Division of Chemistry

The National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry is a civilian sub-agency within the NSF that funds fundamental and applied chemistry research through federal grants. The Division operates as a funding agency rather than a procuring organization, awarding grants primarily to academic institutions to support scientific investigation and workforce development in chemistry disciplines.

The Division's grant portfolio dominates its activity footprint. Since 2002, it has obligated $2.22 billion in federal dollars across 4,085 grant awards to 391 distinct recipients. Recent grant-making has run at approximately 393 awards in 2023, 356 in 2024, 394 in 2025, and 256 in 2026, with 6 awards recorded so far in 2027. Grant assistance is structured almost entirely as Project Grants, with 4,070 of 4,085 awards (100%) awarded as Project Grants and 15 (0%) as Cooperative Agreements. Over the last five years, grant recipient concentration is highly fragmented, with the top five recipients accounting for only 9% of recent awards by count and 5% of recent federal dollars. Purdue University leads by award count with 43 awards and $20.8 million in federal dollars obligated over the last five years, followed by UCLA with 34 awards and $21 million obligated, and the Regents of the University of California with 32 awards and $19.9 million obligated. Texas A&M University and University of Notre Dame du Lac rank among the top recipients by federal-dollar volume, each receiving between $25 million and $27 million in recent awards.

The Division maintains a minimal federal contract portfolio. Only 2 contract awards have been recorded since 2015, totaling $20 thousand in combined potential value, with both dollars fully obligated. The most recent contract award closed in August 2019. Both awards were unrestricted competitive procurements with no set-aside designation. This contract activity does not represent a material procurement stream and should not be weighted in business development positioning.

No recent contract opportunities are recorded against the Division. Grant funding opportunities through the Division typically are solicited through NSF's standard program announcements and research solicitation channels; the most recent recorded grant award carries a date of January 2027, indicating ongoing funding activity.

The Division of Chemistry (CHE) supports innovative research in chemical sciences, integrated with education, through strategic investment in developing a globally engaged U.S. chemistry workforce reflecting the diversity of America.