Grants for Schools & Universities

DOC NOAA - ERA Production · $250K–$30M

Institutions of higher education, nonprofits, for-profit companies, U.S. territories, and state, local, and tribal governments may apply to this NOAA program for fish habitat restoration in the Great Lakes. Federal agencies and their employees are not eligible. Applicants can be located anywhere, but the proposed work must take place within the Great Lakes basin in one of the eight U.S. Great Lakes states (NY, PA, OH, MI, IN, IL, WI, MN). Awards range from about $250,000 to $30 million, making this a large-award opportunity with a strong geographic restriction.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF/NIFA Plant Biotic Interactions program funds research on how plants interact with viruses, bacteria, fungi, pests, and other organisms, spanning fundamental mechanisms through agriculturally relevant applications. Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit non-academic research organizations, two- and four-year U.S. institutions of higher education, USDA/NIFA-eligible entities (including state agricultural experiment stations, universities, research foundations, federal agencies, and U.S.-citizen/permanent-resident individuals), and groups of these. Foreign and international organizations are not eligible. Strictly ecological projects without underlying mechanisms are not appropriate. No award range or deadline is listed here.

Natural Resources · $10K–$230K

Illinois' Competitive State Wildlife Grants program (FY25) funds government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations for fish and wildlife habitat projects benefiting species of greatest conservation concern, with awards from $10,000 to $230,000. These projects require a multi-state effort and compete at the federal level, making the process more demanding than the standard state wildlife grant. No application deadline is listed.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

NSF's Operations Engineering program funds fundamental research on analytical methods (optimization, data science, simulation, decision and risk analysis) for improving operations in complex systems, with applications spanning manufacturing, public safety, health care, and energy. Eligibility is unrestricted among standard NSF applicant types. No award amount is specified in this listing.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted NIH Director's Early Independence Award (DP5, clinical trial optional), which lets exceptional junior scientists skip the traditional postdoctoral training period and launch an independent research program shortly after their doctoral or clinical degree. Candidates are nominated and supported by their host research institution, so eligibility is narrow and tied to early-career investigators at eligible institutions. Specific eligibility, funding amounts, and deadlines are not yet posted; review the official NIH notice when released.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecast for a future NIH K12 career development award (Paul Calabresi Award) supporting clinical oncology researchers, typically administered through academic medical/research institutions rather than to individuals or nonprofits directly. Because it is only a forecast, eligibility criteria, funding amounts, and deadlines have not been published yet.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Up to $450K

This NASA MUREP (MUSIC) award is limited to accredited Minority Serving Institutions partnered with a U.S. nonprofit organization; applicants must have a DUNS number, active SAM registration, CAGE code, and NSPIRES registration before the due date. Awards run up to two years and top out at $450,000, funding STEM research capacity-building and education efforts at MSIs.

Centers for Disease Control - NCEZID · Amount varies

This is a forecasted CDC (National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases) opportunity to advance Centers of Excellence in Newcomer Health, focused on the health of refugees and other newcomers. It is likely aimed at health-focused nonprofits, academic institutions, or public agencies with relevant expertise. Detailed eligibility, funding amounts, and deadlines have not yet been published; review the official CDC notice once released to confirm who may apply.

Natural Resources · $30K–$3M

Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources grant, which funds fish and wildlife management activities supporting Asian carp control in the Ohio River Basin. Awards range from $30,000 to $3,000,000.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted National Institutes of Health research opportunity (U01 cooperative agreement, clinical trials not allowed) for preclinical validation and drug discovery targeting novel candidate targets in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. It is aimed at biomedical researchers and research institutions conducting preclinical therapeutic development, not individuals or general nonprofits. Eligibility details, funding amounts, and deadlines have not yet been published; check the official NIH notice when available.

Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command · $100K–$2.3M

This U.S. Army research program (Tactical Behaviors for Autonomous Maneuver) funds work on robotics and autonomous systems for future multi-domain military operations, with awards ranging from about $100,000 up to roughly $2.3 million to a single entity. Institutions of higher education, for-profit, and non-profit organizations may apply, and FFRDCs may propose subject to their sponsoring agency's policy; teams are allowed but not required. Note the listed proposal dates have passed (Cycle 2 submission was April 24, 2024), so verify whether any cycle remains open before pursuing it.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF program funds fundamental engineering research on process systems, reaction engineering, and molecular thermodynamics, including reactor design, multi-scale modeling, and sustainable chemical manufacturing. Eligibility is unrestricted, meaning most entity types (including universities, businesses, and nonprofits) may submit, though NSF research awards are most commonly made to academic researchers. Funding amounts and a specific deadline are not listed, so confirm program details and proposal windows with the NSF disciplinary program officer.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted National Institutes of Health research-education opportunity to fund a course in product development and entrepreneurship for life-science researchers, typically awarded to a university or research institution that would deliver the training. It is geared toward education and research institutions rather than individuals or general nonprofits. Eligibility, funding amounts, and deadlines have not yet been published; review the official NIH notice once it is released.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted National Library of Medicine (NIH) institutional training-grant opportunity to support research training in biomedical informatics, data science, and AI. As an institutional grant, it is awarded to universities and research institutions to fund trainees, rather than to individuals, nonprofits, or businesses directly. Eligibility specifics, funding amounts, and deadlines are not yet posted; review the official NIH notice when released.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted National Institutes of Health limited-competition opportunity to fund a Social, Behavioral, and Economic (SBE) Coordinating Center. As a limited competition, only specific pre-identified institutions are typically invited to apply, making eligibility narrow and oriented toward an experienced research institution. Eligibility specifics, funding amounts, and deadlines are not yet posted; review the official NIH notice when released.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF program (RUI and ROA) supports research by faculty at predominantly undergraduate institutions, helping build campus research capacity and integrate research with undergraduate education. Only accredited colleges and universities (including two-year community colleges) that have awarded 20 or fewer Ph.D./D.Sci. degrees in NSF-supported fields over the prior two academic years may submit; this is a restrictive institutional eligibility rule. Funding amounts and a fixed deadline are not listed, so contact the relevant NSF disciplinary program officer to confirm fit and timing.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted National Institutes of Health Research Program Award (R35, clinical trial optional), a mechanism that provides flexible, longer-term funding to an individual established investigator's overall research program rather than a single project. Applications are typically submitted by the investigator's university or research institution, so it is aimed at researchers and research institutions, not general nonprofits or businesses. Specific eligibility, funding amounts, and deadlines are not yet posted; check the official NIH notice when available.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecast notice for a future NIH UM1 award funding systematic characterization of genomic variation to study genome function and phenotype effects; no eligibility, description, funding amount, or deadline has been published yet. This is a large-scale genomics research award typically suited to established research institutions once the full NOFO is released.

U.S. National Science Foundation · From $50K

Only accredited two- and four-year U.S. institutions of higher education (including community colleges) may apply to this NSF National I-Corps Teams program, acting on behalf of their faculty; individuals, nonprofits, and businesses cannot apply directly. It funds NSF-supported researchers with entrepreneurial training, mentoring, and roughly $50,000 to assess the commercial potential of deep-technology inventions from foundational research. Multiple awards based on the same core technology generally are not supported, and international branch campuses require special justification.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted National Institutes of Health opportunity supporting intramural-extramural collaboration to develop advanced 3-D tissue models for drug screening (clinical trials not allowed). It is intended for researchers and research institutions in biomedical fields, not for individuals or general nonprofits. Eligibility specifics, funding amounts, and deadlines have not yet been published, so review the official NIH notice once released.