Selected Open Funding Opportunities
RDO curates this list of open funding opportunities in STEM* to highlight large, collaborative, and/or strategic funding opportunities that may be of particular interest to the Stanford community. Please note that STEM* includes social sciences that utilize quantitative methods.
Summaries of selected funding opportunities have been compiled from Grants.gov, Grants.ca.gov, and other agency announcements below. See our Find Funding Overview for more ways to search funding opportunities in your area of interest. This page will be regularly updated to spotlight new opportunities.
Looking for something you've seen here in the past? Review past opportunities in our archive (SUNet ID required).
Federal
| Title/Sponsor | Next Deadline | Description | Amount/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSF RITEL: Research on Innovative Technologies for Enhanced Learning (NSF 23-624) | 11/04/25 | Supports early-stage research in emerging technologies such as AI, robotics and immersive or augmenting technologies for teaching and learning that respond to pressing needs in real-world educational environments. RITEL is an exploratory research program that serves as an incubator to support cutting-edge research in advanced learning and teaching technologies. Research should be theory-driven and apply human-centered design methods to explore proof-of-concept or feasibility of innovative learning technologies in support of new learning and/or teaching experiences. Emerging and innovative technologies have the potential to reshape teaching and learning processes, which in turn can influence new technology designs. RITEL encourages projects that explore new ideas and involve risk. RITEL is unique in its requirement that projects must advance fundamental research in both learning (and/or teaching) and technology. | Up to $900k over 3 years |
| NSF Science and Technology Studies (NSF 22-629) | 02/02/26 or 08/03/26 | The STS program supports proposals across a broad spectrum of research that uses historical, philosophical and social scientific methods to investigate STEM theory and practice. STS research may be empirical or conceptual; specifically, it may focus on the intellectual, material or social facets of STEM including interdisciplinary studies of ethics, equity, governance and policy issues. This is a program with regular annual due dates. | Up to $1,000,000, depending on the grant type. |
| NSF Growing Convergence Research (NSF 24-527) | 02/09/26 | The aim of GCR is to cultivate and grow the earliest foundations of convergent approaches for addressing a specific and compelling problem. As such, proposals submitted to this solicitation are expected to explore novel avenues not previously investigated that are at the forefront of advancing science through deep integration. Proposers must make a convincing case that the research to be conducted is within NSF's purview, integrates across NSF directorate or division boundaries, and is currently not supported by other NSF programs or solicitations. | Propose 5-year plan, Phase I (yr 1-2) up to $1.2M, Phase II (yr 3-5) up to $2.4M |
| NSF FIRE: Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education (PD 25-345Y) | 02/10/26 | The Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education (FIRE) program invites innovative multidisciplinary and multisector investigations focused on convergent research and education activities in wildland fire. All areas of science, engineering, and education supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation are included in this program. Projects developed by a wide array of groups including, for example, academics, educators, scientists, community members, students, industry partners, practitioners, resource managers, and Tribal representatives, working together to generate new knowledge of the interactions among biological, social, geoscientific, and engineering processes encompassing multiple fields, scales, and perspectives on wildland fire are encouraged. To advance convergent research and education in wildland fire science, FIRE proposals should demonstrate strengths in one or more of the following areas: (1) new advances in data collection, storage, and sharing relevant to wildland fire dynamics, including Earth observations; (2) new modeling and computational approaches to understand wildland fire (including artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches); (3) new understanding of the cross-scale interactions of wildland fire across local, regional and global extents; (4) new insights into community adaptation and governance relevant to wildland fire; (5) new approaches to reduce the vulnerability of built infrastructure, natural fuels, and social systems to wildland fire; and (6) engagement of a variety of community members and stakeholders to promote a forward-looking approach to wildland fire science. | Concept outlines to program officers up to 30 days before proposal submission are encouraged; due date window June 12-20, 2025; proposals due annually Feb 3-10 after |
| NSF Expeditions in Computing (NSF 20-544) | 06/22/26 | Seeks ambitious, fundamental research agendas that promise to define the future of computing and information. Investigators are strongly encouraged to come together within or across departments or institutions to combine their creative talents in the identification of compelling, transformative research agendas that look ahead by at least a decade and promise disruptive innovations in computer and information science and engineering for many years to come. | up to $15M over 7 years; has historically been solicited every 2 years |
| DOE Office of Science "Open Call" (DE-FOA-0003600) | rolling through 9/30/26 | The FY 2026 Continuation of Solicitation for the Office of Science Financial Assistance Program (aka "open call") is the Office of Science's (SC's) annual open solicitation that covers all research areas in the Office's Divisions and is open throughout the Fiscal Year. Any research within SC’s Congressionally authorized mission may be proposed under this NOFO, including larger multi-PI proposals. |
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| DOD R&D Directed Energy University Assistance Instruments | rolling through 07/18/29 | The AFRL Directed Energy Directorate is interested in receiving applications under this announcement to establish assistance agreements with U.S. /U.S. territories’ colleges and universities for directed energy-related basic, applied, and advanced research projects that provide a public purpose and are of interest to the Department of Defense mission. The scope of the research will include the entire spectrum of directed energy technology applicable to the Air Force, including all tangentially related directed energy. The research shall include, but not be limited to the following Core Technical Competencies (CTCs): Laser Systems, Directed Energy and Electro-Optics for Space Superiority, High Power Electromagnetics, and Weapons Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis. | Rolling deadlines annually through 2029 or until $49M program ceiling is met |
