Research Grants
Discover research grants for scientists, academics, labs, early-career investigators, universities, and research teams.
Research grants fund knowledge creation, experiments, fieldwork, clinical studies, prototypes, datasets, equipment, collaborations, and early-career development. They can come from public agencies, foundations, universities, international programs, charities, and mission-driven funders. The same word “research” can mean very different review expectations depending on the sponsor.
Start with fit before ambition. A strong research idea can still be a poor fit if the funder only supports a particular discipline, career stage, country, institution type, disease area, technology readiness level, or community outcome. Read the official call for objectives, eligible applicants, excluded costs, review criteria, required partners, and whether the award is meant for exploratory work or mature projects.
For academic and scientific opportunities, timing is rarely just the deadline. You may need internal routing, grants office approval, ethics review, data-management language, collaborator letters, budget review, or institutional signatures. Work backward from the official deadline and ask your institution about internal deadlines early. If you are outside a university, confirm whether independent researchers, nonprofits, startups, or fiscal sponsors are allowed.
Good research grant applications connect the problem, method, team, budget, and expected output. They do not just describe why the topic matters. They show what can be learned, why the applicant can do the work, how risks will be managed, and why the funder’s program is the right home for the proposal.
Current matching opportunities
These listings are limited to open, rolling, or upcoming opportunities that match this guide. Check the official source before applying.
American Lung Association Research Awards and Grants 2027–2028: Up to $100,000 a Year for U.S. Lung Health Research
The American Lung Association Research Institute's 2027–2028 awards and grants cycle supports eligible researchers at U.S. nonprofit institutions with mechanism-specific funding for basic, clinical, translational, public-health, policy, lung-cancer, respiratory-pathogen, and indoor-air research.
UKRI Enabling AI Adoption Across Science and Engineering 2026: Up to £250,000 for Exploratory AI Research
An upcoming UKRI grant for UK research teams that combine artificial-intelligence expertise with domain science or engineering to test responsible AI applications in engineering biology, advanced materials, quantum technologies, medical research, or fusion energy.
David Berry Fellowship 2027: Up to £2,500 for Research on Scotland and the Scottish People
The Royal Historical Society offers up to £2,500 for a discrete research project on the history of Scotland or the Scottish people, including travel, accommodation, archive charges and research materials.
Marine Energy Fellowship Postgraduate Track 2027: Up to $6,667 Monthly Stipend and $10,000 Travel and Education Support
The U.S. Department of Energy Marine Energy Fellowship Postgraduate Track, administered by ORISE, supports recent U.S. graduates with marine-energy research appointments, monthly stipends, health insurance, and travel and education allowances.
AAD Pathways Gap Year Fellowship 2027: $30,000 Dermatology Research Grant for Medical Students
The American Academy of Dermatology Association's Pathways Gap Year Fellowship provides up to five medical students with a $30,000 grant to complete a dedicated dermatology research year before applying to residency, with faculty mentorship and professional development support.
Boise State RISE AI Research Traineeship 2027: $37,000 Stipend and Tuition Support for STEM Graduate Students
Boise State University's RISE NSF Research Traineeship supports eligible U.S. citizen and permanent-resident STEM graduate students pursuing artificial intelligence research with a $37,000 living stipend, tuition and health-insurance support, and professional-development funding.
MOPGA 2027 Visiting Fellowship: €2,500 Monthly Support for International Early-Career Researchers in France
Campus France's MOPGA 2027 visiting fellowship supports foreign early-career researchers who will carry out a 12-month climate, environmental, energy-transition, or One Health project with a French host laboratory.
NASA Hubble Fellowship Program 2027: Up to Three Years of Salary and Research Support for Astrophysics Postdocs
The NASA Hubble Fellowship Program supports recent astrophysics postdocs with salary, host-institution benefits, and travel and research-cost support for up to three years at a U.S. host institution.
Monticello ICJS Fellowship Cohorts 2027–2028: Up to $18,000 for Jefferson Studies Research
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello offers four-month onsite fellowships paying $4,500 per month and a yearlong hybrid fellowship with a $5,000 stipend for applicants researching Jefferson, the founding of the United States, and its legacies.
Activate U.S. Fellowship Cohort 2027: $100,000 Living Stipend and R&D Support for Hard-Tech Founders
Activate's U.S. Fellowship Cohort 2027 supports first-time hard-tech founders with a $100,000 annual living stipend, $100,000 in annual R&D support, professional development funding, mentorship, and a community-based commercialization program.
2027 CfA Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship: $84,600 Stipend and $18,000 Research Budget
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian offers a three-year postdoctoral fellowship with an $84,600 stipend, annual research funding, benefits, and independent astrophysics research opportunities beginning September 2027.
Harvard Medical School–Bristol Myers Squibb Collaborative Research Fellowship 2027: Up to $76,000 Salary and $50,000 Annual Research Support
Harvard Medical School and Bristol Myers Squibb are accepting postdoctoral fellowship applications for collaborative laboratory or computational research, with up to three years of salary, fringe benefits, and research-cost support.
Application guidance
Use the listings above as a shortlist, then build your application from the official instructions. Save the source page, deadline, eligibility rules, required documents, contact details, and any program-specific scoring criteria. If the deadline is rolling, apply early enough for review queues and budget limits. If the deadline is fixed, work backward from the closing date and leave time for recommendations, institutional approvals, financial documents, and portal errors.
Popular funding types
Research Grants FAQ
Who can apply for research grants?
Eligibility varies. Some grants require an institution, principal investigator, academic appointment, nonprofit status, company partner, or country-specific host.
What documents do research grants usually require?
Common materials include a project narrative, budget, biosketch or CV, institutional approvals, data plan, letters, and compliance documents.
Are rolling research grants reviewed immediately?
Not always. Rolling can still mean batched review, limited budgets, or program officer screening, so verify the process with the official source.