Opportunity Information: Apply for 23 618
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is offering Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIGs) through its Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Program (DRMS). This opportunity supports dissertation-stage research that aims to improve how decisions are made and how decision processes work across different levels of society, including individuals, teams, organizations, and public institutions. The core focus is on building scientific understanding of decision making and producing findings that can make decision making more effective in real-world contexts.
DRMS is specifically oriented toward research that is grounded in the theories and methods of the social and behavioral sciences. In practice, that means proposals should be built on established conceptual frameworks (or clearly articulated new theoretical extensions) and use rigorous empirical approaches that generate insights beyond a single case. NSF is looking for research that advances fundamental knowledge while also addressing meaningful societal challenges and producing strong broader impacts, such as improving risk communication, strengthening organizational decisions, or informing public policy choices.
The program invites DDRIG proposals in several related topic areas. These include judgment and decision making (how people form beliefs, interpret information, and choose among options), decision analysis and decision aids (tools and structured methods that help people or organizations make better choices), risk analysis, risk perception, and risk communication (how risks are assessed, understood, and conveyed), societal and public-policy decision making (collective decisions and policy choices under uncertainty or competing values), and management science and organizational design (how organizations are structured and managed to support better decisions and performance). The common thread across these areas is an emphasis on decision processes that can be studied scientifically and generalized across settings.
A key boundary for this specific DDRIG competition is that projects must be empirical and theory-driven rather than purely abstract. Proposals that are only theoretical or focused only on developing algorithms without a clear social or behavioral science grounding are not considered a good fit. The expectation is that dissertation projects will connect theory to evidence, producing results that can inform broader understanding of decision and risk behavior rather than solving a narrowly technical optimization problem in isolation.
Administratively, this is a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 23-618) offered by NSF under CFDA 47.075, categorized as science and technology and other research and development. The opportunity was created on August 25, 2023, with an original closing date of January 18, 2024, and NSF anticipates making about 30 awards. The listed award ceiling is shown as 0 in the summary data, which typically signals that applicants should rely on the official solicitation for detailed budgeting expectations and limits rather than assuming a fixed maximum from the overview record. Eligibility is labeled as "Others," with clarification provided in the solicitation under the additional eligibility information, which is typical for dissertation improvement grants where eligibility often depends on doctoral candidacy status, institutional sponsorship, and other program-specific conditions.
Overall, this DDRIG opportunity is designed for doctoral researchers whose dissertation work can strengthen the scientific understanding of decision making and risk while producing findings that are methodologically rigorous, theoretically grounded, and useful beyond a single study context.Apply for 23 618
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Decision, Risk and Management Sciences - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.075.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 25, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 18, 2024. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this NSF funding opportunity?
This opportunity is the National Science Foundation (NSF) Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (DDRIG) offered through the Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Program (DRMS). It supports dissertation-stage research intended to improve scientific understanding of how decisions are made and how decision processes work in real-world settings.
Which NSF program is offering this DDRIG?
The DDRIG is offered through NSF's Decision, Risk and Management Sciences Program (DRMS).
What is the main purpose of the DRMS DDRIG?
The purpose is to support dissertation-stage research that builds scientific understanding of decision making and decision processes, and produces findings that can make decision making more effective in practical contexts (for example, in organizations, teams, and public institutions).
What kinds of decision making does the program focus on?
DRMS supports research on decision processes across multiple levels of society, including individuals, teams, organizations, and public institutions. The common focus is on decisions and decision processes that can be studied scientifically and generalized across settings.
What topic areas are invited under this DDRIG competition?
The program invites DDRIG proposals in several related areas, including:
- Judgment and decision making (how people form beliefs, interpret information, and choose among options)
- Decision analysis and decision aids (tools and structured methods that help individuals or organizations make better choices)
- Risk analysis, risk perception, and risk communication (how risks are assessed, understood, and conveyed)
- Societal and public-policy decision making (collective decisions and policy choices under uncertainty or competing values)
- Management science and organizational design (how organizations are structured and managed to support better decisions and performance)
What is the "common thread" across the listed topic areas?
The common thread is an emphasis on decision and risk processes that can be studied empirically, grounded in theory, and produce insights that extend beyond a single case or narrow context.
Does the program require proposals to be grounded in specific disciplines?
Yes. DRMS is oriented toward research grounded in the theories and methods of the social and behavioral sciences.
What does it mean that proposals should be theory-driven?
It means the dissertation research should be built on established conceptual frameworks or clearly articulated new theoretical extensions, and it should connect theory to evidence through rigorous empirical work.
Are purely theoretical projects a good fit for this DDRIG?
No. A key boundary described for this competition is that projects must be empirical and theory-driven rather than purely abstract or purely theoretical.
Are algorithm-only or purely technical optimization projects a good fit?
Not by themselves. Proposals focused only on developing algorithms without clear grounding in social or behavioral science are described as not a good fit. The expectation is that the project connects theory to evidence and informs broader understanding of decision and risk behavior, rather than solving a narrowly technical optimization problem in isolation.
What level of evidence or methodology is expected?
The opportunity emphasizes rigorous empirical approaches that generate insights beyond a single case. The research is expected to be methodologically rigorous and to produce findings that are useful and generalizable across settings.
What kinds of outcomes or impacts is NSF looking for?
NSF is looking for research that advances fundamental knowledge while also addressing meaningful societal challenges and producing strong broader impacts. Examples mentioned include improving risk communication, strengthening organizational decision making, and informing public policy choices.
Who is this opportunity designed for?
It is designed for doctoral researchers at the dissertation stage whose work can strengthen scientific understanding of decision making and risk through theory-driven, empirical research.
Is this a mandatory or discretionary grant program?
It is described as a discretionary grant opportunity.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is 23-618.
What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 47.075.
How is this opportunity categorized?
It is categorized as science and technology and other research and development.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on August 25, 2023.
What was the original closing date?
The original closing date listed is January 18, 2024.
How many awards does NSF anticipate making?
NSF anticipates making about 30 awards.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) for this DDRIG?
The summary data shows the award ceiling as 0. This typically indicates that applicants should rely on the official solicitation for budgeting expectations and any limits, rather than assuming a fixed maximum from the overview record.
What does the eligibility category "Others" mean here?
The eligibility field is labeled "Others," and the description notes that additional eligibility details are provided in the solicitation. This is typical for dissertation improvement grants, where eligibility often depends on factors like doctoral candidacy status, institutional sponsorship, and other program-specific conditions.
Where should applicants look for definitive rules on budget limits and eligibility?
The description indicates that applicants should rely on the official solicitation for detailed budgeting expectations and for the additional eligibility information referenced in the opportunity.
What does NSF mean by generating insights "beyond a single case"?
Based on the description, it means the research approach should be designed to produce findings that contribute to broader scientific understanding and can generalize across settings, rather than being limited to one unique case with no broader implications.
How does this DDRIG relate to real-world decision making?
While the program is focused on fundamental scientific understanding, it also emphasizes findings that can make decision making more effective in real-world contexts, including decisions made by individuals, teams, organizations, and public institutions.
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