External Funding Opportunities
***Limited Submission***
(for the Public Research Award —Standard Award Subcategory and the Data Mirroring Award)
Department of Energy (DoE) / Office of Science (SC) / Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
Program: Private Facility Research Program
NOFO #: DE-FOA-0003516
Synopsis: Supports public research utilizing world leading experimental capabilities owned by private companies. Along the path to constructing Fusion Pilot Plants (FPPs), many private fusion companies are constructing interim small-to-large scale research facilities to establish the scientific and / or technological basis for their chosen fusion concepts. Since the research on these interim facilities is largely foundational in nature, the mission overlap between the public and private sectors is large. Consistent with the FES Building Bridges Vision, the PFR program serves as a bridge from boldly delivered private sector hardware back to foundational research expertise residing in the public sector. Through the program, public researchers will conduct open peer-reviewed science at private facilities, to enhance the scientific rigor and breadth of the existing private efforts for the mutual benefit of all involved. As with all thriving high-tech industries, a strong connection to foundational research is essential.
Award details: Standard Public Research Award Subcategory Award: $2M – $21M; Public Research Award; Novel Diagnostic Development: $25K – $3M; Data Mirroring Award: $25K – $500K
USC Internal announcement: https://rii.usc.edu/limited-submissions/de-foa-0003516/
Announcement on website: Private Facility Research Program
USC Internal due date (Standard Public Research Award and Data Mirroring Award: January 24, 2025.
Pre-Application due date (required): February 19, 2025.
Application due date: April 23, 2025.
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Pen America
Program: Emerging Voices Fellows
Synopsis: Supports early-career writers from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the publishing world. The fellowship provides curated one-on-one mentorship and introductions to editors, agents, and publishers, in addition to workshops on editing, marketing, and creating a platform. The five-month fellowship nurtures creative community, provides a professional skill-set, and demystifies the path to publication—with the ultimate goal of diversifying the publishing and media industries, as well as an intensive week-long workshop. Applicants may not have one or more books published through major or independent publishers, university presses, or established presses, nor have a book under contract to a publisher at the time of application. Chapbooks or work published in literary journals are acceptable. Applicants may not have an advanced degree in poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction. Doctoral candidates who have completed all coursework are eligible to apply.
Award details: $1.5K honorarium in addition to the 5-month mentorship.
Announcement on website: https://pen.org/emerging-voices-fellowship/
Application due date: January 31, 2025.
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Lilly Endowment
Program: National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life
Synopsis: Supports projects that unlock and tell compelling stories that portray the vibrancy and hope of Christian faith and life. The Endowment invites proposers to submit concept papers that provide initial descriptions of potential projects that will advance the following three objectives:
- Identifying stories about Christian individuals, groups, churches and communities that are compelling examples of authentic and vibrant Christian faith and life.
- Producing compelling stories about these examples of Christian faith and life in various media formats.
- Sharing these stories through different media with a wide variety of people in a broad spectrum of contexts and from many different backgrounds.
Award details: Up to $50K. Up to 30 awards anticipated.
Announcement on website: https://lillyendowment.org/storytelling-initiative/
Application due date: The Storytelling Initiative will be conducted through a two-stage process: 1) Concept Papers are due February 24, 2025; 2) Implementation Grant Proposals will be invited at a date to be announced.
Virtual Information Session: January 24, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. PT. Attendance at the Virtual Information is NOT required to submit a Concept Paper, but registration for the Virtual Information Session is required.
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Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts
Program: Grants
Synopsis: Supports individuals and organizations with project-based grants production-related expenses necessary to take a project from conceptualization to realization and public presentation. These projects include but are not limited to exhibitions, installations; film/video/new media web initiatives; public programs; and publications. The foundation’s priorities include assisting with the production and presentation of significant programs about architecture and the designed environment to promote dialogue, raising awareness, and developing new and wider audiences. The Foundation also encourages grantees in their efforts to take risks in programming and create opportunities for experimentation; recognizing the vital role they play in providing individuals with a public forum in which to present their work; and helping them to realize projects that would otherwise not be possible without foundation support.
