$2M+ Opportunities (Proposal PM Eligible)

  • $50k to $3M
  • Full proposals typically due in February, annually

The Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) is a tri-service Department of Defense program, part of the University Research Initiative. DURIP is designed to improve the capabilities of accredited United States institutions of higher education to conduct research and to educate scientists and engineers in areas important to national defense, by providing funds for the acquisition of research equipment or instrumentation.

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The DOE Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DOE EPSCoR) announces its interest in receiving new and renewal applications from applicants within eligible jurisdictions for Implementation Grants. Grants awarded under this program are intended to improve research capability through the support of a group of scientists and engineers, including undergraduate students, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, working on a common scientific theme in one or more EPSCoR jurisdictions. These awards are not appropriate mechanisms to provide support for individual faculty science and technology research projects. While the academic, non-profit and industrial research communities are welcome to lead or to participate in applications, a strong component of student participation in research is required for all applicants.

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  • Synthesis Projects: $500k/three years
  • Conference Projects: $250k/two years
  • Partnership Development and Planning Projects: $150k/one year
  • Integrating Research and Practice Projects: $2M/five years
  • Research in Support of Wide-reaching Public Engagement with STEM Projects: $3.5M/five years
  • Full proposals due the second Tuesday in January, annually

The AISL Program is committed to funding research and practice, with continued focus on investigating a range of informal STEM learning (ISL) experiences and environments that make lifelong learning a reality. This Program seeks proposals that center equity and belonging, and further the well-being of individuals and communities who have historically been and continue to be excluded, under-served, or underrepresented, due to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status, neurodiversity, geographic location, and economic status, among others, as well as their intersections. The current solicitation encourages proposals from institutions and organizations that serve public audiences, and specifically focus on public engagement with and understanding of STEM, including community STEM; public participation in scientific research (PPSR); science communication; intergenerational STEM engagement; and STEM media. Projects funded by AISL should contribute to research and practice that further illuminates informal STEM learning's role in equity and belonging in STEM; personal and educational success in STEM; advancing public engagement in scientific discovery; fostering interest in STEM careers; creating and enhancing the theoretical and empirical foundations for effective informal STEM learning; improving community vibrancy; and/or enhancing science communication and the public's engagement in and understanding of STEM and STEM processes. The AISL Program funds five types of projects: (1) Synthesis; (2) Conference; (3) Partnership Development and Planning; (4) Integrating Research and Practice; and (5) Research in Support of Wide-reaching Public Engagement with STEM.

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  • Small Projects: $600k/three years
  • Medium Projects: $1.2M/three years
  • Frontier Projects: $7M total/five years
  • Full proposals due May 31 and August 28, annually

The CPS program aims to develop the core research needed to engineer these complex CPS, some of which may also require dependable, high-confidence, or provable behaviors. Core research areas of the program include control, data analytics, and machine learning including real-time learning for control, autonomy, design, Internet of Things (IoT), mixed initiatives including human-in- or human-on-the-loop, networking, privacy, real-time systems, safety, security, and verification. By abstracting from the particulars of specific systems and application domains, the CPS program seeks to reveal cross-cutting, fundamental scientific and engineering principles that underpin the integration of cyber and physical elements across all application domains. The program additionally supports the development of methods, tools, and hardware and software components based upon these cross-cutting principles, along with validation of the principles via prototypes and testbeds. This program also fosters a research community that is committed to advancing education and outreach in CPS and accelerating the transition of CPS research into the real world.

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  • Limited Submission
  • Awards for collaborations between two EPSCoR jurisdictions: $4M/four years
  • Awards for collaborations between three or more eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions: $6M/ four years
  • Letters of intent due third Tuesday in December, annually
  • Full proposals due fourth Tuesday in January, annually

The FEC program (formerly known as “EPSCoR Track-2 program”) builds interjurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focus areas consistent with the current National Science Foundation Strategic Plan. Projects are investigator-driven and must include researchers from at least two EPSCoR eligible jurisdictions with complementary expertise and resources necessary to address challenges, which neither party could address as well or as rapidly independently. FEC projects have a comprehensive and integrated vision to drive discovery and build sustainable STEM capacity that exemplifies institutional, geographic, and disciplinary diversity. The projects’ STEM research and education activities seek to broaden participation through the strategic inclusion and integration of all individuals, institutions, and sectors. Additionally, EPSCoR recognizes that the development of early-career faculty is critical to sustaining and advancing research capacity.

