Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences

The National Science Foundation Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences is a civilian sub-agency within NSF that funds research and infrastructure development in atmospheric science, aeronomy, and geospace physics through competitive grant programs. The Division awards nearly all of its funding through investigator-initiated research grants, with a smaller presence in service contracts.

The Division has awarded 27 federal contracts totaling $533 thousand in combined potential value since 2010, with $510 thousand obligated. Contract activity has been minimal and sporadic in recent years—one award each in 2016, 2017, and 2018, with the most recent award closing in January 2018. The Division maintains relationships with 17 distinct prime contractors, none of which holds dominant position; the contracting footprint is highly fragmented and appears oriented toward specific research infrastructure or instrumentation needs rather than standing service agreements. The vast majority of awards (89%) carry no set-aside designation, with the remainder split between two 8(a) sole-source awards and a single small-business set-aside. No recent contract opportunities are recorded.

Grant-making is the Division's primary funding vehicle. Since 2001, the Division has awarded 2,372 grants totaling $1.24 billion in federal dollars obligated to 274 distinct recipients. Annual award volume has remained relatively steady over the last five years—230 awards in 2023, 268 in 2024, 188 in 2025, 86 year-to-date in 2026, and 2 recorded for 2027. The grant portfolio is highly fragmented by recipient, with the top five recipients by award count (Regents of the University of Colorado, UCLA, Pennsylvania State University, Colorado State University, and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research) holding only 14 percent of recent awards and 5 percent of recent federal dollars. The Regents of the University of Colorado leads with 47 awards totaling $17.9 million in federal support over the last five years. Virtually all grants are structured as Project Grants (99%), with Cooperative Agreements comprising a nominal 1 percent. No recent grant opportunities are recorded in the source.

The mission of the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) is to extend intellectual frontiers in atmospheric and geospace sciences by making responsible investments in fundamental research, technology development, and education that enable discoveries, nurture a vibrant, diverse scientific workforce, and help attain a prosperous and sustainable future.