Award details: Up to $30K.
Announcement on website: http://www.grahamfoundation.org/grant_programs?mode=organization
Application due date: February 25, 2025.
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Simons Foundation
Program: Open Interval
Synopsis: Supports a “trio” comprised of a scientist, an artist and a curator or a representative from an arts organization for projects that explore how science and arts converge. Open Interval is designed to support a dedicated period of thought partnership and exploration between artists and scientists, facilitated by curators and arts producers who are passionate about the intersection of art and science. Fifteen collaborative teams will join Simons’ next iteration of the Triangle Program.
Award details: $30K over a 7-month project period starting with a Collaboration Weekend June 6-8, 2025.
Announcement on website: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/2024/12/10/symmetry-a-call-for-artists-scientists-and-arts-organizations/
Expression of Interest Letter due date (for those who are interested but have yet to form a trio): January 22, 2025.
Application due date: February 20, 2025.
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Leverage for Change (An affiliate of the John D. Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)
Program: The Trust in American Institutions Challenge
Synopsis: Supports transformative solutions that are poised to reverse recent trends and significantly increase public trust in core institutions in the United States in the next five years. Applicants best fit for this opportunity will use key leverage points to renew, rebuild, and / or establish trust in core institutions for Americans across the country. The challenge is open to organizations across the United States, including partnerships and collaborations.
Award details: Up to five project teams will be selected as finalists in the Fall of 2025. The finalists will each receive an initial project development grant and technical assistance to strengthen their proposal. After submitting a revised proposal, one finalist will be awarded $9 million to scale a solution that will renew and build public trust in core institutions in the United States.
Announcement on website: https://www.leverforchange.org/challenges/explore-challenges/trust-in-american-institutions/
Registration due date: February 19, 2025.
Application due date: March 19, 2025.
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American Psychological Association — Division 56
Program: Dr. Christine Blasey Ford Grant
Synopsis: Supports graduate students and early career researchers (≤ 10 years postdoctoral) conducting innovative work focusing on the understanding, prevention and / or treatment of the consequences of exposure to traumatic events such as sexual assault, sexual harassment and / or rape. Applicants must have demonstrated knowledge of trauma and trauma research, and demonstrated capacity to execute the proposed work.
Award details: $3.750K
Announcement on website: https://ampsychfdn.org/funding/blasey-ford/
Application due date: February 21, 2025.
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Schmidt Sciences
Program: Decarbonization & Energy Virtual Institute (DEVI)
Synopsis: Supports two categories of projects: a) sectoral modeling efforts and b) economy-wide modeling efforts on coupling models from different sectors Projects may focus on key geographies that will drive carbon emissions in the near-to-mid term, but methodologies developed must have relevance beyond individual country contexts. Projects must be cross-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaborations targeting fundamental research across four focus areas: a) advances in the understanding of complex interdependencies in decarbonization pathways; b) methodological advances that improve model representation of said interdependencies; c) rigorous uncertainty analyses and model validation; and d) generating context-specific insights highlighting the needs, constraints and impacts of decarbonization pathways. Notably, Schmidt seeks collaborative multidisciplinary and multi-institutional projects proposals.
Award details: Sectoral projects: Up to $3M over 5 years; economy-wide modeling projects: up to $10M over 5 years.
Announcement on website: https://schmidtsciences.smapply.io/prog/decarbonization_energy_virtual_institute_devi/
Expression of Interest (EOI) due date: Requests a 3-page project proposal that includes budgetary information for either project.
EOI due date: February 14, 2025.
