Opportunity Information: Apply for PD 21 128Y
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Law and Science (LS) program funds research that examines how law and legal-like rule systems work, how they shape human behavior, and how science and technology are used within legal settings. The program is designed for projects that genuinely blend disciplines and methods, so proposals tend to be strongest when they connect legal institutions or processes with social science theory, empirical research, and, where relevant, the natural and technical sciences. In practice, this means LS is interested both in social scientific studies of law (for example, how rules are made, enforced, and experienced) and in studies that focus on the interface between law and scientific or technological domains (for example, how courts interpret technical evidence or how regulation responds to emerging technologies).
A central theme of the opportunity is advancing scientific understanding, not simply describing legal issues. NSF is looking for work that contributes to theory and evidence about the relationships among law, legal actors and institutions, and human behavior. Another major emphasis is the idea of law as dynamic: law does not operate in isolation, but interacts with multiple arenas (like politics, markets, technology, and culture) and involves multiple participants (such as judges, police, regulators, scientists, engineers, firms, communities, and the public). Competitive projects typically treat legal systems as evolving and interconnected, and they use appropriate research designs to study those interactions in a rigorous way.
The scope of topics is broad and explicitly interdisciplinary. The program lists many example areas, including crime, violence, and policing; cyberspace and information technology; economic issues; environmental science and environmental governance; evidentiary and forensic science; governance and courts; human rights and comparative law; legal decision making; legal mobilization and public conceptions of justice; litigation and the legal profession; punishment and corrections; and the legal and ethical issues that arise from scientific advances. There is also a clear interest in regulation and governance related to biotechnology and other emerging sciences and technologies, with specific examples such as gene editing, gene testing, and synthetic biology. On the applied side, LS also supports work on the use of science in legal processes, which can include how scientific methods are translated into courtroom evidence, how standards for expertise are developed, or how technical tools are evaluated and deployed in justice-related contexts.
Methodologically, LS signals that it welcomes multiple approaches rather than favoring a single style of research. That can include quantitative and qualitative social science, experimental and observational designs, computational and data-intensive work, comparative or historical analysis, and mixed-methods projects, so long as the methods fit the research question and produce generalizable knowledge. The program also highlights links to a wide range of basic sciences and STEM areas, including biology, computer and information sciences, STEM education, engineering, geosciences, and the mathematical and physical sciences, reflecting the expectation that strong proposals can emerge from collaborations that cross the usual boundaries between law-related scholarship and STEM research.
In terms of funding mechanisms, LS supports standard research grants, collaborative research grants, and conference awards. It also connects to several NSF-wide or cross-cutting funding pathways that applicants may use when appropriate, including the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program, Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI), Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID), and Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER). This matters because some projects may fit better as an exploratory effort (EAGER), a time-sensitive study responding to sudden events (RAPID), a career-stage development proposal (CAREER), or a project that intentionally centers undergraduate research training (REU/RUI).
Administratively, this is a discretionary NSF grant opportunity under Funding Opportunity Number PD 21 128Y, categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, with CFDA number 47.075. Eligible applicants are listed as unrestricted, which generally indicates broad eligibility consistent with NSF policies (with the usual practical reality that proposals are commonly submitted by universities, research organizations, or other compliant institutions). The original closing date shown is 2024-08-01, and the source data does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards, suggesting that applicants should rely on the current NSF solicitation and program guidance for up-to-date budget expectations and submission windows.Apply for PD 21 128Y
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Law & Science" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.075.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2020-10-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
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NSF Law and Science (LS) Program FAQs
What is the NSF Law and Science (LS) program focused on?
The NSF Law and Science (LS) program funds research that examines how law and legal-like rule systems work, how they shape human behavior, and how science and technology are used within legal settings. A core goal is to advance scientific understanding of law-related phenomena, not simply to describe legal issues.
What kinds of projects tend to be most competitive for LS?
Projects are typically strongest when they genuinely blend disciplines and methods. Competitive proposals often connect legal institutions or processes with social science theory and empirical research, and when relevant, include natural science or technical perspectives. Strong projects also tend to treat law as dynamic and interconnected with arenas like politics, markets, technology, and culture.
