Grants for Schools & Universities

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis · Amount varies

This is a forecasted SAMHSA Project AWARE opportunity to advance mental health awareness, wellness, and resiliency for school-aged youth through school-based and community partnerships. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines are not yet published; Project AWARE awards have historically gone to state and tribal education or mental health agencies and local education partners, which is relatively narrow. Review the official notice of funding opportunity when released to confirm whether your organization qualifies.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This forecasted NIH IGNITE opportunity funds early translational research for assay development and identification of candidate therapeutic agents, supporting the earliest stage of drug discovery. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines are not yet published; these awards generally support universities, research institutions, and small businesses doing therapeutic discovery. Review the official notice of funding opportunity when released to confirm eligibility and terms.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This forecasted NIH opportunity would fund a Translational Center to accelerate the use of digital health technology data in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) research. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines have not been announced; NIH center awards generally support universities, medical centers, and research institutions rather than individuals or small businesses. Watch for the official notice of funding opportunity for detailed eligibility and terms.

Administration for Community Living · Amount varies

This is a forecasted (not-yet-open) funding opportunity from the federal Administration for Community Living to support innovative projects that prevent and respond to elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. Detailed eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines have not been published yet; ACL discretionary grants typically go to nonprofits, government agencies, tribal organizations, and research/academic institutions. Watch for the official notice of funding opportunity for specific requirements before preparing an application.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF program funds foundational robotics research and is explicitly open to any type of entity, though proposals must clearly justify the research as centered on robots and address fundamental gaps in robotics science rather than routine engineering. No specific award amount or deadline is listed. Best suited to researchers and research institutions rather than general nonprofits or businesses, despite the broad formal eligibility language.

Natural Resources · $10K–$240K

Open to government agencies, schools, and nonprofits for fish and wildlife habitat projects, with priority for species of greatest conservation concern. Projects must involve a multi-state effort and compete at the federal level, which narrows practical eligibility to organizations able to coordinate across states. Awards range from $10,000 to $240,000; no deadline listed.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted NIH opportunity to fund controlled clinical trials studying how long-term nutritional interventions affect risk factors for age-related chronic conditions and their age of onset. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines are not yet published; NIH clinical research grants generally support universities, medical centers, and research institutions with the capacity to run controlled trials. Review the official notice of funding opportunity for specific requirements when it is released.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted NIH/NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) R50 award (no clinical trials) that provides salary support for staff scientists who serve as essential research specialists rather than independent grant leaders. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines are not yet announced; R50 awards support individual clinician-scientists working within an institution's research program, so an institutional appointment is typically required. Check the official notice of funding opportunity for exact eligibility and terms before applying.

Natural Resources · $25K–$500K

Illinois' Coastal Management Program (funded via USEPA's 2026 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative) supports coastal planning, hazard mitigation, habitat protection, and education projects, with awards from $25,000 to $500,000. Eligible applicants are units of local government, universities, and nonprofit organizations that are pre-qualified through the state's GATA grantee portal; private individuals and for-profit organizations are explicitly not eligible, and this is a reimbursement grant requiring full expense documentation. No application deadline is listed.

U.S. Mission to Albania · Amount varies

This is a forecasted small-grants opportunity from the U.S. Mission to Albania to support projects that advance youth activism and civic engagement, generally focused on or based in Albania. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines are not yet specified; U.S. embassy public diplomacy grants usually fund nonprofits, civil society groups, and educational institutions, often with a local geographic focus. The geographic limitation to Albania may disqualify most U.S.-based applicants, so review the official notice carefully.

Natural Resources · $20K–$6M

Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources grant funding invasive carp management and control in Illinois waterways, supporting Great Lakes restoration priorities. Awards range from $20,000 to $6,000,000.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted NIH/NIAMS cooperative agreement to implement clinical trials in areas relevant to arthritis, musculoskeletal, and skin diseases. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines are not yet announced; such cooperative agreements typically support universities, medical centers, and research institutions capable of conducting clinical trials, not individuals or general businesses. Check the official notice of funding opportunity for specific requirements before applying.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Interfacial Engineering program funds fundamental research on atomic- and molecular-scale interfacial phenomena to improve chemical and biochemical process efficiency, including chemical and biological separations and engineered interfaces. Eligibility is unrestricted (open to any entity type subject to NSF's standard rules), but in practice these awards support university and research-institution investigators; proposals should show a clear path to advancing industrial chemical processes. Award amounts and deadlines are not specified here, so check the program solicitation for current limits and proposal windows.

Department of Natural Resources · $10K–$10M

Government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations can apply for this Illinois Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Restoration grant (FY24), which funds projects to restore and manage wild bird and mammal habitat, expand public access to wildlife resources, hunter education and safety, and shooting range development. Awards range from $10,000 to $10,000,000.

Centers for Disease Control - NCEZID · Amount varies

This is a forecasted CDC opportunity to strengthen global capacity to detect and respond to fungal diseases. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines are not yet announced; CDC global health cooperative agreements typically support nonprofits, universities, research institutions, and governmental or international public health organizations, and may have an international or geographic focus. Review the official notice of funding opportunity for specific eligibility and any geographic limits before applying.

Administration for Community Living · Amount varies

This is a forecasted Administration for Community Living DRRP opportunity (Development track) funding research and development projects to improve community living and participation for people with disabilities. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines are not yet published; DRRP awards generally support universities, research institutions, and nonprofits with disability research expertise rather than individuals or businesses. Watch for the official notice of funding opportunity to confirm eligibility and terms.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This forecasted NIH IGNITE opportunity supports early translational research to characterize therapeutic agents and conduct preclinical efficacy studies, helping move candidate treatments toward development. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines are not yet announced; these awards typically support universities, research institutions, and small businesses engaged in therapeutic development. Check the official notice of funding opportunity for eligibility and application details before applying.

Natural Resources · $1K–$30K

Government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources grant, which funds work to combat white-nose syndrome in bats and conserve affected species. Awards range from $1,000 to $30,000.

Food and Drug Administration · Amount varies

This is a forecasted (not-yet-open) FDA opportunity to fund a National Coordination Center for an integrated food safety regulatory and laboratory training system. Eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines have not been announced; such cooperative agreements typically go to nonprofits, universities, and government or laboratory organizations with food-safety training capacity rather than individuals or small businesses. Review the official notice when published to confirm whether your organization qualifies.

Council on the Arts · Amount varies

Creative Catalyst is a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts program funding new initiatives that support creative workers and industries around asset development, workforce, community development, visibility, or policy. It's open to nonprofits, municipalities, school districts, and other non-arts nonprofits that provide arts programming or services, provided the project has statewide or broad regional reach. Awards go up to $25,000.