NSF Grants
- Computer and Communications Foundations (CCF). The NSF division that includes “Algorithmic Foundations,” which is the main NSF program that supports “core” TCS research (including Algorithms; Complexity and Cryptography; Computational Geometry; Computational Biology; Machine Learning; Quantum Computing; Numeric, Symbolic, and Algebraic Computing; and Parallel and Distributed Algorithms). Proposal deadlines for 2018: October 2 (medium size); November 15 (small size). Deadlines are 5pm proposer’s local time. Note that medium- and large-size proposals must have a collaboration plan.
- Foundations of Emerging Technologies (FET) is a new core program within CCF, that will fund research at the intersection of computing and biological systems, nanoscale science and engineering, quantum information science, and other nascent, yet promising, areas. Proposal deadlines for 2018 (same as for other CCF core programs): October 2 (medium size); November 15 (small size).
- US NSF/Israel BSF Collaborative Proposals
- Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC), which is focused on parallel computing (including its theoretical aspects). Proposal deadlines for 2018: rolling (submit at any time).
- Critical Techniques, Technologies and Methodologies for Advancing Foundations and Applications of Big Data Sciences and Engineering (BIGDATA). 2018 deadline: May 14.
- National Robotics Initiative, next deadline: February 5, 2019.
- Presentation by Susanne Hambrusch (Division Director of CCF) at SODA 2011. (Old, but much of it remains accurate.)
- CAREER Award. For junior faculty. 2019 deadline: July 17. (See also sample theory proposals available through the “Resources — Advice and Tips” link.)
- NSF CISE Research Initiation Initiative (CRII), for tenure-track faculty at the start of their careers. 2019 deadline: August 14.
- Expeditions in Computing. Meant for large teams or institutes, funded up to a level of $2M/year. Next preliminary proposal deadline is April 22, 2020. The Center for Computational Intractability at Princeton was the result of an Expeditions grant.
- Success story from the past: Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Innovation (CDI), the creation of which was inspired in part by the workshops on “CS as a Lens on the Sciences” organized by TCS people. (See workshop 1, workshop 2, and final report.) The Symposium on Visions of the Theory of Computing at the Simons Institute in 2013 shares much of the same spirit.
- Another success story from the past: Network Science and Engineering which aided by leadership in theoretical computer science. See the report “Towards a Theory of Networked Computation” about two workshops and a report on possible research directions by TCS and networking people.
- I2O: Information Innovation Office (merging previous IPTO and TCTO offices) with interests that intersect the TCS community.
- IARPA: Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency.
- In general, it’s good to contact program managers directly. Most offices also have “office-wide” BAA for research that doesn’t fit the specific solicitations. Many also welcome short (2-page) whitepapers on exciting new directions they should be interested in. Generally looking for radically new ideas.
Grants from Other Agencies/Sources
- Simons Foundation Targeted Grants in Mathematics and Physical Sciences, deadline is rolling.
- Simons Collaborations in Mathematics and the Physical Sciences, LOIs due October 3, 2018.
- Google Faculty Research Awards. Should have a contact at Google who knows your work. Next deadline: September 30, 2018.
- Amazon Research Awards.
- Facebook Faculty Awards.
- Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program. For junior faculty. FY 18 solicitation (deadline August 31, 2018). In general, watch the ONR Broad Agency Announcements for future calls.
- Army Research Office (ARO) program in Information Sciences.
- John Templeton Foundation. TCS work might fit into some of the funding areas (such as Foundational Questions in the Mathematical Sciences, Quantum Physics and the Nature of Reality). Applicants should be aware that there has been some controversy concerning the foundation, described on its wikipedia page.
- Sloan Fellowship. For junior faculty. Requires departmental nomination.
- Packard Fellowship. For junior faculty. Requires university nomination.
- Simons Investigator Program. For mid-career faculty. Requires university nomination.
- Guggenheim Fellowship.
- NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. Next deadline: October 17, 2018.
- Simons-Berkeley Research Fellowships Next deadline: December 2018.
- The CATCS jobs list is also a good place to post and seek out postdoc opportunities.
Theory Matters 
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