Science & Research Grants for Schools & universities

Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA · $750K–$50M

Open broadly to any type of entity — universities, nonprofits, businesses (including small businesses), and others. This Department of Defense / Defense Health Agency broad agency announcement funds extramural biomedical and human-performance research and development through FY28. Awards span a very wide range, from about $750,000 to $50 million.

Washington Headquarters Services · $2.5K–$800K

This Department of Defense program funds research on security cooperation and irregular warfare topics, open to individual researchers (with or without institutional affiliation), academic institutions, think tanks, and federally funded R&D centers; past awardees may reapply. Applicants can submit only one proposal at a time as principal investigator, and research products must be unclassified and made publicly accessible. Awards range from $2,500 to $800,000, and the deadline is not imminent.

Air Force -- Research Lab · Up to $99.9M

This is an Air Force Research Lab research-and-development opportunity (Foundations of Trusted Systems) for organizations working in defense-related science and technology. The total ceiling across the program is very large (up to roughly $99.9M), so awards typically go to established research institutions, universities, and contractors rather than small applicants. Full eligibility and requirements are only in the linked SAM.gov notice, so review that posting before applying.

U.S. National Science Foundation · $1.5M–$6.5M

This National Science Foundation program funds Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes as national resources that advance research in mathematics and statistics and broaden participation, with awards ranging roughly from $1.5 million to $6.5 million. Only U.S.-based non-profit non-academic research organizations and accredited institutions of higher education may apply; multi-institutional consortia are allowed but one entity must take overall management responsibility. Individuals and for-profit firms are not eligible.

Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command · Amount varies

The Army Applications Lab Broad Agency Announcement funds basic and applied scientific research in defense-relevant areas described in the BAA. Eligibility is unusually broad: institutions of higher education, nonprofits, state and local governments, foreign organizations and public entities, and for-profit businesses (large and small) may all apply. No specific award amount is listed, and projects are selected through full and open competition, so applicants should review the BAA's stated research areas of interest.

Air Force -- Research Lab · Up to $49M

This Air Force Research Laboratory funding opportunity supports university research and development in directed energy, with a program cost ceiling of roughly $49 million and a mandatory letter of intent required before full proposals. The announcement is aimed at universities (university assistance instruments), but full eligibility details are in the FOA itself, which applicants must consult. Because it is defense-focused, expect a security risk review as part of the selection process.

National Institute of Standards and Technology · From $10M

This NIST CHIPS R&D Office Broad Agency Announcement funds research, prototyping, and commercial solutions that advance U.S. microelectronics technology, with a stated floor of about $10 million per award. Eligible applicants include for-profit and non-profit organizations, accredited universities, FFRDCs, and federal entities, but they must be domestic; individuals and unincorporated sole proprietors are not eligible. Some foreign partners may participate as subawardees, subject to restrictions (foreign adversaries excluded). Given the large award size, applicants should review the full BAA for compliance requirements.

Munitions Directorate · Up to $750M

This Air Force (Munitions Directorate) Broad Agency Announcement funds research and development supporting air dominance, with a program ceiling reported up to roughly $750 million. Eligibility is described as unrestricted and open to any type of entity, subject to any clarifications in the full announcement, making it broadly accessible to businesses, universities, and nonprofits. Because it is defense-focused R&D, applicants should expect security and compliance requirements and should review the full BAA for specifics.

Naval Supply Systems Command · Amount varies

This Naval Postgraduate School opportunity funds basic and applied STEM research (not hardware procurement or development of a specific system). Eligible applicants are public and private institutions of higher education and 501(c)(3) nonprofits other than universities, so it is restricted to academic and nonprofit research organizations. Applicants are encouraged to first submit a white paper to NPS for feedback before submitting a full proposal through Grants.gov. No award amount is specified.

Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command · $200K–$10M

This Army Research Office program funds collaborative basic research (mechanical, mathematical, physical, life, and materials sciences, among others) conducted jointly by ARO scientific staff and outside institutions, with awards ranging from $200,000 to $10,000,000. It is limited to institutions of higher education with recognized research capability in the listed scientific fields; individual applicants and non-academic organizations are not described as eligible. The deadline is not imminent (2030).

Defense Threat Reduction Agency · Amount varies

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Fundamental Research BAA solicits basic research to counter weapons of mass destruction, using a white-paper-first (pre-application) process. Full eligibility is set out in Section 3 of the BAA, which for this type of defense research announcement typically includes universities, nonprofit research institutes, and businesses, but you should review the BAA directly to confirm. Award amounts are not listed here; note that pre-application white papers for the newly added Topics B1-B6 were due March 2, 2026, so check current topic deadlines before preparing a submission.

Air Force -- Research Lab · Amount varies

The Air Force Research Lab's CHEERS announcement funds science and technology work in human performance and aerospace medicine, spanning basic research through technology maturation, via multiple open solicitations accepting white papers. Eligibility is generally broad, but note specific constraints: Federally Funded Research and Development Centers face restrictions and must obtain sponsor and AFRL determinations, foreign-owned firms should contact the Contracting Officer first as restrictions may apply, and the Commercial Solutions Opening track is not grant-eligible. No award amounts are stated; review the paired solicitations for scope and instructions.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Engineering Environmental Resiliency (EER) program funds fundamental research to advance resource and energy conservation and recovery and to protect the environment and human health, including circular-economy, waste-reuse, contaminant-fate, and related topics. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to NSF clarifications, though the work is research-oriented and best suited to universities and research organizations. No award amounts or deadline are listed. Projects focused mainly on earth systems or human/social behavior are directed to other NSF directorates.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

An NSF research program open to any type of eligible entity (universities, nonprofits, and other research organizations, per standard NSF rules) studying human-machine interaction in physics-based environments, such as robotics, smart environments, and rehabilitation technology. Eligibility is broadly described as unrestricted, subject to standard NSF proposal rules; no award amount or deadline is listed in this posting.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF program supports atmospheric and geospace science education through Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) sites and AGS Postdoctoral Fellowships, primarily aimed at universities and research laboratories. Note that proposals to the AGS Education program are accepted by invitation only and you must contact the program director before submitting. No award amount or deadline is specified here.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

NSF's National Facilities program funds operation of specialized national research facilities (for example, high magnetic field, x-ray/synchrotron, neutron scattering, and nanofabrication facilities) serving the broader scientific community. Eligibility is unrestricted among standard NSF applicant types, but in practice this suits large research institutions capable of operating major shared facilities rather than typical small nonprofits or businesses. No specific award amount is listed.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Sociology program funds basic research on human social organization and processes of social change, supporting both original data collection and secondary data analysis using quantitative and qualitative methods. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to clarifications in the full solicitation, but proposals are evaluated on intellectual merit and broader impacts and must be theoretically grounded research. Award amounts and deadlines are not specified here; in practice this supports academic researchers and their institutions.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

NSF's Water, Landscape, and Critical Zone Processes program funds research on Earth's near-surface hydrologic, geomorphic, and geochemical processes, and is restricted to U.S. nonprofit research organizations and accredited institutions of higher education. General nonprofits, small businesses, and individuals are not eligible. No specific award amount is listed.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

NSF's Facility and Instrumentation Request Process (FIRP) lets the atmospheric science research community request access to specialized instrumentation and facilities through the FARE program's Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities and Community Instruments and Facilities. Eligibility is unrestricted among standard NSF applicant types, but the opportunity is a facility-access request rather than a general project grant, and priority goes to Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences-related proposals. No specific funding amount is listed.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Infrastructure Cluster supports oversight and operation of facilities that enable atmospheric and geospace research, including the National Center for Atmospheric Research, community instrumentation, and data services. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted (open to any entity type), subject to clarifications in the full solicitation. Award amounts and deadlines are not specified here; this is oriented toward research facilities and institutions rather than typical small nonprofits or individuals.