Does LS fund purely legal analysis or descriptive legal commentary?
Based on the program description, LS emphasizes advancing scientific understanding through theory and evidence. That suggests proposals centered only on describing legal issues, without contributing to generalizable knowledge about relationships among law, institutions, actors, and behavior, may be less aligned with LS priorities.
What does NSF mean by studying "law as dynamic"?
The LS description emphasizes that law does not operate in isolation. It interacts with other social systems and contexts (such as politics, markets, technology, and culture) and involves multiple participants (for example, judges, police, regulators, scientists, engineers, firms, communities, and the public). Research that models or tests these evolving, multi-actor interactions is highlighted as a good fit.
What kinds of topics are within the LS program scope?
The scope is broad and explicitly interdisciplinary. Example areas listed include crime, violence, and policing; cyberspace and information technology; economic issues; environmental science and environmental governance; evidentiary and forensic science; governance and courts; human rights and comparative law; legal decision making; legal mobilization and public conceptions of justice; litigation and the legal profession; punishment and corrections; and legal and ethical issues arising from scientific advances.
Does LS support research on emerging technologies like biotechnology or gene editing?
Yes. The program description states a clear interest in regulation and governance related to biotechnology and other emerging sciences and technologies. Examples given include gene editing, gene testing, and synthetic biology.
Can proposals focus on how science and technology are used in legal processes?
Yes. LS supports work on the use of science in legal processes, including how scientific methods are translated into courtroom evidence, how standards for expertise are developed, and how technical tools are evaluated and deployed in justice-related contexts.
What research methods does LS support?
LS signals that it welcomes multiple approaches rather than favoring a single methodology. The description includes quantitative and qualitative social science, experimental and observational designs, computational and data-intensive work, comparative or historical analysis, and mixed-methods research, as long as the methods fit the question and produce generalizable knowledge.
Is LS limited to social science, or can it include STEM disciplines?
LS is described as linking to a wide range of basic sciences and STEM areas. Examples listed include biology, computer and information sciences, STEM education, engineering, geosciences, and the mathematical and physical sciences. The program emphasizes that strong proposals can emerge from collaborations crossing typical boundaries between law-related scholarship and STEM research.
What types of funding mechanisms are available through LS?
The LS program supports standard research grants, collaborative research grants, and conference awards.
Are there NSF-wide mechanisms that can be used for LS-relevant projects?
Yes. The program description notes connections to cross-cutting NSF pathways that applicants may use when appropriate, including CAREER, REU, RUI, RAPID, and EAGER.
When might an EAGER proposal make sense for an LS-related idea?
LS notes that some projects may fit better as an exploratory effort through EAGER (Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research), implying a potential fit for early-stage, high-risk/high-reward concepts that are not yet ready for a standard grant format.
When might a RAPID proposal make sense for LS research?
The LS description points out that time-sensitive studies responding to sudden events may be appropriate for RAPID (Grants for Rapid Response Research), which is intended for situations where waiting for a regular cycle could undermine the research opportunity.
How do CAREER, REU, and RUI relate to this program?
The program description indicates that LS-relevant work may sometimes be pursued through CAREER (career-stage development proposals), REU (projects emphasizing undergraduate research experiences), or RUI (projects centered at undergraduate institutions), when those mechanisms better match the project goals and setting.
Who is eligible to apply?
The opportunity lists eligible applicants as "unrestricted," which generally indicates broad eligibility consistent with NSF policies. In practice, proposals are commonly submitted by universities, research organizations, or other compliant institutions.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number for this LS opportunity?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PD 21 128Y, and the CFDA number is 47.075.
How is this opportunity categorized?
It is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
What is the closing date listed in the provided information?
The original closing date shown is 2024-08-01.
Does the provided information include an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?
No. The source data does not specify an award ceiling or an expected number of awards. Applicants are advised (per the description) to rely on the current NSF solicitation and program guidance for up-to-date budget expectations and submission windows.
Where should applicants look for the most current submission windows and budget expectations?
The provided description indicates that applicants should rely on the current NSF solicitation and program guidance for the latest information on budgets, deadlines, and submission timing.
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