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Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network (CZ Biohub Network) and Stellar Science Foundation
Program: Global Science Scholars
Synopsis: Supports cutting-edge science in bioengineering and biomedical domains and, in particular, people who are committed to pursuing up to two years of research directed at creating a better future for all by conducting research outside of their degree granting country. Fellowships are offered to individuals who have recently received their doctorate degree (between July 2021 and July 2025) from a U.S. university and want to pursue interdisciplinary research at the forefront of biology and technology in a world-class lab in Japan that will help build connections between the U.S. and Japan.
Award details: Stipend ~$60K per year and up to ~$4.5K for reimbursable expenses per year (to offset the cost of relocation of the 2 years in Japan).
Announcement on website: https://www.czbiohub.org/program-ssfcz-global-science-scholars/
Application due date: Applications accepted on a rolling basis until May 27, 2025. Applications received by the last Tuesday of each month through May 27th will be downloaded for consideration at 3:00 PM on that Tuesday until all awards are filled.
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U.S. Department of Education
Program: Fulbright-Hays Faculty Abroad Award
Synopsis: Supports universities and colleges with fellowships for faculty members seeking to improve their area studies and foreign language skills by conducting research abroad. The program is designed to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the United States. The absolute priority for FY 2025 are research projects that focus on one or more of the following geographic areas: Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, South Asia, the Near East, Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and the Western Hemisphere (excluding the United States and its territories). Additionally, there are 3 Competitive Preference Priorities, which include (1) Focus on less Commonly Taught Languages; (2) Thematic Focus on Academic Fields, e.g., science, technology, mathematics, psychology, international development and political science, etc., and (3) Promoting Equity in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities
Award details: Estimated fellowship award is $50K for up to one year.
Announcement: Fulbright Hays
Application due date: March 10, 2025.
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Department of Interior / National Park Service
Program: FY2024 Historic Preservation Fund Semiquincentennial Grants
NOFO #: P24AS00546
Synopsis: Supports the preservation of a broad variety of cultural resources associated with the founding of America as a nation in commemoration of the country’s Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) in 2026. For the purposes of this grant program, the “founding of the nation” is defined as the period ending December 31, 1800. This date corresponds to the election of 1800, as the peaceful transfer of power following the contested election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson represents a hallmark of democracy and a pivotal moment in American history. The founding of the nation does not have a defined starting period. Projects that may be funded include (1) Pre-preservation projects including the development of resource-specific architectural plans and specifications, historic structure reports, studies, and related surveys. Amendments or updates to the National Register nomination for the resource are eligible as grant supported activities if the document is out of date or does not adequately reflect all areas of significance; and (2) Preservation projects including, for example, preservation of a historic site to include historic districts, buildings, sites, structures, and objects, as well as amendments or updates to the National Register nomination for the resource are eligible as grant supported activities if the document is out of date or does not adequately reflect all areas of significance.
Award details: Pre-preservation projects: awards will range between $15K and $75K. Preservation project awards will range between $75K and $750K. Up to 20% of Preservation awards may be allocated to Pre-preservation activity.
Announcement on website: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservationfund/semiquincentennial.htm
Application due date: March 18, 2025.
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Department of Agriculture / National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Program: Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grants Program Foundational and Applied Science Request for Applications (RFA)
NOFO #: USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011134
Synopsis: Supports projects in 6 priority areas
- Plant health and production and plant products;
- Animal health and production and animal products;
- Food safety, nutrition, and health;
- Bioenergy natural resources, and environment;
- Agriculture systems and technology; and
- Agriculture economics and rural communities.
RFA accepts proposals for standard grants, conference grants and Agricultural Science Enhancement grants for Research, Extension, Education and Integrated Research, Education and/or Extension projects.
Award details: RFA still awaiting full FY 2025 appropriations; anticipate $3M will be available to fund projects up to 5 years duration.
Announcement on website: FY2025 AFRI
Application due date: Varies by Program. Also, some programs require letters of intent.
