EMERGING FRONTIERS IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (EFRI-2026/27): Wave-Based Computing ( EFRI-WBC)

Key facts

Copied from the official Grants.gov record. Last verified October 29, 2026.

Program name

EMERGING FRONTIERS IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (EFRI-2026/27): Wave-Based Computing ( EFRI-WBC)

Issuing agency

U.S. National Science Foundation

Opportunity number

26-524

Funding type

Grant

Funding purpose

Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Status

Open (posted)

Application deadline

Closes February 11, 2027

Published award range

Not published by the agency

Estimated total program funding

$30,000,000

Expected number of awards

30

Cost sharing or match required

No

Eligible applicants (official categories)

• Others (see Additional Information on Eligibility)

Relevant to

NonprofitsHow we determined this: Listed as 'Others'; the agency's eligibility text mentions nonprofits (flagged for review).

Geographic restrictions

None stated in structured data (federal opportunities are often nationwide). Check the eligibility details and full announcement for any limits.

Assistance Listing (CFDA)

47.041, 47.049, 47.084

Official source

View on Grants.gov ↗ · Agency information link ↗

Application URL

www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363622 ↗Apply through Grants.gov (Workspace) using the application package on the official listing, unless the full announcement names a different submission system.

Source identifier

Grants.gov opportunity ID 363622 · Funding opportunity number 26-524

Posted

August 17, 2026 · Source last updated October 5, 2026

Last verified

October 29, 2026 (against Grants.gov)

Data completeness

92% of key fields published by the sourceNot published: published funding range.

Record confidence

loweligibility described only in free text (in review).

Eligibility details (from the agency)

*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus. *Who May Serve as PI: For all proposals submitted by Institutions of Higher Education, the lead Principal Investigator (PI) must be full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty.  For all proposals submitted by Non-Profit, Non-Academic Organizations, the lead PI must meet all of the following requirements: (1) the PI has a continuing appointment that is expected to last the full term of the EFRI award; (2) the appointment has substantial research responsibilities; and (3) the proposed project relates to the PI’s job responsibilities as well as to the mission of the department or organization. For all proposals, either the PI or one of the co-PIs must have a full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty appointment within a College/Department of Engineering.  Track 2 proposals must involve a minimum of one PI and two co-PIs.

Description (from the official listing)

The Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) program serves a critical role in helping the NSF Directorate for Engineering focus on important emerging areas in a timely way. The EFRI program invests in potentially transformative ideas that offer the opportunity for significant shifts in foundational engineering knowledge. EFRI-funded research must have strong potential for long-term impact on strategic technology priorities and/or national science and technology (S&T) missions identified in the Administration's Fiscal Year (FY) 2028 Research and Development (R&D) Budget Priorities Memorandum. Such impacts need not be fully realized within the duration of the research period; however, proposers are expected to articulate how a proposal is use-inspired and may lay the foundations for stated priorities. This EFRI solicitation leverages a portfolio of both two-year EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) awards and larger four-year awards in response to Science: A New Golden Age, which calls for a more flexible set of funding mechanisms that match the scientific challenges they seek to address.The EFRI Wave-Based Computing (WBC) solicitation will support foundational and transformative research to advance the development of computing approaches that harness the principles of wave dynamics. The EFRI WBC solicitation will support two tracks. Track 1: Exploratory approaches may be funded through EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) awards. Track 2: Larger, multidisciplinary projects may be funded through four-year awards of up to…

Agency contact

NSF grants.gov support grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
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