Selected Open Funding Opportunities
RDO curates this list of open funding opportunities in the Humanities, Arts, and Interpretive Social Sciences to highlight large, collaborative, and/or strategic funding opportunities that may be of particular interest to the Stanford community. Opportunity descriptions have been compiled from funder announcements, program solicitations, and CFR. This page will be updated regularly to spotlight new opportunities. See RDO's archive (SUNet ID required) for opportunities previously featured on this list.
| Title/Sponsor | Deadline | Description | Amount/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSF Linguistics Program | 7/15/25 | The Linguistics Program supports basic science in the domain of human language, encompassing investigations of the grammatical properties of individual human languages, and of natural language in general. Research areas include syntax, semantics, morphology, phonetics and phonology. | Varies depending on project types |
| Wenner-Gren Engaged Research Grant | 8/1/25 | This program supports longstanding research partnerships that empower those who have historically been the subjects of anthropological research through collaboration and engagement. It is open to applicants with PhDs in anthropology and related fields. | $25,000 |
| NSF Science and Technology Studies | 8/4/25 | 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. | Varies depending on project types |
| Templeton Foundation Open Funding Inquiry | 8/15/25 | The Templeton Foundation funds research “that inspire people with awe and wonder.” Funding areas include Character Virtue Development; Religion, Science, & Society; and Public Engagement. Templeton invites funding inquiries on a rolling basis, but they are reviewed annually at this time. | Varies |
| Kress Foundation History of Art and Digital Art History Grants | 9/1/25 | These programs support projects that will enhance the study of European works of art and architecture from antiquity to the early 19th century. History of Art grants must address this subject; Digital Art History grants are also offered to promising initiatives in online publishing and for innovative experiments in the field of digital art history. | Varies |
| Robert Wood Johnson Fdn Exploring Equitable Futures | rolling through 10/15/25 |
This call for proposals supports projects that seed new and unconventional ideas that could radically advance health equity for generations to come. The foundation seeks to fund projects that We aim to fund projects that:
|
Varies |
Federal (and some non-federal) opportunities are subject to the university's Facilities & Administration (F&A) cost rates. For many foundation funders, the university has approved lower rates, which can be found in the Pre-Approved IDC Exception List.
For some foundations you must request clearance to apply. Be sure to check CFR's Clearance Restricted Foundations list before submitting a letter of inquiry or proposal.
Recurring Funding Opportunities by Topic
- Digital Humanities Research, last update June 2025
- Public Humanities Research, last update June 2025
- Funding Opportunities for Collaborative Research from the National Endowment for the Humanities, last update May 2023
- Recurring Limited Submissions Programs
Other Resources
- RDO Arts & Humanities Funding Newsletter: This newsletter features timely, curated internal and external funding opportunities to support scholarly endeavors in these fields.
- Navigating Grant Preparation at Stanford provides guides from our team on how to submit grants as a Stanford PI and how to conceptualize and solicit institutional support.
- Stanford University's Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) maintains a more comprehensive list of foundation funding opportunities. The CFR team can also provide insight around funding priorities and application processes for private funders, as well as tailored prospect research.
- DoResearch's Find Funding links to university-supported resources, including Pivot and grants.gov, that allow the user to search funding opportunities in their area(s) of interest.
- The National Research Council (NRC) has identified a list of awards in a range of disciplines that include research/scholarship awards, fellowships, and memberships in honorary societies.
Funding Opportunities in Other Disciplines
- The RDO team also curates a list of funding opportunities for researchers in STEM*, including social scientists who employ quantitative methods.
- The Research Management Group at Stanford's School of Medicine keeps a list of funding opportunities for medical researchers.