External Funding
External Funding Opportunities for Faculty and Graduate Students
Listed are many of the most common federal and state agencies and private foundations/corporations that typically fund research and scholarly activities.
External Funding
Federal
All federal funding opportunities can be found on Grants.gov. Go to the site to
search for funding by keyword or to browse opportunities by agency or category.
- US Department of Agriculture | Funding
Information
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You can narrow your search by eligibility to quickly find opportunities for private institutions of higher education. Fundable topics include: agriculture and food biosecurity; agricultural systems; animals and animal products; biotechnology and genomics; economics and commerce; education; families, youth, and communities; food, nutrition, and health; international issues; natural resources and environment; pest management; plants and plant products; technology and engineering.
- USDA Forest Service - US Department of Commerce
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Funding is allocated through the commerce bureaus. Some of the top bureaus to check for funding are: The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Economic Development Administration’s Research and National Technical Assistance Program.
- National Institute of Standards & Technology
- National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration - US Department of Defense
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The DoD funds projects focused on benefiting the missions of the Army, Navy and Air Force by investigating technology, engineering, and social sciences. The DoD also funds “Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs,” including those investigating ovarian cancer, breast cancer, deployment-related medical issues, Gulf War Illness, autism, prostate cancer, neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis complex, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Army Research Office
- Defense Sciences Office (DARPA)
- Office of Naval Research - US Department of Education | Funding Information
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There are nine offices that manage the different discretionary grant programs with the Department of Education: the Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students; the Institute of Education Sciences; the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; the Office of Postsecondary Education; the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; the Office of Vocational and Adult Education; the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, and the Office of Innovation and Improvement. The Institute of Education Sciences funds most of the research-based programs.
- Fund for the Improvement for Post Secondary Education - US Department of Energy | Funding Information
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The US Department of Energy funds basic energy sciences, high energy physics, nuclear physics, computing research, fusion energy sciences, biological and environmental research (as related to energy production), and workforce development for teachers and scientists.
- Health and Human Services | Funding Information
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HHS funding is granted through their various administrations, agencies and institutes:
- Administration for Children and Families
- Administration on Aging
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Food and Drug Administration
- Health Resources and Services Administration
- Indian Health Service
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- National Institutes of Health | Grant Information
- US Department of Housing and Urban Development | Funding Information
- US Department of the Interior
- US Fish and Wildlife Service
- US Geological Survey - US Department of Justice | Funding Information
- Office of Justice Programs
- National Institute of Justice - US Department of Labor | Funding Information
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Funding agencies under the US Department of Labor include:
- Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives
- Employment and Training Administration
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Mine Safety and Health Administration
- Bureau of International Labor Affairs
- Veterans' Employment and Training Service
- Office of Disability Employment Policy
- Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
- US Department of State
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The US Department of State funds international research opportunities through the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration; the Bureau Of Educational and Cultural Affairs; the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affair; the Ocean and International Environmental Scientific; and the Office to Monitor/Combat Trafficking in Persons.
- Bureau of Educational and Cultural Exchanges/ Fulbright Scholars - US Department of Transportation
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The DOT agencies fund many transportation-related initiatives. All of the agencies are listed here: http://www.dot.gov/DOTagencies.htm
- US Environmental Protection Agency | Funding Information
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The EPA supports a wide range of environmental research projects that examine clean air, drinking water, ecology, global change, human health, land, pesticides and toxic substances, and water quality.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Funding Information
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NASA supports research in science and technology, in order to further the knowledge of space and the capabilities of space exploration. RFPS include, but are not limited to: aeronautics research, science, space operations and exploration systems.
- National Endowment for the Arts | Funding Information
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NEA sponsors awards in the areas of arts education, dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literature, local arts agencies, media arts, multidisciplinary, museums, music, musical theater, opera, presenting, theater, and the visual arts.
- National Endowment for the Humanities | Funding Information
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NEH is an independent agency that funds research, education, preservation, and public programs within the humanities. Current interest includes Challenge Grants, digital humanities projects, educational programs, preservation and access projects, humanities research, and public programs.
- NEH Summer Stipends - National Science Foundation | Funding Information
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NSF mission centers on financing all fields of fundamental science and engineering, except for the medical sciences, which are funded by the NIH.
- Institute of Museum and Library services | Funding Information
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The Institute of Museum and Library Services’ current grant opportunities for private institutions of higher education include: Coming Up Taller, with projects focused on community engagement, informal learning, partnerships, and public programs; and the Laura Bush 21st-Century Librarian Program, which funds collections management, community engagement, conservation, formal education, informal learning, partnerships, professional development/continuing education, and research. There are also Museum Grants for African American History and Culture, National Leadership Grants, and Save America's Treasures awards.
- US Institute of Peace | Funding Information
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The US Institute of Peace holds annual and priority competitions for “peace-building projects.”
State
State Government:
- Illinois Arts Council | Funding Information
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Illinois Arts Council provides funding for fellowships, residencies, school arts programs, apprenticeships, literary awards, operating and project support for art programs.
- Illinois Board of Higher Education | Funding Information
- Illinois Department on Aging
- Illinois Department of Agriculture
- Illinois Department of Children & Family Services
- Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
- Illinois Department of Human Services | Funding Information
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources | Funding Information
- Illinois Department of Public Health | Funding Information
- Illinois Department of Transportation
- Illinois Department of Veteran’s Affairs
- Illinois Emergency Management Agency
- Illinois Humanities Council | Funding Information
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The IHC's community grants program accepts proposals from nonprofit organizations that have a story to tell about Illinois or who have a way to use the humanities to enrich community life. Mini grants are typically up to $2,000 and major grants are typically up to $10,000.
- Illinois State Board of Education | Funding Information
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Private Foundations/Corporations
Private Foundations/Corporations/Endowments
Note: Certain private foundations are "restricted" (e.g., will only make one award per year per institution) and so all proposals to foundations will be coordinated with the office of Corporate and Foundation Relations by the Office of Research Services.- Abbott Fund
- American Cancer Society
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses
- American Council of Learned Societies
- American Heart Association
- American Lung Association
- American Psychological Association
- Annenberg Foundation
- Baxter International
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund
- Camargo Foundation
- Carnegie Corporation
- Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Chicago Community Trust
- Crown Family Philanthropies
- Nathan Cummings Foundation
- Dana Foundation
- Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
- Ford Foundation
- Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- William T Grant Foundation
- Greenwall Foundation
- HF Guggenheim Foundation
- John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
- William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- The Joyce Foundation
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- The Kresge Foundation
- Lilly Endowment
- Lindbergh Foundation
- Louisville Institute
- John D. and Katherine T. MacArthur Foundation
- March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
- McCormick Tribune Foundation
- Mellon Foundation Fellowships
- Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
- David and Lucille Packard Foundation
- The Pew Charitable Trust
- Polk Bros. Foundation
- Resources for the Future
- Rockefeller Foundation
- Russell Sage Foundation
- Sara Lee Foundation
- Dr. Scholl Foundation
- Alfred P Sloan Foundation
- Soros Foundation/Open Society Institute
- Spencer Foundation
- Templeton Foundation
- UCLA CALDAR Summer Institute on Longitudinal Research
- Wabash Center