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National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
Program: NIJ FY2025 Research and Evaluation of Policing Practices
NOFO #: O-NIJ-2025-172299
Synopsis: Supports applied evaluative research on: (1) police conduct and police-community interactions; (2) officer safety, health, and wellness; (3) criminal investigations; and (4) alternative traffic enforcement models. NIJ supports researchers who are early in their careers and new to NIJ’s research grant portfolios, specifically non-tenured assistant professors, or equivalent full-time staff scientist positions in a research institution. NIJ may give special consideration in award decisions to applications proposing such researchers as PIs. To qualify, the proposed PI must, at the time of application submission (1) hold an assistant professor appointment at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or an equivalent full-time staff scientist position at a research institution in the United States; (2) have completed a terminal degree or postgraduate clinical training within 6 years prior to September 30, 2025; and (3) have never previously received NIJ funding as a PI or Co-PI on a research project with the exception of Graduate Research Fellows.
Award details: Funding for this program is $5M. Awards amounts will be commensurate with the scope of the project.
Announcement on website: https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/O-NIJ-2025-172299.pdf
Pre-Application seminar: January 29, 2025.
Grants.gov application due date: March 20, 2025.
JustGrants application due date: April 3, 2025.
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NASA ROSES / Space Mission Directorate — Biological and Physical Sciences Division
Program: Physical Sciences Research Studies
NOFO #: NNH24ZDA001N-PSRS
Synopsis: Supports the investigation of physical phenomena in the absence of gravity and fundamental laws that describe the universe, and applied research, which contributes to the basic understanding of processes underlying space exploration technologies. The program is divided into two key goals: Foundations and Quantum Leaps. Foundations focus on understanding the behavior of fluids, combustion, soft matter, and materials in the spaceflight environment. Quantum Leaps probe the very nature of the universe using exquisitely precise space-based quantum sensors to test the Einstein equivalence principle, dark sector physics, and the nature of fundamental physical constants. This solicitation includes four different project types: (1) Research Investigations; (2) New NASA Investigators; (3) Physical Sciences Informatics and (4) Fundamental Physics Investigations. To attract new researchers to the NASA science community, a New NASA Investigator category has been created and is open to new investigators only, including postdoctoral fellows, home institutions permitting. There will be a Pre-Proposer’s town hall on January 22, 2025.
Award details: Awards will range from $200K for 2 years (Physical Sciences Informatics) to $800K to $900K for up to 3 or 4 years, respectively, for Research Investigations.
Announcement on website: Physical Sciences Research Program
Step 1 Proposal due date: February 4, 2025.
Step 2 Proposal due date: May 6, 2025.
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Department of Energy (DOE) / Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER)
Program: Next Generation of Academia-Based Cyber Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D)
NOFO #: DE-FOA-0003501
Synopsis: Supports efforts to efficiently develop and ultimately integrate cybersecurity tools and technologies into energy infrastructure for enhanced resilience. This open NOFO is structured to cover a 5-year period, allowing for ongoing participation and evaluation and extends CESER’s cybersecurity RD&D efforts to utilize academic partnerships to build strategic capabilities within the sector cybersecurity for energy delivery systems. This solicitation is for Topic Area 1: Partnerships to Identify and Mitigate National Security Threats and calls for researchers to establish partnerships among national laboratories, universities, electricity sector utilities, and state and local government entities to research, develop, test, and validate cutting-edge cybersecurity technology, processes, frameworks, and / or analytics capable of mitigating real world threats to critical infrastructure.
Award details: Approximately 1 award will be made for $10M over 3-5 years, with a minimum cost share requirement of 20% of total project costs for Research & Development (R&D) and 50% of total project costs for Demonstration.
Announcement on website: Next Generation of Academia-Based Cyber Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D)
Application due date: February 18, 2025.
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Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)
Program: Director’s Research Initiative (DRI)
NOFO #: AFRLAFOSR20250001
Synopsis: Supports research that may not fall within AFSOR’s existing portfolio, i.e. those not included in AFSOR’s Broad Agency Announcement. The theme for this initiative is Energy for Agility. Discovery science is needed today to achieve the energy resources required for the future integrated employment of Air and Space Forces, for power generation and optimization, and resilience to exposure. Broadly, here, with more detail in the solicitation the topics of interest are (1) Bio-Agile Energy; (2) Meta materials; (3) Electrochemistry; (4) Space Architectures; (5). Interested folks should contact the designated Program Officer listed in the solicitation as you begin the proposal process.
