Open federal grants for colleges and universities
467 open opportunities as of Oct 16, 2026.
Independent platform. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Data from public federal sources.
Colleges and universities are eligible for a large share of federal research and education funding. Notices list public and state institutions and private institutions separately, and many research programs also have rules about the lead investigator and the sponsored programs office that submits the application.
The list below shows every open opportunity in our database whose official notice lists colleges and universities as an eligible applicant type. Each listing links to a summary page and to the official notice.
Being in an eligible group is only the first check. Read the eligibility section of each notice for location, program focus, cost sharing and other conditions before you start an application.
Open opportunities
Mechanistic Evaluation of Therapeutic Targets derived from Treatable Traits to Improve CNS Outcomes in People with HIV (R21/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-MH-27-125
Alzheimer's Drug-Development Program (U01 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-297
Priority HIV/AIDS Research within the Mission of NIDDK (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAS-25-073
BRAIN Initiative: Theories, Models and Methods for Analysis of Complex Data from the Brain (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-DA-27-004
NIDA Research Education Program for Clinical Researchers and Clinicians (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-204
NIA Academic Leadership Career Award (K07 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-321
Career Transition Award for NINDS Intramural Clinician-Scientists (K22 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-216
Career Transition Award for NINDS Intramural Clinician-Scientists (K22 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-215
Leveraging Network Infrastructure to Conduct Innovative Research for Women, Children, Pregnant and Lactating Women, and Persons with Disabilities (UG3/UH3 - Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-311
Toward Translation of Nanotechnology Cancer Interventions (TTNCI; R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-336
Innovative Screening Approaches and Therapies for Screenable Disorders in Newborns (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-265
Pilot Projects Investigating Understudied Proteins Associated with Rare Diseases (R03 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-122
Innovative Screening Approaches and Therapies for Screenable Disorders in Newborns (R21 - Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-266
Basic Research in Cancer Health Disparities (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-244
Pilot Studies of Biological, Behavioral and Social Mechanisms Contributing to HIV Pathogenesis Within the Mission of NIDDK (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-068
Chemical Countermeasures Research Program (CCRP) Initiative: Basic Research on The Deleterious Effects of Acute Exposure to Ultra-Potent Synthetic (UPS) Opioids (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-DA-26-034
Accelerating the Pace of Substance Use Research Using Existing Data (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-DA-26-055
Accelerating the Pace of Substance Use Research Using Existing Data (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-DA-26-056
Catalyze: Product Definition for Small Molecules, Biologics and Combination Products - Target Identification and Validation, and Preliminary Product/Lead Series Identification (R61/R33 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-HL-26-017
Catalyze Product Definition Medical Device prototype design/testing and disease target identification and assay development (R61/R33 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-HL-26-019
Frequently asked questions
Does being listed as eligible mean my organization qualifies?
No. The applicant type is only the first filter. Most notices add more conditions, such as location, program focus, matching funds or prior experience. Read the eligibility section of the official notice before you apply.
Is GovGrantsUSA a government website?
No. GovGrantsUSA is an independent platform operated by VRLY Ventures LLC. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Opportunity details are summarized from public federal sources such as Grants.gov.
Does it cost anything to apply for a federal grant?
Searching for and applying to federal grants on Grants.gov is free. Be wary of anyone who asks for a fee to "release" a grant or guarantees an award.
How current is this information?
Listings are refreshed from public federal data every day, and each page shows when it was last updated. Agencies can change or cancel a notice at any time, so always confirm details in the official notice.
What do I need before I can apply?
Most applicants through Grants.gov need an active SAM.gov registration with a Unique Entity ID (UEI), a Login.gov account and a Grants.gov account linked to their organization. Registration can take several weeks, so start early.