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
Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network (GTN) (U19 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-CA-27-005
Genesis Mission Graduate Fellowship Pilot
Office of Science · DE-FOA-0003673
Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 AmeriCorps State and National Competitive Grants
AmeriCorps · AC-08-28-26
National Digital Newspaper Program
National Endowment for the Humanities · 20270113-PJ
HEAL Initiative: Studies to Enable Analgesic Discovery (R61/R33 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-NS-25-023
National Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program (BREP) - FY2026/27
DOC NOAA - ERA Production · NOAA-NMFS-FHQ-2027-33398
Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) (T32)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-128
Tribal Undergraduate to Graduate Research Training and Leadership Experiences (TURTLE) Program (UE5/T32)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-235
Tribal Undergraduate to Graduate Research Training and Leadership Experiences (TURTLE) Program (UE5/T34)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-236
Cancer Advancement through Partnerships in Research and Infrastructure (CAPRI) (U54 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-28-062
National Centers for Cryo-electron Tomography (cryoET) (R24 -Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-26-138
HEAL Initiative: Integrative Management of chronic Pain and OUD for Whole Recovery (IMPOWR) - Building Engagement, Assistance, Capacity, Outreach, and Networks (BEACON) Center (U2C Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-DA-28-012
HEAL Initiative: Integrative Management of Chronic Pain and OUD for Whole Recovery (IMPOWR): Research Centers (RM1 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-DA-28-011
Biomedical Research Environment and Sponsored Programs Administration Development (BRE-SPAD) Program (UC2- Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-268
Diabetes Research Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-DK-26-310
Specialized Alcohol Research Centers (P50 Clinical trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-AA-28-001
Translational Neural Devices (R61/R33 - Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-053
BRAIN Initiative: Preclinical Proof of Concept for Novel Recording and Modulation Technologies in the Human CNS (R18 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-NS-24-031
Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics (MMS)
U.S. National Science Foundation · 19-575
Minor Use Minor Species Development of Drugs (R01)
Food and Drug Administration · PAR-24-216
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.