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  • Limited Submission
  • $4M/36 months
  • Full proposals due November 14, 2025 and November 16, 2026

The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program serves to increase access to multi-user scientific and engineering instrumentation for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education and not-for-profit scientific/engineering research organizations. An MRI award supports the acquisition or development of a multi-user research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs.

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  • Limited Submission
  • $4M/36 months
  • Full proposals due November 14, 2025 and November 16, 2026
  • Track-2 Awards: $2M/five years
  • Track-2 Planning Grants: $100k/two years
  • Full proposals due September 8, annually

The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas, through a comprehensive traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs. Proposals are requested that address any interdisciplinary or convergent research theme of national priority, as noted above. UAH may participate in only 2 proposals per NRT competition as lead or collaborative non-lead. All Track 1 and/or Track 2 NRT proposals will be counted toward this total limit of 2 proposals per organization. An individual may serve as PI or co-PI on only 1 proposal submitted to the NRT program per annual competition.

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  • Limited Submission
  • Track-1 and Track-2 Awards: $2M/six years
  • Track-3 Awards: $5M/six years
  • Full proposal due the first Tuesday in March, annually

The main goal of the S-STEM program is to enable low-income students with academic ability, talent or potential to pursue successful careers in promising STEM fields. Ultimately, the S-STEM program seeks to increase the number of low-income students who graduate with a S-STEM eligible degree and contribute to the American innovation economy with their STEM knowledge. Recognizing that financial aid alone cannot increase retention and graduation in STEM, the program provides awards to institutions of higher education (IHEs) not only to fund scholarships, but also to adapt, implement, and study evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities that have been shown to be effective supporting recruitment, retention, transfer (if appropriate), student success, academic/career pathways, and graduation in STEM. Social mobility for low-income students with academic potential is even more crucial than for students that enjoy other economic support structures. Hence, social mobility cannot be guaranteed unless the scholarship funds the pursuit of degrees in areas where rewarding jobs are available after graduation with an undergraduate or graduate degree.

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Early-Career Funding Opportunities

  • White papers typically due in April, annually
  • Full proposals typically due in June, annually

The main goal of the S-STEM program is to enable low-income students with academic ability, talent or potential to pursue successful careers in promising STEM fields. Ultimately, the S-STEM program seeks to increase the number of low-income students who graduate with a S-STEM eligible degree and contribute to the American innovation economy with their STEM knowledge. Recognizing that financial aid alone cannot increase retention and graduation in STEM, the program provides awards to institutions of higher education (IHEs) not only to fund scholarships, but also to adapt, implement, and study evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities that have been shown to be effective supporting recruitment, retention, transfer (if appropriate), student success, academic/career pathways, and graduation in STEM. Social mobility for low-income students with academic potential is even more crucial than for students that enjoy other economic support structures. Hence, social mobility cannot be guaranteed unless the scholarship funds the pursuit of degrees in areas where rewarding jobs are available after graduation with an undergraduate or graduate degree.

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  • $500k/24 months
  • Full proposals typically due in February, annually

The objective of the DARPA Young Faculty Award (YFA) program is to identify and engage researchers in junior faculty positions at U.S. academic and non-profit research institutions and expose them to Department of Defense (DoD) needs and DARPA’s program development process. The YFA program provides funding, mentoring and industry and DoD contacts to awardees early in their careers so they may develop their research ideas in the context of national security needs. The long-term goal of the YFA program is to develop the next generation of academic scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who will focus a significant portion of their career on DoD and National Security issues.

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  • $750k/36 months
  • Full proposals typically due in April, annually

ONR's Young Investigator Program seeks to identify and support academic scientists and engineers who are in their first or second full-time tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent academic appointment, who have received their PhD or equivalent degree on or after 01 January 2017, and who show exceptional promise for doing creative research. The objectives of this program are to attract outstanding faculty members of U.S. Institutions of Higher Education (hereafter also called "universities") to the Department of the Navy's Science and Technology (S&T) research program, to support their research, and to encourage their teaching and research careers. Individuals who are holding U.S. non-profit equivalent positions are also encouraged to apply.

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  • $875k/five years
  • Pre-applications typically due in February, annually
  • Full proposals typically due in April, annually

DOE’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for Building EPSCoR-State/DOE-National Laboratory Partnerships. These partnerships advance understanding of the physical world by supporting fundamental, early-stage energy research collaborations with the DOE National Laboratories. (Information on the DOE National Laboratories including links to websites can be found at here.) Participation by undergraduate students, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows is required. Early career faculty from EPSCoR jurisdictions are encouraged to apply. Utilization of DOE user facilities is encouraged.

