What is the role of the NSF Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences?

The role of the NSF Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences is centered on funding and supporting a broad range of research endeavors that enhance our understanding of the complex dynamics of social, behavioral, and economic factors. This directorate prioritizes investigations that delve into how individuals and groups interact, how societies function, and the underlying motivations guiding human behavior.

Research supported by this directorate aims to generate insights that can inform a variety of sectors, including education, health, public policy, and more. By comprehensively studying these aspects, the NSF fosters a deeper understanding of societal challenges and human experiences, which can be pivotal for developing informed solutions to contemporary issues.

The other options primarily focus on constraints that do not align with the mission of the directorate. For instance, limiting activities to purely theoretical research or restricting support to just economic studies does not capture the full scope of social and behavioral research that this directorate promotes. Additionally, overseeing grants related to physical sciences does not fall under the purview of this specific directorate, which is exclusively focused on social, behavioral, and economic sciences.