How many research awards does the National Science Foundation make? New NSF awards by university, state and county, 2015–2026
NSF made 8,504 new awards worth $5.50 billion in 2025, after 11,626 worth $8.06 billion in 2024. California received the most of any state; every organization, county and state has its own page with the record behind each figure.
Questions this record answers
- How many new awards did NSF make in 2025?
- 8,504 new awards with an estimated total value of $5.50 billion, against 11,626 worth $8.06 billion in 2024 (NSF Award Search).
- Which organizations received the most in new NSF awards in 2025?
- EarthScope Consortium ($222.7 million), Georgia Tech Research Corporation ($89.8 million) and the University of Texas at Austin ($86.2 million), NSF Award Search, 2025.
- Which U.S. state receives the most NSF funding?
- California, with $681.9 million in new NSF awards in 2025, followed by Texas and New York.
- Did NSF make fewer awards in 2025?
- Yes. In the records NSF made 8,504 new awards in 2025, 27% fewer than in 2024, worth 32% less.
- Are NSF award values the same as NSF's annual budget?
- No. Award values are estimated totals over each award's duration and count in full in the year the award was made; they are not annual outlays.
Cite as: FACTANKER, https://factanker.com/record/nsf-awards-by-state-university-county-2015-2026
What this covers. New awards of the U.S. National Science Foundation by the date NSF made them (calendar year), valued at the estimated total amount of each award over its duration — not the money paid out in that year. Awardees in the 50 states, DC and the territories, from NSF Award Search. 2026 runs to October 25, 2026. No investigator names are stored. Key figures link to their records.
How many new awards did the U.S. National Science Foundation make each year from 2015 to 2026?
NSF made 11,626 new awards worth $8.06 billion in 2024 and 8,504 worth $5.50 billion in 2025: 27% fewer awards and 32% less value. Between 2015 and 2024 NSF made between 11,626 and 12,975 new awards a year; the highest total value was $8.25 billion in 2023. By October 25, 2026, NSF had made 6,578 new awards worth $5.54 billion in 2026.
| Year | New awards | Estimated total value | Organizations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 12,975 | $5.63 billion | 1,801 |
| 2016 | 12,732 | $6.21 billion | 1,810 |
| 2017 | 12,186 | $5.74 billion | 1,678 |
| 2018 | 12,478 | $7.65 billion | 1,473 |
| 2019 | 12,336 | $5.98 billion | 1,663 |
| 2020 | 12,837 | $6.95 billion | 1,765 |
| 2021 | 12,300 | $7.69 billion | 1,868 |
| 2022 | 11,755 | $7.46 billion | 1,634 |
| 2023 | 11,947 | $8.25 billion | 1,677 |
| 2024 | 11,626 | $8.06 billion | 1,647 |
| 2025 | 8,504 | $5.50 billion | 1,276 |
| 2026 (to Oct. 25) | 6,578 | $5.54 billion | 915 |
Which U.S. universities and organizations received the most in new NSF awards in 2025?
EarthScope Consortium led with $222.7 million across 2 awards, followed by Georgia Tech Research Corporation and the University of Texas at Austin. Values are estimated totals over each award's duration.
Which U.S. states received the most in new NSF awards in 2025, and how does that compare with 2015?
California received $681.9 million, 12 percent of the national total, followed by Texas and New York.
| State | 2025 | 2015 | Change | Organizations 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $681.9 million | $646.1 million | +6% | 167 |
| Texas | $361.5 million | $293.6 million | +23% | 70 |
| New York | $351.3 million | $434.9 million | −19% | 106 |
| Massachusetts | $337.5 million | $349.3 million | −3% | 87 |
| District of Columbia | $281.8 million | $122.2 million | +131% | 29 |
| Illinois | $230.3 million | $257.3 million | −10% | 44 |
| Pennsylvania | $189.5 million | $259.7 million | −27% | 48 |
| Washington | $183.1 million | $133.8 million | +37% | 26 |
| Florida | $164.2 million | $165.1 million | −1% | 45 |
| Michigan | $152.5 million | $174.1 million | −12% | 29 |
| Georgia | $149.4 million | $165.8 million | −10% | 24 |
| North Carolina | $146.9 million | $150.6 million | −2% | 35 |
Which U.S. counties received the most in new NSF awards in 2025?
District of Columbia led with $281.8 million, followed by King County, Washington and Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Each organization is assigned to the county of its ZIP code.
Which NSF directorates made the most new awards by value in 2025?
Mathematical and Physical Sciences led with $1.05 billion, followed by Computer and Information Science and Engineering and Geosciences, from the 2025 national record.
| Directorate | Estimated total value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) | $1.05 billion | 19.1% |
| Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CSE) | $863.5 million | 15.7% |
| Geosciences (GEO) | $804.8 million | 14.6% |
| STEM Education (EDU) | $717.9 million | 13.1% |
| Engineering (ENG) | $608.4 million | 11.1% |
| Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) | $540.2 million | 9.8% |
| Biological Sciences (BIO) | $516.4 million | 9.4% |
| Office of the Director (O/D) | $253.0 million | 4.6% |
| Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) | $143.8 million | 2.6% |
| PPCC (PPCC) | $1.5 million | 0.0% |
What do the NSF Award Search figures for U.S. organizations, 2015–2026, include and leave out?
They count awards by the date NSF made them, including continuing grants and cooperative agreements, at the estimated total value over the award's life. That is not NSF's annual budget or outlays: a five-year award counts in full in the year it was made. Organizations without a federal unique entity identifier are counted in the area totals but get no page. Sources and pages: source record NSF Award Search · NSF awards hub · California · NIH funding.