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  • $750k/three years
  • Full proposals typically due in early July, annually

Solicits proposals for innovative, early-stage space-technology research of high priority to NASA’s Mission Directorates. Proposals are sought on specific space technologies that are currently at low Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). The appendix seeks to challenge early-career faculty to examine the theoretical feasibility of new ideas and approaches that are critical to making space exploration, space science, and other civil space pursuits more effective, affordable, and sustainable.

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  • Individual award amounts and durations vary among individual solicitations
  • Full proposals due each February 12, June 12, and October 12, annually

Intended to provide individual and institutional research training opportunities (including international) to trainees at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels.

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  • $400k to $500k/four to five years (dependent on directorate)
  • Full proposals due the fourth Wednesday in July, annually

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Activities pursued by early-career faculty should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from early-career faculty at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply.

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  • $250k/24 months
  • Full proposals due the fourth Thursday in January, annually

The Launching of Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (LEAPS-MPS) supports the launch of the careers of pre-tenure faculty whose research is in Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) fields at institutions that do not traditionally receive significant amounts of MPS funding, such as Carnegie Research 2 (R2) universities, minority-serving institutions (MSIs), predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs). The LEAPS awards enable PIs from these institutions to initiate productive research programs and generate results useful for preparing subsequent competitive proposals to “traditional” NSF funding opportunities, such as a core program or a CAREER solicitation. A critical goal of the LEAPS-MPS Program is to develop the 21st-century STEM workforce representative of society’s full spectrum of talent by increasing the participation in STEM research of members of communities underrepresented and/or underserved in STEM and the number of members of these communities who can serve as role models.

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  • $120k/three years
  • Full proposals due early July, annually

The Cottrell Scholar Award honors and helps to develop outstanding teacher-scholars who are recognized by their scientific communities for the quality and innovation of their research programs and their academic leadership skills. The Cottrell Scholar Award provides entry into a national community of outstanding scholar-educators who produce significant research and educational outcomes. Eligible applicants are early-career tenure-track faculty who hold primary or courtesy appointments in chemistry, physics, or astronomy departments that offer bachelor’s and/or graduate degrees in the applicant’s discipline.

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Our commitment to enriching the research skills and professional growth of young faculty members at ORAU member institutions is embodied in the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards Program. These competitive research awards provide seed money for junior faculty members that often result in additional funding from other sources. The award amount provided by ORAU is $5,000. The applicant’s institution is required to match the award with at least an additional $5,000. This is a one-year grant (June 1 to May 31). Eligibility for the Powe Awards is open to full-time assistant professors at ORAU member institutions within two years of their tenure track appointment at the time of application. Only 2 nominations are allowed per institution.

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Pre-CAREER Opportunities

  • $300k/two years
  • Concept outlines accepted anytime

OEArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) proposals are used to support exploratory work in its early stages on untested, but potentially transformative, research ideas or approaches. This work should be sufficiently "high risk/high payoff" in the sense that it, for example, involves radically different approaches, applies new expertise, or engages novel disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspectives. PIs are advised that they must submit a Concept Outline prior to the submission of an EAGER proposal, and Concept Outlines can be submitted by email to a cognizant program officer. EAGER projects are often used to collect preliminary data prior to submitting an NSF CAREER proposal, which is essentially a requirement for a CAREER submission.

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  • $250k/two years
  • Full proposals due the fourth Thursday in January, annually

The Launching of Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (LEAPS-MPS) supports the launch of the careers of pre-tenure faculty whose research is in Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) fields at institutions that do not traditionally receive significant amounts of MPS funding, such as Carnegie Research 2 (R2) universities, minority-serving institutions (MSIs), predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs). The LEAPS awards enable PIs from these institutions to initiate productive research programs and generate results useful for preparing subsequent competitive proposals to “traditional” NSF funding opportunities, such as a core program or a CAREER solicitation. A critical goal of the LEAPS-MPS Program is to develop the 21st-century STEM workforce representative of society’s full spectrum of talent by increasing the participation in STEM research of members of communities underrepresented and/or underserved in STEM and the number of members of these communities who can serve as role models.