Award details: AFOSR will fund 4 projects ranging from $200K to $750K for a maximum 3 year project period.
Announcement on website: DRI NOFO Final
White Paper due date (recommended but not required): January 31, 2025.
Full proposal due date: April 1, 2025.
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NSF / Directorate for Biology - Division of Integrative Organismal Systems & NIH / National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Program: Enabling Discovery through Genomics (EDGE)
Solicitation #: 21-546
Synopsis: Supports the development of innovative tools, technologies, resources, and infrastructure that advance biological research focused on the identification of the causal mechanisms connecting genes and phenotypes. The EDGE program also supports functional genomic research that addresses the mechanistic basis of complex traits in diverse organisms within the context (environmental, developmental, social, and/or genomic) in which they function. These goals are essential to uncovering the rules that underlie genomes-to-phenomes relationships and predict phenotype, an area relevant to Understanding the Rules of Life: Predicting Phenotype, one of the 10 Big Ideas for NSF investment. The goals also support the NHGRI priority to establish the roles and relationships of all genes and regulatory elements in pathways, networks, and phenotypes.
Award details: Award sizes have typically ranged from approximately $125K to $300K per year in combined direct costs (summed over all components of the project if the proposal is a collaborative submission), with durations of two to four years.
Announcement on website: EDGE
Proposal due date: Every third Thursday in February. Next due date is February 20, 2025.
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NSF / Directorates for Geosciences, Biological Sciences and Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Program: Collaborations in Artificial Intelligence and Geosciences (CAIG)
Solicitation #: 25-530
Synopsis: Supports projects that advances the development and adoption of innovative artificial intelligence (AI) methods to increase scientific understanding of the Earth system. The program supports projects that advance AI techniques and / or innovative uses of sophisticated or novel AI methods to enable significant breakthroughs in addressing geoscience research question(s) by building partnerships between mathematical and computer science experts in AI and Geosciences. Regarding eligibility, an individual may be designated as Senior / Key Personnel (which includes but is not limited to PI or co-PI) on at most two proposals per competition. See NSF's definition for "Senior/Key Personnel” in NSF’s Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG).
Award details: Program funding anticipated being $6M to $9M. Average award amount and project duration contingent upon availability of funds.
Announcement on website: https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/nsf25530.pdf?VersionId=c1li0RUqY44zQi0t0ieToGRFGK8bK484
Proposal due dates: April 2, 2025; February 6, 2026.
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NSF / Directorate for Geosciences – Office of Polar Programs
Program: Antarctic Research Not Requiring U.S. Antarctic Program Field Support
NSF Solicitation #: 25-526
Synopsis: Supports research that advances understanding of the biota and physical systems operating in the Antarctic region and adjacent seas primarily through laboratory, modeling, and theoretical work encompassing terrestrial, marine, cryospheric, atmospheric, and space settings. It particularly encourages projects using existing samples, data, and models; the development of new instrumentation and observing technologies; workshops, conferences, and Research Coordination Networks (RCN) to advance, coordinate, or synthesize research.
Award details: Anticipated program funds of $60M for 50 awards.
Announcement on website: https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/nsf25526.pdf?VersionId=i5Vneq_HVjAj9zGoA_exf2z85_sAE2nc
Proposal target dates: June 2, 2025 (June 1st thereafter); January 15, 2026 (January 26th thereafter)
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NSF / Multiple Directorates including BIO, GEO, MPS and STEM
Program: Findable Accessible Interoperable Reusable Open Science (FAIROS)
Solicitation #: 25-553
Synopsis: Supports a broad range of transformative open science activities including but not limited to (1) Research, education, and socio-technical cyberinfrastructure development capacities that advance sustainable multi-disciplinary findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable (FAIR) research data management (RDM) and open science capabilities, (2) Piloting new models of scientific communication and publication that improve efficiency and accessibility, (3) Developing FAIROS data portals, research data commons, RDM as a national service, and iv.) Lowering barriers to accessing, curating, integrating, linking, managing, sharing, and storing data across many disciplinary domains, irrespective of data size.
