Education Grants for Researchers

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

An NIH/NCI exploratory/developmental bioengineering research grant (EBRG, R21, clinical trial not allowed) funding feasibility-stage projects that develop new capabilities or improvements for biomedical, pre-clinical, or clinical research and care. A broad range of domestic and foreign institutions may apply, including universities, tribal governments, and community-based organizations. No specific award amount is stated. This is a bioengineering research mechanism aimed at research institutions.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

An NIH research project grant (R01, clinical trial optional) funding multi-level health-care research to improve care for older adults from populations that experience health disparities. Eligible applicants are domestic institutions such as universities, tribal governments, and community-based organizations; foreign organizations and foreign components are not eligible. No specific award amount is stated. This suits research institutions focused on aging and health-disparities care research.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH R03 provides smaller, shorter-term funding for research on dissemination and implementation strategies — helping evidence-based health practices get adopted and sustained, or ineffective ones phased out. Eligible applicants include universities and similar research institutions across NIH's mission areas. No award amount is specified, though R03 awards are typically modest.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH program (Blueprint MedTech Translator) funds translational research and clinical feasibility studies for therapeutic and diagnostic devices targeting nervous- or neuromuscular-system disorders, open to a broad range of institutions including HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges, faith- and community-based organizations, and individuals or businesses developing their own devices. It is a milestone-driven cooperative agreement requiring NIH staff involvement in project planning and monitoring. No award amount is specified, and the deadline is not imminent.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH fellowship supports predoctoral students pursuing a combined MD/PhD or similar dual-doctoral degree at institutions that lack an NIH-funded dual-degree training program, aiming to prepare them for physician-scientist careers. It applies to individual students, not organizations, and excludes foreign organizations and their non-U.S. components; applicants cannot lead an independent clinical trial. No funding amount is given, and the deadline is not imminent.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH fellowship supports experienced individual scientists who want to redirect their research careers or gain new independent research skills in fields relevant to NIH's mission. It is an individual fellowship (awarded via a sponsoring institution), not a project grant for organizations, and eligibility text names foreign organizations as an other-eligible applicant category, which is unusual for NIH. No specific award amount is listed, and the deadline is set years out (2028), so there is no urgency to apply.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH fellowship funds individual postdoctoral researchers who show strong potential to become independent investigators in health-related research fields, supporting mentored research training. It is an individual award (not for organizations), and foreign organizations are listed as an other-eligible applicant category. No specific funding amount is given, and the deadline is not imminent.

National Institutes of Health · Up to $500K

Open to U.S. schools and colleges of nursing and other research institutions, nonprofits, and certain government/tribal organizations; foreign organizations are not eligible. This NIH P20 funds new research centers that build nursing-led, community-partnered research infrastructure and pilot studies. Awards up to about $500,000.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH fellowship supports predoctoral students in combined MD/PhD or similar dual-doctoral degree programs at institutions that already have an NIH-funded dual-degree training program, preparing them for physician-scientist careers. It is limited to individual student applicants; foreign organizations and their non-U.S. components are not eligible, and applicants may not lead an independent clinical trial. No award amount is listed, and the deadline is not imminent.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH fellowship funds individual predoctoral students conducting dissertation research in health-related fields under a faculty sponsor, with the goal of developing them into independent researchers. It is limited to individual applicants (not organizations); foreign organizations are named as an other-eligible category, and applicants may not lead an independent clinical trial. No specific award amount is listed, and the deadline is several years out.

National Institutes of Health · Up to $3M

Open to U.S. and foreign research institutions, universities, nonprofits, and certain government/tribal organizations. This NIH UG3/UH3 funds discovery and development of interventions — medications and devices — to prevent and treat substance use disorders and overdose, including preclinical and clinical studies. Awards up to about $3,000,000.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

Open to U.S. universities, research institutions, nonprofits, and certain government/tribal organizations; foreign organizations are not eligible. This NIH R01 supports early-stage investigators pursuing a new research direction, and applications must include no preliminary data. Award size follows standard R01 limits; aimed at researchers early in their independent careers.

National Institutes of Health · Up to $100K

This NIH award (SuRE, up to $100,000) funds investigator-initiated biomedical research by full-time faculty at resource-limited higher education institutions who do not currently hold other NIH research project grants, aiming to build research capacity and student research experience. Foreign organizations and their non-U.S. components are not eligible. The maximum award is under $100,000, and the application deadline is not imminent.

National Institutes of Health · Up to $125K

This NIH award (SuRE-First, up to $125,000) funds investigator-initiated biomedical research by full-time faculty at resource-limited institutions who have never previously held an independent, peer-reviewed external research grant, aiming to build research capacity and provide student research experience. Foreign organizations and their non-U.S. components are not eligible. The maximum award is small, and the deadline is not imminent.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

Open to U.S. and foreign research institutions, universities, nonprofits, and certain government/tribal organizations. This NIH/NCI R21 funds early-stage, exploratory research on cancer control — prevention behaviors, screening, etiology, and novel methods. Award size follows standard R21 limits.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

For existing NCI early-stage-investigator MERIT (R37) awardees applying to extend their award, submitted through their U.S. or eligible institution. The extension provides up to seven years of total support across two segments, giving early-career cancer researchers extra time before a renewal. Eligibility is narrow — limited to current ESI MERIT grantees.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Up to $700K

NASA's National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program funds STEM education and workforce-development activities, with awards up to roughly $700,000. Eligibility is highly restricted: only designated Space Grant Lead Institutions (the lead institution of each state's Space Grant Consortium) may apply, so most organizations and individuals cannot apply directly. All proposers and participants must register in NASA's NSPIRES system, and proposals are submitted electronically by an authorized organizational official.