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Independent federal grant matching. Not affiliated with any government agency. Get free access and see which open grants fit your organization.

Open federal grants for colleges and universities

468 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

Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for NIDDK K01/K08/K23/K25 Recipients (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-091

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Up to: $75,000 Health

Academic-Industrial Partnerships for Translation of Technologies for Diagnosis and Treatment (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-337

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Up to: $499,000 Education

Interventions to Address Disparities in Liver Diseases and Liver Cancer (R01 - Clinical Trials Optional)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-299

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Health

Exploratory/Developmental Bioengineering Research Grants (EBRG) (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-321

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Health

NIDCD Research Dissertation Fellowship for Au.D. Audiologists (F32)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-250

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Health

NEI Clinical Research Study Planning Grant Program (R34 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-358

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Up to: $150,000 Health

Exploratory/Developmental Bioengineering Research Grants (EBRG) (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-346

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Health

Innovative Mental Health Services Research Not Involving Clinical Trials (R01 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-283

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Health

NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required)

National Institutes of Health · PA-25-305

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Income security and social services

Innovative Pilot Mental Health Services Research Not Involving Clinical Trials (R34 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-284

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Up to: $225,000 Health

Academic-Industrial Partnerships for Translation of Technologies for Diagnosis and Treatment (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-338

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Up to: $499,000 Health

The Role of Work in Health Disparities in the U.S. (R01 Clinical Trials Optional)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-292

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Health

NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · PA-25-304

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Education

NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Project Grant (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Required)

National Institutes of Health · PA-25-306

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Health

Advancing Healthcare for Older Adults from Populations that Experience Health Disparities (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-273

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Health

Neuromodulation/Neurostimulation Device Development for Mental Health Applications (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-287

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Health

Pilot Effectiveness Trials for Post-Acute Interventions and Services to Optimize Longer-term Outcomes (R01 Clinical Trial Required)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-206

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Health

NCMRR Early Career Research Award (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)

National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-124

Deadline: Jan 7, 2028 (448 days left) Up to: $200,000 Education

Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (StARR) (R38 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

National Institutes of Health · RFA-HL-26-012

Deadline: Jan 10, 2028 (451 days left) Health

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.