| NSF MultiPLEX: Multilateral Partnerships Leveraging Excellence (PD-24-7298) | open, full proposals accepted anytime | The Office of International Science and Engineering’s MultiPLEx program seeks to support visionary, and ambitious international multilateral research partnerships that are required to hasten progress in addressing grand challenges by leveraging research excellence in the U.S. and around the globe. The program also seeks to advance understanding of effective multilateral collaboration. MultiPLEx funds support the U.S. research team. Research partners should seek funding from their own national funding agencies or from other sources. Proposals submitted to MultiPLEX must fall outside the scope of existing OISE or directorate programs. | Funding levels vary, typically up to 3 years duration; highly recommended to contact Program Officer |
| NSF RISBS: Research Infrastructure in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (PD 23-277Y) | open, full proposals accepted anytime | RISBS supports projects that create computational tools and data to facilitate basic research in the social and behavioral sciences that can lead to improved health, prosperity and security. Projects should be aimed at creating computational tools and data to enable research by social scientists. Examples include, but are not limited to, data collection or assembly efforts that result in new resources for a community of researchers or software platforms that facilitate data collection efforts by others. RISBS does not support research by PIs except in service of creation of the infrastructure. Innovation is especially encouraged. |
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| NSF Environmental Sustainability (PD 23-7643) | open, full proposals accepted anytime | The goal of the Environmental Sustainability program is to promote sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining natural (environmental) systems. These systems provide ecological services vital for human survival. Research efforts supported by the program typically consider long time horizons and may incorporate contributions from the social sciences and ethics. The program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions. |
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| NSF Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research (NSF 23-578) | open, full proposals accepted anytime | The Innovation Program supports research to design novel or greatly improved research tools and methods that advance contemporary biology in any research area supported by the Directorate for Biological Sciences at NSF. The Innovation Program focuses on research infrastructure that is broadly applicable to researchers in three programmatic areas: Bioinformatics, Instrumentation, and Research Methods. Infrastructure supported by this program is expected to advance biological understanding by improving scientists’ abilities to manipulate, control, analyze, or measure critical aspects of biological systems, which can be essential for addressing important fundamental research questions. |
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| NSF Infrastructure Capacity for Biological Research (NSF 23-580) | open, full proposals accepted anytime | The Capacity Program focuses on building capacity in research infrastructure that is broadly applicable to a wide range of researchers in three programmatic areas: Cyberinfrastructure, Biological Collections, and Biological Field Stations and Marine Laboratories. This program will also accept proposals for planning activities or workshops to facilitate coordination that may be necessary in building capacity in infrastructure that meets the needs of a research community. Areas not included in this program are instrumentation (PIs should submit to the MRI program) and, projects that develop infrastructure for a specific research project, laboratory, or institution (PIs should submitted to the relevant BIO programs that would normally support that research). |
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Find medical-related funding opportunities at Stanford Medicine's Research Management Group
State
| Title/Sponsor | Deadline | Description | Amount/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEC: Cost Share for Federal Clean Energy Funding Opportunities (GFO-21-901) | open, no deadline | Opportunity to apply for State cost share for federal clean energy funding opportunities. Lists specific federal opportunities in the solicitation, and also includes link to a form to suggest additional federal programs beyond those that are listed. | Workshop presentation slides (ppt file) |
| CEC: Evaluating Air Quality, Health, and Equity in CA's Clean Energy Transition | not yet released | To advance research on air quality and health impacts of clean energy transitions in CA and to develop framework to equitably allocate benefits of energy transition fairly among under-resourced communities | anticipated release date was March-June 2024, still to come |
| CEC: Modeling and Monitoring Air Quality and Co-benefits of Energy Interventions | not yet released | To improve existing ambient air quality modeling and measurement approaches and conduct analyses to quantify the air quality implications and related human health impacts of clean energy interventions across energy use sectors. | anticipated release April - July 2025 |
Find more funding opportunities from the State of California at the California Grants Portal
Foundations
| Title/Sponsor | Deadline | Description | Amount/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simons Foundation: Targeted Grants in Mathematics and Physical Sciences | Open | This program supports high-risk theoretical mathematics, physics, and computer science projects of exceptional promise and scientific importance on a case-by-case basis | Letter of inquiry accepted any time |
Find more funding opportunities from foundations at Stanford University Corporate and Foundation Relations
Other
Other funding opportunities can also be found on the funding page curated by Stanford's Office of Technology Licensing
Recurring Funding Opportunities by Topic
The RDO team has curated lists and gathered other resources on funding opportunities that recur and organized them by subject/topic
Funding Opportunities in the Humanities, Arts, and Interpretive Social Sciences
The RDO team also curates a list of funding opportunities for researchers in the Humanities, Arts, and Interpretive Social Sciences.