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
Development and Testing of Novel Interventions to Improve HIV Prevention, Treatment, and Program Implementation for People Who Use Substances (R34 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-329
Air Delivered Effects
Munitions Directorate · FA865122S0001
Animal Food Regulatory Program Standards Implementation Development and Maintenance, with Mutual Reliance Initiatives Clinical Trials Not Allowed
Food and Drug Administration · PAR-25-003
Short Courses on Innovative Methodologies and Approaches in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (R25 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-OD-25-003
Computational Approaches to Curation at Scale for Biomedical Research Assets (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-131
Emergency Competitive Revision to Existing NIH Awards (Emergency Supplement - Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PA-24-201
Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers Program (P30 Clinical Trials Optional)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-ES-25-002
NHLBI Outstanding Investigator Award (OIA) (R35 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-HL-26-002
NHLBI Emerging Investigator Award (EIA) (R35 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-HL-26-003
LPS Qubit Collaboratory (LQC)
Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command · W911NF21S0009
Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · PA-24-175
Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment or Prevention (SBIRT/P) for alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) use and misuse in adult populations that experience health disparities (R01, Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-26-001
Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PA-24-191
NIH Pathway to Independence Award (Parent K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · PA-24-193
New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-272
Summer Research Education Experience Program (R25 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-204
New Approaches for Measuring Brain Changes Across Longer Timespans (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-279
Pilot Health Services and Economic Research on the Treatment of Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use Disorders (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-100
Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Parent K01 - Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · PA-24-176
Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (Parent K25 Independent Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · PA-24-190
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.