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
NIH Research Education Program - Research Experiences (Parent R25 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PA-27-036
NIH Collaborative International Research Project (Parent PF5 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PA-26-002
Biological Testing Facility for Contraception & Reproductive Health (X01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-111
NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) (R25 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-077
NIAID Resource-Related Research Projects (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-083
NIAID Investigator Initiated Program Project Applications (P01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-082
NIH Research Education Program - Courses, Curriculum & Methods (Parent R25 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PA-27-034
Limited Competition: Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence: Expansion/Sustainability Phases (COBRE-E/S) (P30 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-055
NIH Research Program Projects (Parent P01 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PA-27-061
Limited Competition: Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence: Development Phase (COBRE-D) (P30 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-054
Limited Competition: Institutional Development Award (IDeA) for Clinical & Translational Research (CTR) (P30 - CT Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-056
Implementation Science to Advance HIV Prevention, Treatment, and Care (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-AI-27-018
Research Opportunities in Cancer Epidemiology Cohort Studies (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-073
Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-072
Causal Hypotheses on the Oral-Systemic Health Impacts of Human Behaviors among People with Chronic Conditions (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-057
NIAID Clinical Trial Implementation Cooperative Agreement (U01 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-064
NIDCR Prospective Observational or Biomarker Validation Study Cooperative Agreement (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-058
Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-062
Institutional Mentored Career Development Award (Parent K12) (Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PA-27-030
Limited Competition: Small Grant Program for Mentored Research Career Development Award Recipients (R03) (Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-27-074
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.