Recent phishing attempts

We have recently identified phishing attempts in which a third party uses NSF as a credibility tool to attempt to secure personal or other sensitive award-related information. That is, these emails may state that NSF recommended the third party reach out to you, or that you were identified through your participation in an NSF award or NSF program. Such messages may also, without permission, include the use of NSF’s logo or brand.

We want to remind you that NSF will never ask you to share with any third-party entity your personal or other sensitive award-related information. The entirety of information that NSF makes public about a given Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) award can be viewed with NSF’s Award Search tool, located here: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/.

If you receive an email asking for such information or that you otherwise find suspicious, please do not respond and forward it to your NSF Program Director so that we can discuss it and, if needed, address it.

Thank you for your attention to this! We appreciate your assistance in ensuring that NSF awardees and program participants are not unwittingly subjected to potential fraudulent or other nefarious action.