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Funding at NSF

The U.S. National Science Foundation offers hundreds of funding opportunities — including grants, cooperative agreements and fellowships — that support research and education across science and engineering.

Learn how to apply for NSF funding by visiting the links below.

Finding the right funding opportunity

Learn about NSF's funding priorities and how to find a funding opportunity that's right for you.

Preparing your proposal

Learn about the pieces that make up a proposal and how to prepare a proposal for NSF.

Submitting your proposal

Learn how to submit a proposal to NSF using one of our online systems.

How we make funding decisions

Learn about NSF's merit review process, which ensures the proposals NSF receives are reviewed in a fair, competitive, transparent and in-depth manner.

NSF 101 answers common questions asked by those interested in applying for NSF funding. 

Research approaches we encourage

Learn about interdisciplinary research, convergence research and transdisciplinary research.

Newest funding opportunities

Emerging mathematics in biology (emb), equitable and transformative approaches to educating the semiconductor workforce (eta-esw), growing research compliance support and service infrastructure for nationally transformative equity and diversity, designing materials to revolutionize and engineer our future (dmref).

Redirect Notice

Funding categories.

At any given time, NIH has over 1,000 active funding opportunities that use various funding instruments and announce a broad range of programs. Explore these categories for insight into the funding landscape and discover programs that may address your needs.

Research Training and Career Development

Training and career support for scientists, fellows, and trainees at the undergraduate, predoctoral, postdoctoral, early career, and mid-career levels.

Research and Development

NIH supports a wide variety of research and development programs, including capacity building, conferences and meetings, research projects (small, large, exploratory, pilots), and resource programs.

Construction and Modernization

NIH enhances biomedical research through support for construction, renovation, and modernization of new or existing physical infrastructure, e.g., buildings, facilities, laboratories, and fixed equipment.

Small Business

Support for U.S. small businesses (including minority-, women-, veteran-owned and HUBZone companies) to stimulate technological innovation, pursue research and development, and commercialize biomedical products in NIH areas of science.

Supplemental Funding

For currently funded NIH grants, supplemental funding may be available through competing revisions to expand a project's scope and administrative supplements to meet unanticipated costs, promote workforce diversity, or support career re-entry without a change of scope.

Loan Repayment Programs

To retain and recruit professionals in biomedical or biobehavioral careers, NIH repays educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in research relevant to our scientific mission.

NIH uses legally binding contracts to acquire goods and services (e.g., research and development work) to support research and research-related activities.

Other Transactions

Though statutory authority, NIH may fund unique legal agreements for a specific function, initiative, program, project, or research. These transactions are not grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements.

Challenges and Prizes

To address special problems and challenges in biomedical research, NIH competitions and prizes solicit, showcase, and support participants’ transformative solutions and achievements.

Extramural Diversity

Learn how diversity supports our mission, find opportunities to participate in diversity programs, and more.

Full list of Activity Codes

  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Turning Discovery into Health

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Grants & funding.

The National Institutes of Health is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. The NIH invests most of its nearly $48 billion budget in medical research seeking to enhance life and to reduce illness and disability. NIH-funded research has led to breakthroughs and new treatments helping people live longer, healthier lives, and building the research foundation that drives discovery.

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Three scientists wearing goggles looking at a test tube.

Grants Home Page

NIH’s central resource for grants and funding information.

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Laboratory glassware with colorful liquid.

Find Funding

NIH offers funding for many types of grants, contracts, and even programs that help repay loans for researchers.

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Calendar page

Grant applications and associated documents (e.g., reference letters) are due by 5:00 PM local time of application organization on the specified due date.

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Close-up of a red submit key on a computer keyboard.

How to Apply

Instructions for submitting a grant application to NIH and other Public Health Service agencies.

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Female researcher in the laboratory.

As you begin your journey in search of NIH grant funding, learn about the structure of NIH and why it’s important to successfully navigate the grants process.

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Binder with papers on office desk.

Policy & Compliance

By accepting a grant award, recipients agree to comply with the requirements in the NIH Grants Policy Statement unless the notice of award states otherwise.

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Blue blog key on a computer keyboard.

Grants News/Blog

News, updates, and blog posts on NIH extramural grant policies, processes, events, and resources.

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Scientist flipping through a report in the laboratory.

Explore opportunities at NIH for research and development contract funding.

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Smiling female researcher.

Loan Repayment

The NIH Loan Repayment Programs repay up to $50,000 annually of a researcher’s qualified educational debt in return for a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research.

Connect with Us

  • More Social Media from NIH

IMAGES

  1. Dr. Bang Hoang, recipient of 1st Sarcoma Strong/MSTS research grant

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  2. Research Grant Project Activity

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  3. FREE 10+ Research Grant Proposal Samples & Templates in MS Word

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  4. Getting Research Grants 101

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  5. What is Research Grant?

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  6. Research Project & Grant

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COMMENTS

  1. Funding at NSF | NSF - National Science Foundation

    The U.S. National Science Foundation offers hundreds of funding opportunities — including grants, cooperative agreements and fellowships — that support research and education across science and engineering. Search for funding. Search funded projects (awards)

  2. Research Projects | Grants & Funding - grants.nih.gov

    Research project grants support discrete, specified, circumscribed biomedical research and development at universities, medical and other health professional schools, colleges, hospitals, research institutes, for-profit organizations, and government institutions.

  3. 100 Places to Find Funding For Your Research - OEDB.org

    Learn where to get research funding to pay for your academic research. Knowing how to find grants can expand your research projects and enrich your studies.

  4. Funding Categories | Grants & Funding - grants.nih.gov

    At any given time, NIH has over 1,000 active funding opportunities that use various funding instruments and announce a broad range of programs. Explore these categories for insight into the funding landscape and discover programs that may address your needs. Research Training and Career Development.

  5. Home | Grants.gov

    How to manage passwords, find grantor contact information, find an applicant's UEI, and more. Learn more. Intro to Grants.gov - Applying for a Federal Grant on Grants.gov.

  6. Grants & Funding - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

    Find Funding. NIH offers funding for many types of grants, contracts, and even programs that help repay loans for researchers.