Resources For Research Funding

Who Funds What

National Science Foundation (NSF)                

Funds: Research in science, math, engineering, social science and  education, STEM education initiatives, fellowships, instrumentation

Comments: Largest funder of academic research. Tend to fund basic research. Will not fund human disease-focused research or research in the humanities.

National Institutes of Health (NIH): Parent Announcements, RFAs, PAs

Funds: Basic and applied research related to human health, including social sicence research. Fellowships, instrumentation, training grants.

Comments: Part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Research must have implications for enhancement of health, lengthening live, and reduction of the burdens of illness and disability. 

Department of Education: Institute for Education Science, Office of Postsecondary Education

Funds: Research on education from pre-school through higher education and adult education.

Comments: Main research programs funded through Institute for Education Research (IES) and Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE). Research should be oriented toward development and implementation of educational interventions. 

U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and Agriculture, Food Research Initiative (AFRI)

Funds: Funds a wide range of food and agriculture research, including biotechnology, genomics, pest management, biofuels, childhood obesity and more. Also funds fellowships.

Comments: Most research funding is available through AFRI. USDA also teams with other agencies (NSF, DoD) for some grant programs.

National Endowment for the Humanities

Funds: Humanities research, fellowships, humanities initiatives, collections and education in the humanities.

Comments: Latest news by NEH division is available here.

See the entire table (pdf)

Private Foundations That Fund Academic Research: A Quick Guide (pdf)

Other Resources about Research Funding