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  • $100k/two years
  • Concept outlines accepted anytime

A planning proposal is a type of proposal used to support initial conceptualization, planning and collaboration activities that aim to formulate new and sound plans for large-scale projects in emerging research areas for future submission to an NSF program. This type of proposal is not intended to provide seed funding for a proposal that has been declined, nor is it appropriate for preliminary research on efforts that are aligned with established research programs. Rather, planning proposals are appropriate for the development of larger-scale proposals in specific areas in which NSF wishes to ensure a sufficiently robust competition in the future. These include areas in which NSF is initiating new funding opportunities; assessment of infrastructure (including cyberinfrastructure) needs; and/or large-scale research, infrastructure (including cyberinfrastructure), or training efforts that require coordination of multi-disciplinary approaches, expertise, and/or organizations at regional scales. In these cases, NSF is especially interested in activities that would catalyze new collaborations that broaden the participation of individuals or organizations underrepresented in NSF award portfolios. PIs are advised that they must submit a concept outline prior to the submission of a planning proposal, and concept outlines can be submitted by email to a cognizant program officer.

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  • $200k/one year
  • Concept outlines accepted anytime

Rapid Response Research (RAPID) proposals are used when there is a severe urgency with regard to the availability of or access to data, facilities, or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic events and similar unanticipated occurrences. PIs are advised that they must submit an NSF Concept Outline prior to the submission of a RAPID proposal. This will aid in determining the appropriateness of the work for consideration under this type of proposal. Concept Outlines can be submitted by email to a cognizant program officer. RAPID projects are often used to collect preliminary data prior to submitting an NSF CAREER proposal, which is essentially a requirement for a CAREER submission.

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Instrumentation Awards

  • $3M
  • Full proposals typically due in February, annually

The Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) is a tri-service Department of Defense program, part of the University Research Initiative. DURIP is designed to improve the capabilities of accredited United States institutions of higher education to conduct research and to educate scientists and engineers in areas important to national defense, by providing funds for the acquisition of research equipment or instrumentation.

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The Basic Instrumentation Grant (BIG) Program encourages applications from groups of NIH-supported investigators to purchase a single piece of new, costly, specialized, commercially available instrument or an integrated instrumentation system.

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  • Limited Submission
  • $4M/36 months
  • Full proposals due November 14, 2025 and November 16, 2026

The Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program serves to increase access to multi-user scientific and engineering instrumentation for research and research training in our Nation's institutions of higher education and not-for-profit scientific/engineering research organizations. An MRI award supports the acquisition or development of a multi-user research instrument that is, in general, too costly and/or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs.

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EPSCoR Opportunities

  • Limited Submission
  • $1.5M/two years
  • White papers typically due in June, annually
  • Full proposals typically due in November, annually

DEPSCoR is a capacity building program that is designed to strengthen the research infrastructure at institutions of higher education in underutilized States/Territories. In order to achieve its congressional mandate, the Basic Research Office developed three major thrusts for DEPSCoR – 1) solicit applications for a stand-alone research collaboration competition, 2) solicit applications for a capacity building competition, and 3) outreach meetings.

  • Limited Submission
  • $600k/three years
  • White papers typically due in June, annually
  • Full proposals typically due in November, annually

DEPSCoR is a capacity building program that is designed to strengthen the research infrastructure at institutions of higher education in underutilized States/Territories. In order to achieve its congressional mandate, the Basic Research Office developed three major thrusts for DEPSCoR – 1) solicit applications for a stand-alone research collaboration competition, 2) solicit applications for a capacity building competition, and 3) outreach meetings.

  • Limited Submission
  • $15M/six years
  • Pre-applications typically due in October, annually
  • Full proposals typically due in January, annually

The DOE Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DOE EPSCoR) announces its interest in receiving new and renewal applications from applicants within eligible jurisdictions for Implementation Grants. Grants awarded under this program are intended to improve research capability through the support of a group of scientists and engineers, including undergraduate students, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, working on a common scientific theme in one or more EPSCoR jurisdictions. These awards are not appropriate mechanisms to provide support for individual faculty science and technology research projects. While the academic, non-profit and industrial research communities are welcome to lead or to participate in applications, a strong component of student participation in research is required for all applicants.

