NSF Award Search API Guide

Overview

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Award Search API provides free, unauthenticated access to a comprehensive database of NSF-funded awards spanning decades of federally funded research in the United States. This API is invaluable for researchers seeking to understand funding trends, identify potential collaborators, or find precedent awards in their field.

The API covers all NSF directorates including Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Biological Sciences (BIO), Engineering (ENG), Geosciences (GEO), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), and Education and Human Resources (EHR). Each award record includes principal investigator information, award amounts, abstracts, and institutional details.

No API key or authentication is needed. The service returns JSON or XML and supports a wide range of query parameters for precise filtering.

Authentication

No authentication is required. The NSF Award Search API is completely open and free to use.

# No API key needed -- just make the request
curl "https://api.nsf.gov/services/v1/awards.json?keyword=quantum+computing"