spending is concentrated in a single top recipient.
Federal Register (rules & notices)
By type： Notice 4
- Notice 2026-06-12 Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Antarctic Conservatio... ↗
- Notice 2026-06-11 Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Grantee Reporting Req... ↗
- Notice 2026-06-09 Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request ↗
- Notice 2026-06-01 Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Grantee Reporting Req... ↗
Federal contracts (awarded · USAspending)
What this shows：In the collected data, the largest single recipient is DELTA BRAVO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGE... (about 59% of the total), across 2 recipients — showing how concentrated awards are at the top.
| Amount | Recipient | Scope (original) |
|---|---|---|
| ≈$2M | DELTA BRAVO ARTIFICIAL INTELLI... ／National Science Foundation | CONVERGENCE ACCELERATOR FUTURE WATER SYSTEMS ↗ |
| ≈$1.4M | INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE ANALYSES ／National Science Foundation | ASSESSING THE US CAPACITY AND NEED FOR AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE... ↗ |
Where the money goes (by company)
The main companies this agency funds and cumulative amounts, from this site's collected contract data. Click a company for details.
Federal contract awards over time (past 9 fiscal years)
Federal contract awards by National Science Foundation has risen about 54% from FY2017 to FY2025 (≈$462M to ≈$711M).
| Fiscal year | Awarded |
|---|---|
| FY2025 | ≈$711M |
| FY2024 | ≈$775.7M |
| FY2023 | ≈$631.1M |
| FY2022 | ≈$577.5M |
| FY2021 | ≈$498.1M |
| FY2020 | ≈$503.3M |
| FY2019 | ≈$506.2M |
| FY2018 | ≈$466.2M |
| FY2017 | ≈$462M |
Total federal contracts (award types A–D) awarded by this agency per fiscal year (starting October). Source: USAspending. May be revised.
NSF research grants (awarded)
- 2026-10-01 NSF AI grant $2.54M: "Cloud Conversations" — an AI assistant that builds res... Explained — University of Chicago
- 2026-09-01 NSF AI grant $9M: operationalizing the National Science Data Fabric (NSDF) f... Explained — University of Tennessee Knoxvi...
- 2026-07-01 NSF AI grant $11M: "National Data Platform," a federated U.S. AI-ready data... Explained — University of California-San D...
- 2026-07-01 NSF AI grant $2.5M: scholarships to build AI × cybersecurity talent (Old Dom... Explained — Old Dominion University Resear...
- 2026-07-01 NSF AI grant $9M: "BRIDGE," a national center opening data science and AI to... Explained — University of California-Irvin...
- 2026-06-15 NSF AI grant $1.25M: AI for low-dose, low-cost 3D X-ray (CT) — SBIR Phase II... Explained — NEURALTRAK, INC
- 2026-06-01 NSF AI grant $4.6M: "MESA," automatically describing and connecting science... Explained — University of Arizona
- 2026-06-01 NSF AI grant $4.98M: "IAIFI," fusing AI and physics — renewed (MIT-led, four... Explained — Massachusetts Institute of Tec...
Timeline
Events tied to this entity, newest first, from the data this site tracks.
Based on real dates within this site's collected set (contracts = start date / filings = filing date / rules = publication date). Not exhaustive.
FAQ
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Sources (primary)
This page is an independent organization that joins the U.S. official data below. Verify the exact, latest, and complete details with each official source.