Accessing NSF Outcomes Reports

All National Science Foundation (NSF) awards funded since 2010 are required to submit a Project Outcomes Report upon completion of their work. These reports are meant to provide increased transparency and inform the general public about the results of research conducted with taxpayer funding. To learn more about Project Outcomes Reports, visit the NSF website.

Project Outcomes Reports are a useful resource to draw upon when preparing your own proposals, because they allow you to learn from and build upon the experiences of prior work that may be similar to your own. However, finding the reports on the NSF website can be challenging.

How to Find Project Outcomes Reports:

1. Go to www.research.gov. 
2. Scroll to the very bottom of the page. There, you will see a heading that says NSF Award Highlights. Under that heading, click on Research Spending and Results.This will take you to a search page.
3. At the bottom of the page, check the box that says “Show Only Awards with Project Outcomes Reports.”
4. Use a keyword search if you are interested in a specific type of project or NSF program (for example, AISL). You can also search for a specific award number, institution, or Principal Investigator. Once you have made your selection, press the “Search” button.
5. You will now see a list of results. Click on the award ID number.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the page. You will now see the Outcomes Report.