Current Funding Opportunities

INFORMATION REGARDING VIRGINIA GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

The Virginia Governor’s Office has established a web site cataloguing grant opportunities made available by agencies of the Commonwealth.

Various foundations also afford grant opportunities. Researching these is best accomplished by using a foundation directory. Contact Jeremy Vaughn, Development Officer, Offices of University Advancement, who will provide guidance about how to proceed. He is an excellent source of information about foundations located in Virginia and elsewhere that might be possible funding sources.


SOME GRANT PROGRAMS WITH “CONTINUOUS” OR “ROLLING”DEADLINES (This list was updated on November 30, 2020. The original list was created with the generous assistance of the Foundation, Corporate and Government Relations staff at the University of Richmond.)

ARTS AND HUMANITIES

National Endowment for the Humanities The NEH supports a variety of grant and fellowship programs aimed at supporting research, education, preservation, and public programming in the humanities.

National Endowment for the Arts Funding opportunities in a variety of arts programs from arts education to the visual arts.

National Gallery of ArtA variety of internship and fellowship programs are offered. Application deadlines vary.

International Center for Jefferson Studies – Short-term Fellowships for Jefferson-related Projects: Residential fellowships at the Center, located in Charlottesville, are awarded for up to 4 months for scholars working on projects related to Thomas Jefferson. Travel Grants: The grants are available for short-term visits to Monticello or the Center. DEADLINES – April 1 and November 1.

The Organization of American Historians – Awards, Prizes, Fellowships, and Grants: Support is given in recognition of scholarly and professional achievements in the field of American history. DEADLINES- various.

Nathan Cummings Foundation – Grants in Arts & Culture: The core programs include arts and culture; the environment; health; interprogram initiatives for social and economic justice; and the Jewish life and values/contemplative practice programs. Several basic themes run through all of these programs and inform the Foundation’s approach to grantmaking: (a) concern for the poor, disadvantaged, and underserved; (b) respect for diversity; (c) promotion of understanding across cultures; and (d) empowerment of communities in need. DEADLINE – Continuous.

Samuel H. Kress Foundation – The Practice of Art History and Conservation. DEADLINE – Continuous.

Ford Foundation – Knowledge, Creativity & Freedom: The program program works globally to advance achievement in the arts, education and scholarship and to advance a positive understanding of sexuality. It also seeks to promote the media and religion as forces for democracy in a range of cultural contexts. DEADLINE – continuous.

Women Arts — offers a number of arts grants opportunities (theatre grants especially).

INTERNATIONAL

Fulbright Scholar Awards: The traditional Fulbright Scholar Program sends many U.S. faculty and professionals abroad each year. Grantees lecture and conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. DEADLINE: various.

Association for Asian Studies– various programs available in a variety of areas related to Asian studies. DEADLINE – February 1 (spring/summer awards) and October 1 (fall/winter awards).

Smithsonian Institution – Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Kennan Institute – Short-Term Grants: The Institute offers Short-Term Grants in Russian studies lasting up to one month to scholars having a particular need to use the library, archival, or other specialized resources of the Washington, D.C., area. DEADLINES – March 1, June 1, September 1, December 1.

Tinker Foundation: Institutional Grants – environmental policy, governance, economic policy, geographically focused on Latin America, Iberia or Antarctica. The Foundation encourages collaboration between and among organizations in the United States, Latin America, Spain and Portugal. DEADLINES – March 1 and September 1.

German Marshall Fund of the United States – Grants: The Fund’s grants to individuals must address issues important to European countries and the United States. They must involve people or institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. GMF has a particular interest in leadership development. The Fund does not fund scientific research or the arts. DEADLINE – continuous.

Human Frontier Science Program: The HFSP Program promotes international collaboration in interdisciplinary, basic research in the life sciences. A second emphasis of the HFSP is to encourage researchers who are early in their careers. The third emphasis is to stimulate novel and interdisciplinary research. Short-term Fellowships: The Fellowships enable researchers to move into new areas by learning new techniques or establishing new research collaborations. Support can last from 2 weeks to 3 months in a laboratory in a foreign country. DEADLINE – continuous.

Open Society Archives at Central European University – Research Grants: The Archives, located in Hungary, offer research grants to support visiting scholars pursuing research in its holdings. DEADLINE – continuous (reviews conducted in March, June, September and December).

Weimer Classics Foundation – Grants: The Foundation, located in Weimer, Germany, awards grants in support of academic, literary and artistic projects on the cultural history of Europe from the 18th to the 20th century. Residencies offer research opportunities at the Goethe and Schiller Archives, the Goethe National Museum, and at the Herzogin Anna Amalia Library. DEADLINE – continuous.

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation – Research Fellowships: The Program supports highly qualified scholars of all nationalities and fields so that they may carry out long-term research projects in Germany. Fellowships are awarded based on academic achievement, i.e., the quality and feasibility of the proposed research project and the candidate’s international publications. There are no quotas with respect to either country of origin or academic discipline. Applicants must have a doctoral degree and be less than 40 years of age. DEADLINE – continuous.

SCIENCES

National Science Foundation (NSF) – deadline dates by program area.

Li-COR Biosciences Environmental Education Fund (LEEF) — The program provides partial funding or special discounts to primarily undergraduate institutions to obtain state of the art instruments to be used in teaching and/or for undergraduate research.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Several programs in a variety of areas are available for funding. DEADLINES: vary by program.  National Institute of Mental Health Research opportunities in several area. DEADLINES: various, by program.

GRANTS.GOV – Find information about various grants available from federal agencies.