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  • Limited Submission
  • $1M/four years
  • Pre-applications typically due in January, annually
  • Full proposals typically due in February, annually

DOE’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for Building EPSCoR-State/DOE-National Laboratory Partnerships. These partnerships advance understanding of the physical world by supporting fundamental, early-stage energy research collaborations with the DOE National Laboratories. (Information on the DOE National Laboratories including links to websites can be found at here.) Participation by undergraduate students, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows is required. Early career faculty from EPSCoR jurisdictions are encouraged to apply. Utilization of DOE user facilities is encouraged.

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Each NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) project shall perform scientific and/or technical research in areas that support NASA’s strategic research and technology development priorities. Proposals shall emphasize developing capabilities to compete for funds from NASA and non-NASA sources outside of EPSCoR. The projects shall move increasingly towards gaining support from sources outside NASA EPSCoR by aggressively pursuing additional funding opportunities offered by NASA, industry, other federal agencies and other sources. This solicitation seeks proposals that are expected to establish research activities that will make significant contributions to NASA’s strategic research and technology development priorities and contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities of higher education and economic development of the jurisdiction receiving funding.

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Office of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Engagement (OSTEM), in cooperation with the International Space Station (ISS) Research Office, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD), Science Mission Directorates (SMD), Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and NASA’s nine centers plus NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) solicits proposals for the NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Each funded NASA EPSCoR proposal is expected to establish research activities that will make significant contributions to the strategic research and technology development priorities of one or more of NASA’s mission directorates and contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities, higher education and economic development of the jurisdiction receiving funding.

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The NASA Authorization Act for fiscal year 1993, Public Law 102-588, authorized NASA to initiate NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to strengthen the research capability of jurisdictions that have not historically participated equably in competitive aerospace research activities. The goal of NASA EPSCoR is to provide seed funding that will enable jurisdictions to develop an academic research enterprise directed toward long-term, self-sustaining, nationally competitive capabilities in aerospace and aerospace-related research. This capability will, in turn, contribute to the jurisdiction’s economic viability and expand the nation’s base for aerospace research and development. The R3 is a collaborative effort between NASA EPSCoR, NASA Centers and mission directorates. The goals of R3 are to provide a streamlined method to address research issues important to NASA, and to enable NASA EPSCoR researchers to work with NASA to solve research issues impacting the agency’s programs/missions.

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  • Limited Submission
  • $1M/five years
  • Solicitation typically released once every three years

NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement solicits proposals to the NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Infrastructure Development (RID) solicitation. Each funded NASA EPSCoR proposal will focus on building the core strength needed to develop competitive research and technology development methods and activities for the solution of scientific and technical problems of importance to NASA as defined by one or more of the four mission directorates and/or one or more of the 10 NASA centers, including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Proposals will also contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities, higher education and/or economic development of the EPSCoR jurisdiction.

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Office of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Engagement (OSTEM), in cooperation with the International Space Station (ISS) Research Office, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD), Science Mission Directorates (SMD), Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and NASA’s nine centers plus NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) solicits proposals for the NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Each funded NASA EPSCoR proposal is expected to establish research activities that will make significant contributions to the strategic research and technology development priorities of one or more of NASA’s mission directorates and contribute to the overall research infrastructure, science and technology capabilities, higher education and economic development of the jurisdiction receiving funding.

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  • Limited Submission
  • $300k/24 months
  • Letters of intent due the third Wednesday in February, annually
  • Full proposals due the second Tuesday in April, annually

The EPSCoR RII Track 4: EPSCoR Research Fellows program provides awards to build research capacity in institutions and transform the career trajectories of investigators, aiming to further the development of their individual research potential through extended collaborative visits to the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research centers. Through collaborative research visits at the host site, fellowship awardees will be able to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations or advance existing partnerships, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions. The experiences gained through the fellowships are intended to have lasting impacts that will enhance the Fellows’ research trajectories well beyond the award period. The award amount will not exceed a total of $300k per award for a 24-month period of performance. UAH is limited to a maximum of four proposals in response to this solicitation. Eligible PIs must be either (1) non-tenured faculty or a faculty member holding a long-term position outside of the tenure track regardless of position title or rank; (2) be in an be in an early-career, career-track position; or (3) hold a non-tenured or tenured faculty position at the Assistant or Associate Professor rank (or in an equivalent position).

