Grants for Individuals

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open broadly to individuals, nonprofits, public agencies, and California Native American tribes, this program funds habitat conservation projects tied to upland game birds through California's Upland Game Bird Account. Any proposal that meets the criteria in Fish & Game Code §3684 can qualify — eligibility isn't limited to established organizations. No specific award amount or deadline is listed, so applicants should confirm current cycle details with CDFW.

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.

U.S. Mission to Italy · $10K–$100K

Open to U.S. and Italian registered not-for-profits, individuals, non-profit or governmental educational institutions, and governmental institutions; for-profit businesses are not listed as eligible. The U.S. Mission to Italy funds cultural and exchange programs (roughly $10,000 to $100,000) that strengthen U.S.-Italy ties, and every program must include a significant American cultural element or connection with U.S. experts/organizations. Priority areas include countering disinformation, STEM and entrepreneurship, American Studies, English language study, and media literacy.

U.S. Mission to Italy · Amount varies

This is a forecasted (not yet open) U.S. Mission to Italy public diplomacy program statement. Eligibility, award amount, and deadline are not yet published; U.S. embassy program statements typically require a U.S.-host-country connection and favor nonprofits, educational institutions, and individuals tied to Italy. Review the full notice when released to confirm eligibility.

CA Energy Commission · Amount varies

Available to individuals and public agencies, this program provides state matching funds ('cost share') for specific federal clean-energy funding opportunities listed by the CA Energy Commission — it is not standalone project funding on its own. Applicants generally need to already be pursuing or have won one of the referenced federal opportunities. No fixed award amount or deadline is given here.

U.S. National Science Foundation · From $202K

This NSF fellowship funds early-career individuals (current PhD students or those within roughly two years of their doctorate) to carry out independent research in atmospheric and geospace sciences at a U.S. host institution. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents, and proposals are submitted by the individual, not an institution; awards are about $202,000 and federally funded national centers (NASA, NOAA, EPA, DOE) cannot serve as host institutions. Foreign applicants are not eligible and the research must fall within specific atmospheric/geospace disciplines.

Department of Fish and Wildlife · Amount varies

Open to a broad range of applicants in California, including businesses, individuals, nonprofits, other legal entities, public agencies, and tribal governments, but specifically for livestock producers seeking compensation for confirmed or probable wolf depredation losses. No set award amount or deadline is listed; compensation is determined case-by-case following a CDFW investigation of each incident. Not a general grant program — it only applies to documented wolf-livestock conflict losses in California.

CA Energy Commission · Amount varies

Open to businesses, individuals, nonprofits, public agencies, and tribal governments, but only to applicants who have already received (or are applying for) an eligible federal clean energy funding opportunity or qualifying DOE follow-on funding — this program provides matching cost-share funds, not standalone project grants. Retroactive cost share for already-received federal awards is not eligible. No set award amount or deadline is listed; eligibility depends on holding or pursuing a specific federal award first.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted National Cancer Institute (NIH) Research Specialist Award (R50, clinical trial not allowed) that provides stable salary support for core and laboratory-based scientists working within research programs. It is aimed at individual research staff scientists at research institutions rather than at organizations, individuals outside research, or businesses. Eligibility details, award amount, and deadline have not yet been posted.

U.S. Mission to Spain · $25K–$75K

The U.S. Mission to Spain's Public Diplomacy program funds projects that strengthen U.S.-Spain ties around themes such as climate action, study in the U.S., NATO and security cooperation, entrepreneurship and STEM, media literacy, and human rights. Eligible applicants are nonprofits, educational and cultural institutions, civil society and non-governmental organizations, think tanks, professional associations, media outlets, governmental and international organizations, and individuals based in Spain, Andorra, or the U.S.; Spanish or Andorran organizations must be registered in their home country. For-profit businesses are not eligible, and awards range from about $25,000 to $75,000.

State Water Resources Control Board · $1–$1M

California petroleum underground storage tank (UST) owners and operators — businesses and individuals — can apply for reimbursement of cleanup costs from leaking USTs, with grants up to $1,000,000 per site. This fund is not open to nonprofits or the general public; it is restricted to UST owners/operators meeting state financial-responsibility requirements.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This is a forecasted (not yet open) NIH (NIDCD) research fellowship intended to support individual audiologists pursuing research training. As a fellowship, it is aimed at individual researchers/trainees, typically requiring a sponsoring institution. Specific eligibility, stipend/award amounts, and deadlines have not yet been published; check the full announcement when released before applying.

Department of Water Resources · Amount varies

Businesses, individuals, nonprofits, other legal entities, public agencies, and tribal governments that own California dams rated below "Satisfactory" condition can apply for state grant funding to repair, retrofit, or rehabilitate dam infrastructure and restore lost water storage capacity. This is a forecasted program with no award amount or deadline specified yet; eligibility is broad but effectively limited to dam owners rather than the general public.