Where the Foundation's dollars actually go.
The whole National Science Foundation (USAspending toptier agency 049) as recorded in the public spending feed: obligations by fiscal year split by award category, and the largest awards. NSF funds research mostly through grants and cooperative agreementsto universities and research institutions — not contracts — so both are shown here, honestly, and the contract list is never read as NSF's whole spend.
Data currency
NSF publishes award detail without the Department of War's 90-day OPSEC withholding. Normal USAspending reporting lag still applies, so the award tables are shown for the latest fully-loaded fiscal year; the in-progress fiscal year is partial and would understate.
Obligated (latest complete FY)
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Grants share
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grants & coop agreements
Contracts share
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the procurement footprint
Toptier agency
049
National Science Foundation
Obligations over time — grants vs. contracts
Total agency obligations by fiscal year, with the grant (assistance) and contract (procurement) portions stacked. The current fiscal year is partial.
Largest GRANT & cooperative-agreement awards
NSF's primary instrument: research assistance to universities, research institutions, and facility operators. Ranked by total obligated amount on the award (accumulates across the life of multi-year awards).
| Recipient | Awarding office | Description | Obligated |
|---|
Largest CONTRACT awards
The procurement footprint — facility operations & maintenance, logistics (including U.S. Antarctic Program support), and IT — a small slice of total obligations next to the grants above.
| Recipient | Awarding office | Description | Obligated |
|---|