NSF RAPID: Grants for Quick-Response Research

When RAPID Is Appropriate

RAPID is not a general-purpose fast-track mechanism. It is reserved for situations where the research opportunity is genuinely time-sensitive.

• Natural disasters — collecting perishable data from earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, or other natural events before conditions change
• Public health emergencies — rapid-onset epidemics or other health events requiring immediate data collection
• Environmental events — oil spills, chemical releases, or unusual ecological events with transient data opportunities
• Policy or social changes — sudden policy shifts or social events that create unique, time-limited research conditions
• Infrastructure failures — bridge collapses, power grid failures, or other engineered-system events

How to Initiate a RAPID Proposal

Unlike standard NSF proposals, RAPID proposals require prior contact with an NSF program officer before submission. The process is structured to move quickly.

• Contact the program officer — email or call the relevant NSF program officer to describe the research need and explain the urgency
• Get verbal encouragement — the program officer will indicate whether a RAPID proposal is appropriate for the situation
• Submit through Research.gov — use the standard NSF proposal submission system, selecting RAPID as the proposal type
• Short project description — 5 pages (compared to 15 for standard proposals)
• No external review — the program officer evaluates the proposal and makes the funding decision, allowing turnaround in weeks rather than months

Reporting and Follow-Up

RAPID awards carry the same reporting requirements as other NSF grants. A final project report is required within 120 days of the award end date. RAPID projects often serve as the basis for larger follow-up proposals; researchers who collect valuable data under a RAPID award frequently submit standard proposals to NSF for extended analysis and publication. The data collected under a RAPID award must comply with NSF's data management and sharing policies.