Award details: $2.4M to $6M. Average award size and project duration subject to the availability of funds. (Note: Proposals for Research are expected to comprise collaborative, community-oriented, multidisciplinary projects with one or more institutions that address common underlying cyberinfrastructure research data management (RDM) challenges and contribute to community readiness for advancement in effective data practices supporting public access and open science. Collaborative Research Proposals are allowable within this category of Research Proposals.)
Announcement on website: https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/nsf25533.pdf?VersionId=75Vdi2yMj.zVD9vTACns0WiZz5DbmU8
Full proposal due date: April 6, 2025.
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NIH / Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) / Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) / Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK) and Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Program: NIAID, NIAA, NIDKK and NIDA Research Opportunities for New and “At-Risk” Investigators (R01)
NOFO #: PA-25-249
Synopsis: Supports either (a) a New Investigator, who has not previously competed successfully for substantial, independent funding from NIH, or (b) an 'At-Risk' investigator, who had prior support as a PI on a substantial independent research award and unless successful in securing a substantial research grant award in the current fiscal year, will have no substantial research grant funding in the following fiscal year. The purpose is to support these investigators— including those from groups who its been demonstrated to be underrepresented in the biomedical sciences— to pursue projects within the mission of the NIH institutes listed, and as further described in the NOFO.
Award details: Budget requests must reflect the scope of a maximum 5-year project.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-25-249.html
Application due dates: February 5, 2025 and June 5, 2025 for new applications, except AIDS applications. May 7, 2025 for all types of AIDS applications.
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NIH / Across Several Institutes
Program: NIH Small Grant Program (Parent R03)
NOFO #: PA-25-302
Synopsis: Supports small research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources. This program supports different types of projects including pilot and feasibility studies; secondary analysis of existing data; small, self-contained research projects; development of research methodology; and development of new research technology.
Award details: Up to $50K for direct costs for 2 years.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-25-302.html
Application due date: Multiple due dates for all types of applications through 2027. Next due date for new application is February 16, 2025.
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NIH / National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Program: Time-Sensitive Evaluation of Policies Affecting Health Behaviors and Chronic Disease Risk (R01)
NOFO #: 25-312
Synopsis: Supports time-sensitive research to evaluate a new policy or program that is likely to influence diet, physical activity, sleep, and / or weight and thus has the potential to lower rates of chronic diseases, particularly in populations at risk for health disparities, and for which opportunities for empirical research are only available through expedited review and funding. A primary purpose of this opportunity is to collect baseline data and then prospectively assess effectiveness of an imminent policy or program that is likely to influence diet, physical activity, sleep, and / or weight and thus has the potential to lower rates of chronic diseases, particularly in populations at risk for health disparities.
Award details: Budget requests must reflect the actual needs of a 5-year project period.
Announcement on website: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-25-312.html
Application due date: Application due dates run through 2028, including 10 due dates in 2025. The next application due date is February 14, 2025.
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External Funding Opportunity
Central Advancement
Brain Foundation
Program: 2025 Request for Proposals
Synopsis: Supports basic and interdisciplinary translational research advancing understanding of the pathophysiology of autism, discovery of biomarkers, and the development of effective therapeutics targets to mitigate core disabilities in autism.
Award details: Up to $180K over 2 years. No indirects permitted.
Announcement on website: https://brainfoundation.org/how-to-apply/
Proposal due date: January 20, 2025. Please contact Jennifer Lidar at jlidar@usc.edu for additional information and assistance.
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