The social, behavioral, and economic (SBE) sciences have a tremendous impact on quality of life. With increasingly rigorous methods and an increasingly diverse workforce, the SBE sciences are making transformative advances in many areas. Innovators and entrepreneurs are using SBE insights to create new companies that provide jobs and grow the economy. First responders and service providers of all kinds are using SBE insights to deliver critical services with greater speed and precision. SBE discoveries about brains and behavior are helping us improve education and health outcomes, better serve communities in need, and enhance our understanding of one another. The SBE sciences are also critical to addressing nearly every major challenge we face today, from unemployment to terrorism, from the spread of infectious disease to the roots of violence, from the risks of natural hazards to man-made threats, and from entrepreneurial economic development understanding to enhanced quality of life and well-being.

SBE scientists are making real differences in the lives of millions of people. At NSF, we are looking for ways to build on that progress. With this goal in mind, the SBE Directorate is proud to announce a repositioning of some of its basic research programs. This includes the Behavioral and Cognitive and Sciences (BCS) Division and the Social and Economic Sciences (SES) Division.  This type of repositioning is common practice at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and helps NSF advance the agency’s mission more effectively.  For more information please see the full letter here. Please note that these changes do not affect current NSF/SBE solicitations and submission deadlines. All changes will begin to take effect with solicitation and program submission deadlines occurring after January 1, 2020.