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  • Limited Submission
  • Awards for collaborations between two EPSCoR jurisdictions: $4M/four years
  • Awards for collaborations between three or more eligible EPSCoR jurisdictions: $6M/four years
  • Letters of intent due third Tuesday in December, annually
  • Full proposals due fourth Tuesday in January, annually

The FEC program (formerly known as “EPSCoR Track-2 program”) builds interjurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focus areas consistent with the current National Science Foundation Strategic Plan. Projects are investigator-driven and must include researchers from at least two EPSCoR eligible jurisdictions with complementary expertise and resources necessary to address challenges, which neither party could address as well or as rapidly independently. FEC projects have a comprehensive and integrated vision to drive discovery and build sustainable STEM capacity that exemplifies institutional, geographic, and disciplinary diversity. The projects’ STEM research and education activities seek to broaden participation through the strategic inclusion and integration of all individuals, institutions, and sectors. Additionally, EPSCoR recognizes that the development of early-career faculty is critical to sustaining and advancing research capacity.

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Notable Popular Opportunities

  • $1.5M
  • White papers typically due in May, annually
  • Full proposals typically due in September, annually

The Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative is a tri-service Department of Defense Program, part of the University Research Initiative. The MURI program supports university teams whose research efforts link several traditional science and engineering disciplines. Multidisciplinary team efforts can accelerate research progress in areas particularly suited to the cross-fertilization of ideas by supporting team efforts across multiple universities.

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  • Individual awards amounts and durations vary among topics
  • Typically released on February 14, annually

ROSES solicits basic and applied research in support of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD). Through this ROSES NRA, NASA encourages the participation of the space and Earth science communities in SMD’s research and technology programs. These programs form the foundation of both the basic and applied research that allows NASA’s space and Earth science programs to be properly planned and carried through to the successful interpretation of data and its application to the needs of end users.

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  • Individual award amounts and durations vary among individual solicitations
  • Full proposals due each February 16, June 16, and October 16, annually

Intended to encourage the development of new research activities in categorical program areas.

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  • Individual award amounts and durations vary among individual solicitations
  • Full proposals due each February 5, June 5, and October 5, annually

Intended to support a discrete, specified, circumscribed project to be performed by the named investigator(s) in an area representing his or her specific interest and competencies. The Research Project (R01) is NIH's most commonly used grant program for independent research projects.

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  • No budget ceiling/five years
  • Full proposals accepted anytime

GRANTED supports ambitious ideas and innovative strategies to address challenges and inequalities within the research enterprise. The research enterprise is broadly defined and includes administrative support and service infrastructure such as, but not limited to, human capital, research development and administration, research analytics, technology transfer and commercialization, corporate relations/public-private partnerships, research integrity, compliance and security, research policy, administration of student research training, and research leadership. Strengthening this administrative infrastructure supporting research and STEM training is necessary to fully utilize the Nation's talent and capabilities and empower America's organizations that engage in or support research to participate in a diverse, equitable, and internationally competitive research enterprise.

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  • Limited Submission
  • Track-1 Awards: $500k/three years
  • Track-2 Awards: $1M/five years
  • Full proposals due March 25, annually

The Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Program is designed to encourage development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative approaches to STEM graduate education training. The program seeks proposals that a) explore ways for graduate students in STEM master’s and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers, or b) support research on the graduate education system and outcomes of systemic interventions and policies.

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  • Individual awards typically $100k to $155K total for three to five years
  • Full proposals due on the third Wednesday in August, annually

NSF’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by NSF. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. This solicitation features two mechanisms for supporting student research. REU Sites are based on independent proposals to initiate and conduct projects that engage a number of students in research. Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department or may offer interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. REU Supplements may be included as a component of proposals for new or renewal NSF grants or cooperative agreements or may be requested for ongoing NSF-funded research projects. The student stipend amount and the generally expected maximum for total project costs has been increased from the previous REU solicitation. REU Site awards are typically for $100k-$155k for three to five years. Full proposals are due on September 27.

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  • RES Projects: $1.2M/four years
  • EDU Projects: $500k/three years
  • Full proposals due last Monday in January and last Monday in September, annually

The Security, Privacy, and Trust in Cyberspace (SaTC 2.0) program aims to build trust in global cyber ecosystems. Trust is the core tenet of this program and, for the purposes of this solicitation, is broadly defined to include our confidence in the security, privacy, and resilience of cyberspace, particularly in the face of malicious intent. Achieving this level of confidence in cyberspace requires not only understanding the vulnerabilities in a system that could be exploited and how they can be addressed, but also understanding the social and technical dimensions of trust in cyber systems, along with the educational efforts needed to increase public awareness of risks in cyberspace, and building a well-trained corps of privacy and security professionals.

