Are you a faculty member at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) or do you currently or want to collaborate with PUI faculty? You may be eligible to request supplemental funding to support collaborative research conducted by a PUI faculty member in the laboratory of a NSF-supported PI. 

As described in the latest version of the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 24-1), the Research Opportunity Supplemental Funding Requests for Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (ROA-PUI) is a type of supplemental funding that enables a faculty member (or equivalent), at an eligible NSF organization to pursue research as part of a collaborative research team as a visiting scientist at another NSF-supported institution.  

An ROA-PUI supplement is intended to increase or maintain a PUI faculty member’s research capability and effectiveness, to improve research and teaching at the PUI, and to enhance the impacts and outcomes of the NSF-funded research at the collaborating institution. 

Most frequently, NSF-supported ROA-PUI research activities occur during the summer, but support for research during the academic year can be requested. ROA-PUI recommendations are made at the discretion of the program that will provide the ROA-PUI funding. It should be noted that funding for ROA-PUI activities comes from existing research and education program allocations; there is no allocation of funds specifically for ROA-PUI activities. 

Either the visitor’s home organization, or the host organization, or both, must be an eligible PUI. A formal request for an ROA supplement must be made by the institution of the NSF-supported PI who wishes to host a faculty member from a PUI institution. Arrangements for supplemental ROA support to an existing active NSF award should be discussed with the cognizant disciplinary program officer overseeing the award, and approval obtained prior to submission of the request. 

For more information on eligibility and how to apply, please read the details in the PAPPG Chapter II.F.14.