Browse grants

Natural Resources · $50K–$350K

Open to Illinois units of local government, universities, and nonprofit organizations for coastal planning, coastal hazards, habitat protection, and related education/outreach projects. Private individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible, and all applicants must be pre-qualified through the State of Illinois GATA grantee portal before applying. This is a reimbursement grant (you pay costs first and are reimbursed), with awards between $50,000 and $350,000.

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.

Natural Resources · $5K–$150K

Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources grant funding Great Lakes habitat and species protection, restoration, and management priorities under the Aquatic Nuisance Species Comprehensive Management Plan. Awards range from $5,000 to $150,000.

Natural Resources · $30K–$2M

Government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses can apply for this Illinois Natural Resources grant funding invasive carp removal and monitoring activities in the Upper Mississippi River. Awards range from $30,000 to $2,000,000.

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.

Economic Development Administration · $100K–$30M

The Economic Development Administration's FY 2025 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance programs fund a wide range of economic development needs, from planning and technical assistance to infrastructure construction in distressed communities, with awards roughly between $100,000 and $30 million. Eligible applicants include economic development districts, Indian tribes, states and local governments and their subdivisions, institutions of higher education, and public or private nonprofits acting in cooperation with a local government; individuals and for-profit entities are not eligible. Review the full NOFO for investment priorities and any cost-share requirements.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The U.S. National Science Foundation's Environmental Sustainability program funds fundamental engineering research on sustainable systems that balance human well-being with protecting natural systems, including circular bioeconomy engineering, industrial ecology, life cycle assessment, and green engineering. Eligibility is broad (open to any type of entity, subject to clarifications in the solicitation), but proposals typically come from universities and research institutions with qualified principal investigators. Award amounts and deadlines are not specified here; review the full NSF solicitation.

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.

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) funding fundamental research in environmental engineering, including pollution prevention, remediation, and sustainable water treatment. 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

The U.S. National Science Foundation's Engineering of Biomedical Systems (EBMS) program funds fundamental, transformative research that integrates engineering and life sciences to address biomedical problems, such as models of healthy and diseased tissues, biomanufacturing of tissues and organs, and systems combining living and non-living components. Eligibility is broad (open to any type of entity, subject to clarifications in the solicitation), but in practice proposals come from universities and research institutions with qualified principal investigators. Award amounts and deadlines are not specified here; review the full NSF solicitation.

U.S. Mission to the United Nations · $5K–$15K

Open to individuals, registered nonprofits, think tanks, civil society/NGOs, educational institutions, and governmental institutions based in Geneva or abroad, this US Mission Geneva Small Grants Program funds projects that promote US policy priorities at international organizations, such as lectures, exhibitions, exchanges, workshops, or public awareness campaigns. Awards range roughly from $5,000 to $15,000, all projects must include a US element or connection, and for-profit or commercial entities are not eligible. Cost-sharing is encouraged but not required.

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

Open to government agencies, schools/universities, and nonprofits working on wildlife and habitat projects. Funds restoration, conservation, and management of wild birds and mammals and their habitat, plus public access, hunter education/safety, and shooting range development. Awards range widely from $10,000 to $10 million; no deadline is listed, so check with the funder for current cycle timing.

State Treasurer's Office · Amount varies

California charter schools (operating as nonprofits or public agencies) that serve a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals can apply for annual facility-cost grants through the State Treasurer's Office / California School Finance Authority. No specific award amount or deadline is listed here; availability is announced annually on the CSFA website, so applicants should check current-year details before applying.

U.S. National Science Foundation · From $200K

Open to any type of entity (subject to NSF clarifications), this NSF MultiPLEx program funds ambitious international multilateral research partnerships that address grand challenges and require collaboration with at least two countries other than the US. Awards run up to about three years and typically start around $200,000; the funds support only the US research team, so international partners must seek their own national funding. This is well suited to US research institutions leading global collaborations.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

This NSF program funds fundamental research on civil infrastructure resilience — buildings, water/wastewater systems, energy infrastructure, and transportation — including how these systems withstand climate change and extreme hazards like earthquakes and floods. Eligibility is unrestricted, meaning most institution types can apply, though NSF's standard grant mechanisms are typically oriented toward universities and research institutions. No specific award amount or deadline is listed in this posting, so applicants should check the full solicitation for funding levels and submission windows.

U.S. National Science Foundation · $400K–$2M

Open to any type of entity (subject to NSF clarifications), the NSF RISBS program funds creation of computational tools and data infrastructure that enable basic social and behavioral science research, including major longitudinal surveys; it does not fund a PI's own research except in service of building the infrastructure. Awards range roughly from $400,000 to $2,000,000. In practice this large-award program is best suited to research institutions building shared data resources.