Office of International Science and Engineering

The National Science Foundation Office of International Science and Engineering, a sub-office within the civilian National Science Foundation, administers federal grant funding for international science and engineering research and collaboration activities. The Office transacts almost exclusively through its grant portfolio; contract activity is minimal and episodic.

The Office closed most recently on a grant award dated November 1, 2026, reflecting its primary mission as a grant-making entity. Over the last five years, the Office distributed 61 awards in 2022, 79 in 2023, 81 in 2024, 76 in 2025, and 33 year-to-date in 2026, totaling 546 grant awards since 2010. Combined federal dollars obligated across the entire portfolio reached $302.1 million, with total combined federal and non-federal share at $307.5 million. All awards are structured as Project Grants, the dominant assistance type across the Office's funding activity. Grant recipients span 229 distinct institutions, indicating a highly fragmented recipient base; over the last five years, the top five recipients by award count—Pennsylvania State University (12 awards, $3.1 million federal dollars), Iowa State University of Science and Technology (8 awards, $1.9 million), Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (8 awards, $3.7 million), Georgia TECH Research Corp (8 awards, $3.1 million), and Cornell University (7 awards, $2.4 million)—account for only 13 percent of recent awards. By federal dollars obligated, the University of Illinois leads with $12.7 million across 5 awards, followed by The Regents of the University of California with $6.2 million across 5 awards and The Ohio State University with $5 million across 3 awards; these top three by dollars obligated represent only 10 percent of combined federal dollars.

Contract activity is negligible. Seven total contracts have been awarded since 2016, most recently closed on September 9, 2024. Combined potential value across all awards stands at $3 million, with $1.7 million obligated. Six distinct prime contractors have received awards; the largest by recent award count, Regency Consulting Inc. and Lyme Computer Systems, Inc., each hold a single award worth $27 thousand and $58 thousand respectively. Eighty-six percent of awards carry no set-aside designation; one award was an 8(a) Sole Source set-aside.

No recent contract or grant solicitation activity is recorded in the source data.

OISE is the NSF focal point for international science and engineering activities both inside and outside NSF. OISE promote an integrated, Foundation-wide international engagement strategy and manage internationally-focused programs that are innovative and catalytic. OISE focuses on international activities to promote innovation among the U.S. research community through access to international knowledge, infrastructure, and capabilities.