Education Grants for Researchers

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

This NIH fellowship funds individual predoctoral students conducting dissertation research in health-related fields under a faculty sponsor, with the goal of developing them into independent researchers. It is limited to individual applicants (not organizations); foreign organizations are named as an other-eligible category, and applicants may not lead an independent clinical trial. No specific award amount is listed, and the deadline is several years out.

National Institutes of Health · Up to $3M

Open to U.S. and foreign research institutions, universities, nonprofits, and certain government/tribal organizations. This NIH UG3/UH3 funds discovery and development of interventions — medications and devices — to prevent and treat substance use disorders and overdose, including preclinical and clinical studies. Awards up to about $3,000,000.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

Open to U.S. universities, research institutions, nonprofits, and certain government/tribal organizations; foreign organizations are not eligible. This NIH R01 supports early-stage investigators pursuing a new research direction, and applications must include no preliminary data. Award size follows standard R01 limits; aimed at researchers early in their independent careers.

National Institutes of Health · Up to $100K

This NIH award (SuRE, up to $100,000) funds investigator-initiated biomedical research by full-time faculty at resource-limited higher education institutions who do not currently hold other NIH research project grants, aiming to build research capacity and student research experience. Foreign organizations and their non-U.S. components are not eligible. The maximum award is under $100,000, and the application deadline is not imminent.

National Institutes of Health · Up to $125K

This NIH award (SuRE-First, up to $125,000) funds investigator-initiated biomedical research by full-time faculty at resource-limited institutions who have never previously held an independent, peer-reviewed external research grant, aiming to build research capacity and provide student research experience. Foreign organizations and their non-U.S. components are not eligible. The maximum award is small, and the deadline is not imminent.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

Open to U.S. and foreign research institutions, universities, nonprofits, and certain government/tribal organizations. This NIH/NCI R21 funds early-stage, exploratory research on cancer control — prevention behaviors, screening, etiology, and novel methods. Award size follows standard R21 limits.

National Institutes of Health · Amount varies

For existing NCI early-stage-investigator MERIT (R37) awardees applying to extend their award, submitted through their U.S. or eligible institution. The extension provides up to seven years of total support across two segments, giving early-career cancer researchers extra time before a renewal. Eligibility is narrow — limited to current ESI MERIT grantees.

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.