The Greenwall Foundation – Grants available in bioethics, arts and humanities, and other areas. DEADLINE: varies by program.

National Research Council – National Academies – Senior and Postdoctoral Research Associateships: Awards are made to scientists and engineers who can apply their special knowledge and talents to research areas that are of interest to them and to the host laboratories and centers. Awards are made to Postdoctoral Associates (within 5 years of the doctorate) and Senior Associates (5 years or more beyond the doctorate. DEADLINES vary by laboratory but generally are: February 1, May 1, August 1, November 1.

Whitehall Foundation, Inc. – Faculty research grants in neurobiology are available to established scientists for support of up to 3 years. Grants will not be awarded to investigators who have already received, or expect to receive, substantial support from other sources, even if it for an unrelated purpose. DEADLINES for letters of intent – April 15, October 1, January 1.

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation – Education and Careers in Science and Technology: Programs to strengthen education in science and technology, to increase interest in these fields, and to understand and communicate to others the nature of careers in these fields have long been supported by the Foundation.

American Association for the Advancement of Science – Congressional Fellows: Applicants for these fellowships should apply directly to the appropriate professional society. Stipends, application procedures, degree requirements, timetables and deadlines may vary. Fellows selected by these societies also will participate in the year-long program of activities administered by AAAS. DEADLINES VARY.

American Society for Engineering EducationNaval Research Laboratory Postdoctoral Fellowship Program: The program is designed to significantly increase the involvement of creative and highly trained scientists and engineers from academia and industry to scientific and technical areas of interest and relevance to the Navy. DEADLINE – continuous.

The Center for Field Research – Grants: The Center’s role is to create a public offering of significant research that addresses scientific, environmental, and public policy problems and issues. After peer review, the program is presented to Earthwatch for funding. The mission of Earthwatch is to improve human understanding of the planet, of the diversity of its inhabitants, and of the processes that affect the quality of life on Earth. DEADLINE – continuous.

James S. McDonnell Foundation: 21st Century Science Initiative – Collaborative Activity Awards: The program supports research in three program areas: (1) Bridging Brain, Mind, and Behavior; (2) Studying Complex Systems; and (3) B rain Cancer Research. DEADLINE – continuous.

National Geographic Society – Research Grants: The National Geographic Society awards grants for exploration and scientific field-research. All proposed projects must have both a geographical dimension, and relevance to other scientific fields. DEADLINE – continuous.

American Chemical Society – Various grant programs. DEADLINE – continuous.

Office of Naval Research Sabbatical Leave Program: The program provides an opportunity for faculty members to participate in research of mutual interest to the faculty member and professional peers at U.S. Navy Laboratories. DEADLINE – usually due in Decembers.

U.S. Army Research Office – Grants for Scientific Research: Research proposals are sought for research in chemistry, environmental sciences, life sciences, mathematical and computer sciences, physics as well as computational and information sciences. Young Investigator Program and Presidential Early Career Award Program are also available. DEADLINES: various.

U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research: AFSOR manages all basic research conducted by the Air Force. DEADLINES vary. See

National Geographic Society Conservation Trust – The objective of the Conservation Trust is to support conservation activities that contribute significantly to the preservation and sustainable use of the Earth’s biological, cultural, and historical resources. The first step is to submit a pre-application form online.  If the pre-application is approved, the Board will send the project director an email with a link to the full application online.

VARIOUS

Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation – Research Grants: The grants are available to encourage academics in all fields to study topics of interest to the equipment leasing and finance industry. General topics of interest are: strategic management/planning; accounting/financial reporting and finance; tax and legislative/regulatory; economics; portfolio management; contract/documentation; technology benchmarking; strategic importance of captives; and operations and best practices. DEADLINES – January 15, and May 15, September 1.

Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation – Grants for Alcohol Research: The grants support scientific studies on the use and prevention of misuse of alcoholic beverages. Funds are available for interdisciplinary research in the biological, behavioral and social sciences related to alcohol use and abuse. DEADLINE – February 1, September 1.

Indiana University – Lilly Library – Everett Helm Visiting Fellowships: The fellowships support residential research in the Library, the principal rare book and manuscript library of the University. DEADLINES – April 15, October 15.

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation – TransCoop Program: Through this program, funds are provided for collaborative research between German, U. S. and/or Canadian scholars in the humanities, social sciences, law and economics. Priority is given to new research collaborations. Applications from the natural sciences, including life sciences, may be considered if the research topic has a plausible link to the humanities and social sciences. DEADLINES – April 30 October 31. DEADLINE – continuous.

Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization Program – Grants: The Program requests proposals for policy analysis, research, evaluation, and demonstration projects that provide publication and private decision leaders with usable and timely information on health care policy and financing issues. Projects may be initiated from within many disciplines, including economics, sociology, political science, law and business administration. Researchers who are just beginning their careers are encouraged to apply. DEADLINE – continuous.

Rockefeller Foundation – accepts inquiries about possible grant opportunities in a variety of areas. DEADLINES vary.

The Infinity Foundation – Indic Traditions Grant: The Foundation is calling for project proposals to do research and/or develop educational materials, whose objective would be to improve the authenticity of portrayal of Indic traditions in the educational system. These initiatives are in response to growing concern over inaccurate and damaging ‘Orientalist’ portrayals of India and India’s cultural legacy. DEADLINE – continuous.

Royal Bank of Canada Blue Water Project — Educating people about watershed protection at the community level. A $1,000 to $35,000 award to a college or university student club or group to support projects designed to increase awareness of watershed protection issues..  The deadline is open-ended.