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  • $1.2M/four years
  • Full proposals due October 3, annually

The purpose of this interagency program solicitation is to support the development of transformative high-risk, high-reward advances in computer and information science, engineering, mathematics, statistics, behavioral and/or cognitive research to address pressing questions in the biomedical and public health communities. Transformations hinge on scientific and engineering innovations by interdisciplinary teams that develop novel methods to intuitively and intelligently collect, sense, connect, analyze and interpret data from individuals, devices and systems to enable discovery and optimize health. Solutions to these complex biomedical or public health problems demand the formation of interdisciplinary teams that are ready to address these issues, while advancing fundamental science and engineering.

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  • $300k/three years
  • Letters of intent due January 15, April 15, and October 1, annually
  • Full proposals due February 15, June 1, and September 1, annually

The Whitehall Foundation, through its program of grants and grants-in-aid, assists scholarly research in the life sciences. It is the Foundation's policy to assist those dynamic areas of basic biological research that are not heavily supported by Federal Agencies or other foundations with specialized missions. In order to respond to the changing environment, the Whitehall Foundation periodically reassesses the need for financial support by the various fields of biological research. The Foundation emphasizes the support of young scientists at the beginning of their careers and productive senior scientists who wish to move into new fields of interest. The Foundation is currently interested in basic research in neurobiology, defined as follows: Invertebrate and vertebrate (excluding clinical) neurobiology, specifically investigations of neural mechanisms involved in sensory, motor, and other complex functions of the whole organism as these relate to behavior. The overall goal should be to better understand behavioral output or brain mechanisms of behavior.

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Graduate Student Funding Opportunities

  • $30k per 12-month period (max $60k for master’s students and $90k for Ph.D. students)
  • Full proposals due in late March, annually

The Graduate Research Scholars Program (GRSP) was established in 2006 by the Alabama State Legislature with the following goals: (1) to strengthen and enhance the research capacity of ALEPSCoR institutions by positioning them to be competitive in attracting eminent senior faculty; (2) to retain the brightest and best graduate students for careers in disciplines related to science and engineering in Alabama; (3) to provide highly trained professionals to support the growth of emerging technology companies in Alabama. The program provides funding for graduate students to work under EPSCoR-funded faculty at their university.

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  • • $24k student stipend and $12k tuition allowance for 12 months (can be renewed for two additional 12-month periods)
  • • Full proposals due in late February, annually

The objective of the Graduate Research Fellowship opportunity is to encourage talented individuals to pursue research and careers in STEM fields that support NASA's Mission Directorates. The Alabama Space Grant Consortium (ASGC), as a participant in the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (NSGCFP), provides support for graduate students to supplement and enhance basic research. The program requires that students participate in an active, defined research activity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields that has NASA Mission Directorate applications, inclusive of commercial space or at the U.S. National Lab on the International Space Station (ISS).

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  • Full tuition and a $43k per year student stipend
  • Full applications due in late October, annually

The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship program was established in 1989 by direction of congress as an approach to increasing the number of United States (U.S.) citizens receiving doctoral degrees in science and engineering (S&E) disciplines of military importance. Applicants who are interested in furthering their education in the disciplines of military importance compete for Fellowship opportunities listed under DoD’s Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs) in research development.

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  • $3.6k student stipend per month and $2k in travel costs
  • Full proposals due in early November, annually

The goal of the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is to prepare graduate students for science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) careers critically important to the DOE Office of Science mission by providing graduate-thesis research opportunities at DOE laboratories.

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  • $150k/three years
  • Full proposals due in late February, annually

Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) solicits proposals from accredited U.S. universities and other eligible organizations for graduate student-designed and performed research projects that contribute to SMD's science, technology, and exploration goals. The Future Investigator (FI), i.e., the student, shall have the primary initiative to define the proposed FINESST research project and must be the primary author, with input or supervision from the proposal's Principal Investigator (PI), as appropriate. The Future Investigator (FI) named on the proposal is primarily responsible for writing a FINESST proposal. The proposal must present a well-defined research problem/activity and a justification of its scientific significance to NASA, as well as a detailed approach for its conduct. All FINESST proposals must address their relevance to at least one participating SMD division.

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  • $37k student stipend and $16k tuition allowance
  • Full proposals due in late October, annually

The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and strength of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. The GRFP provides three years of support over a five-year fellowship period for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. NSF actively encourages submission of applications from the full spectrum of talent that the U.S. has to offer.

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