Science & Research Grants for Schools & universities

Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command · $200K–$10M

This Army Research Office program funds collaborative basic research (mechanical, mathematical, physical, life, and materials sciences, among others) conducted jointly by ARO scientific staff and outside institutions, with awards ranging from $200,000 to $10,000,000. It is limited to institutions of higher education with recognized research capability in the listed scientific fields; individual applicants and non-academic organizations are not described as eligible. The deadline is not imminent (2030).

Defense Threat Reduction Agency · Amount varies

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Fundamental Research BAA solicits basic research to counter weapons of mass destruction, using a white-paper-first (pre-application) process. Full eligibility is set out in Section 3 of the BAA, which for this type of defense research announcement typically includes universities, nonprofit research institutes, and businesses, but you should review the BAA directly to confirm. Award amounts are not listed here; note that pre-application white papers for the newly added Topics B1-B6 were due March 2, 2026, so check current topic deadlines before preparing a submission.

Air Force -- Research Lab · Amount varies

The Air Force Research Lab's CHEERS announcement funds science and technology work in human performance and aerospace medicine, spanning basic research through technology maturation, via multiple open solicitations accepting white papers. Eligibility is generally broad, but note specific constraints: Federally Funded Research and Development Centers face restrictions and must obtain sponsor and AFRL determinations, foreign-owned firms should contact the Contracting Officer first as restrictions may apply, and the Commercial Solutions Opening track is not grant-eligible. No award amounts are stated; review the paired solicitations for scope and instructions.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Engineering Environmental Resiliency (EER) program funds fundamental research to advance resource and energy conservation and recovery and to protect the environment and human health, including circular-economy, waste-reuse, contaminant-fate, and related topics. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity subject to NSF clarifications, though the work is research-oriented and best suited to universities and research organizations. No award amounts or deadline are listed. Projects focused mainly on earth systems or human/social behavior are directed to other NSF directorates.

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) studying human-machine interaction in physics-based environments, such as robotics, smart environments, and rehabilitation technology. 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

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Division of Chemistry is piloting no-deadline submission for its Chemistry of Life Processes, Chemical Structure and Dynamics, and Chemical Theory/Computational Methods programs. Eligibility is limited to U.S.-based nonprofit non-academic research organizations (such as independent museums, observatories, and research labs) and accredited U.S. institutions of higher education acting for their faculty; individuals and businesses do not qualify. No specific award amount is listed, and proposals may be submitted at any time.

U.S. National Science Foundation · Amount varies

The NSF Chemical Process Systems (CPS) program funds fundamental research on chemical and biochemical processes to make manufacturing, energy, and biotechnology more efficient and sustainable, spanning catalysis, reactor design, separations, and process optimization. Eligibility is unrestricted, so universities, research organizations, and other entity types may apply. No specific award amount or deadline is listed in the program description.

NSWC CRANE - N00164 · Amount varies

This Navy (NSWC Crane) Broad Agency Announcement seeks innovative research and technology demonstrators in national-security focus areas such as electronic warfare, sensors, hypersonics, and power systems. Eligibility is unrestricted to any entity type, so businesses, nonprofits, universities, and research organizations may propose, though work must align with the Navy's defense mission. No fixed award amount or deadline is stated; proposers are encouraged to contact the listed points of contact before submitting.