ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS · GRANT
NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs: A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation
- Deadline
- Nov 4, 2026 (11 days left)
- Who can apply
- Others
- Award range
- Not stated
- Expected awards
- 86
- Total program funding
- $40 million
- Your own money required
- No cost sharing or matching required
- Opportunity number
- 26-511
- Posted
- May 22, 2026
- Assistance listing
- 47.084
More on who can apply
*Who May Serve as PI: Who May Serve as PI: The primary employment of the Principal Investigator (PI) must be with the small business at the time of award and for the duration of the award, unless a new PI is named. Primary employment is defined as at least 51 percent employed by the small business. NSF normally considers a full-time work week to be 40 hours and considers employment elsewhere greater than 19.6 hours per week to conflict with this requirement. Occasionally, deviations from this requirement may occur, and must be approved in writing by the Funding Agreement program offi
What it funds
NSF invests in scientific discoveries, technological breakthroughs, and transformative innovations that strengthen economic growth, enhance security, and improve the lives of Americans and people around the world. Our ability to support that mission requires a robust scientific and engineering (S&E) enterprise in the United States that allows scientists to innovate at the frontier. In addition to funding scientists, America needs next-generation scientific instrumentation that allows scientists to pursue new innovations. In many fields, it is critical that this new scientific instrumentation is developed in the United States. In support of this mission, NSF is initiating a pilot emphasis area for its SBIR/STTR programs to invest in startups and small businesses that are specifically developing enabling technologies that include next-generation instrumentation, novel experimental platforms, and other scientific equipment to advance the frontiers of scientific discovery and strengthen the American scientific and engineering enterprise. This encompasses novel instrumentation necessary for the coming era of AI-driven discoveries. This pilot will prioritize investing in the necessary infrastructure to support entirely new fields of scientific discovery, making new technological breakthroughs and transformative applications possible. Through this approach, NSF will continue to lead in propelling the scientific enterprise to new frontiers. This pilot emphasis area for the NSF SBIR/STTR programs funds across enabling technology areas and market sectors in alignment with the above goals; the programs do not solicit specific technologies for the purpose of procuring goods and services for the agency from startups and small businesses. NSF will continue to invest in other deep-tec…
Open the official notice on Grants.gov ↗What to do next
- Open the official notice on Grants.gov and download the full announcement (the NOFO) and any attachments.
- Check you can apply: the eligible applicants above, and any detail in the notice's eligibility section.
- Register your organization in SAM.gov (choose "all awards") and create a Grants.gov account; allow several weeks the first time.
- Apply through Grants.gov exactly as the notice says, before Nov 4, 2026. Late applications are usually not accepted.
New to this? Applying for a federal grant, step by step · Register to apply · How to read the notice · Write the narrative · Build the budget · Agency contact: grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
From Grants.gov's official daily extract of Oct 25, 2026. The notice on Grants.gov and its attachments are what count. UX Contract is independent and not a government website.