NSF PFE: Research Initiation in Engineering Formation (PFE:RIEF)
Funding opportunity: NSF 20-558
Status: Open
2026 deadline: November 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM in the submitting organization’s local time.
Funding: NSF anticipates approximately $3 million and 15 awards. The maximum award is $200,000 for up to 24 months.
Program focus
PFE:RIEF is designed to help engineering faculty with little or no prior social science or education research experience begin research on the professional formation of engineers. Projects combine engineering with learning and cognitive sciences, engineering education, social sciences, or related fields. The program requires a research design, evaluation approach, mentoring plan, and an explanation of the PI’s motivation and future engineering education research plans.
Eligibility
Lead applicants are limited to accredited U.S. two-year and four-year institutions of higher education and qualifying U.S. nonprofit, nonacademic organizations associated with education or research. At least one PI or co-PI must be a member of an engineering department and must not have received engineering education or professional formation funding through NSF Engineering Education and Centers during the prior three years.
Submission and cost sharing
No letter of intent or preliminary proposal is required. Full proposals may be submitted through Research.gov or Grants.gov under the current NSF PAPPG and NSF Grants.gov Application Guide. Collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must use Research.gov. Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.
Atlas fit and routing
This is a strong higher-education engineering education research opportunity, including research involving transitions into engineering, professional formation, engineering education technologies, and interdisciplinary systems such as healthcare. Dr. Miltie/QC is not an eligible prime applicant under the listed proposer classes. The appropriate posture is Partner-Led through a qualifying institution or nonprofit research or education organization, with organization-specific evaluation handled through applicable state education pathways.