The NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement (DDRI) program awards grants to doctoral students to improve the quality of dissertation research. These grants allow doctoral students to undertake significant data-gathering projects and to conduct field research in settings away from their campus which would not otherwise be possible. Proposals are judged on the basis of their scientific merit, including the theoretical importance of the research question and the appropriateness of the proposed data and methodology to be used in addressing the question. 

Award amounts vary across programs, from up to $10,000 (excluding indirect costs) to up to $20,000 (excluding indirect costs). Unless otherwise specified in the specific program solicitation, the following costs are allowable for NSF DDRIG proposals: 

• Costs associated with travel and related expenses to conduct research at field sites, archives, specialized collections, and/or facilities away from the student's campus. 
• Costs for data-collection activities, including the conduct of experiments, surveys, and/or questionnaires. 
• Costs for securing data and for archiving data.
• Costs for equipment necessary for the conduct of the project that will be devoted to the project over the duration of the award. (Note that any equipment purchased with NSF funds becomes property of the awardee organization.) 
• Costs for payments to research subjects and/or language informants. 
• Costs for materials and supplies required for the conduct of the project. 
• Costs for travel to one domestic professional meeting to present preliminary research results and obtain feedback to further improve the project. (Note that NSF will not recommend a DDRIG solely for sharing research results at conferences.) 

NSF DDRIG Eligibility Requirements 

• Doctoral students enrolled at accredited doctoral degree granting universities and colleges in, and having a campus in, the United States
• U.S. citizenship is not required.
• The proposal must be submitted by the University on behalf of the advisor and the graduate student who is at the point of initiating or already conducting dissertation research.
• The advisor is the Principal Investigator (PI) and the doctoral student whose dissertation research will be supported must be designated as a Co-PI. The student must be the author of the proposal.

Eligible Fields of Study & Due Dates

Many programs in the seven NSF directorates accept doctoral dissertation improvement grant proposals. Requirements vary across programs, so applicants are advised to consult the relevant program's solicitation and instructions using the link here.  

Application Process

The Office of Research Administration at Indiana University submits the grant application on behalf of the PI (faculty advisor) and Co-PI (doctoral student) and funds are awarded to the University. Therefore, the student must work with the ORA to submit their application. Both the student and the advisor will need NSF IDs in order to access the FastLane system. Registering for an NSF ID, see the link. 

For application requirements and proposal guidelines, please review the DDRIG solicitation from the applicable NSF program.