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
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Intermediate Patient Population Expanded Access (U01 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-NS-26-001
Early-Stage Innovative Technology Development for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R61 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-CA-27-001
Advanced Development and Validation of Emerging Technologies for Basic and Clinical Cancer Research (R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-CA-27-002
Clinical Research Network on Antimicrobial Resistance (UM1 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-AI-27-005
Infectious Diseases Clinical Trials Network (IDCTN) (UM1 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-AI-27-002
Data Coordinating Center for the Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Brain Atlas (AD-MBA) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-AG-27-010
Limited Competition: NIH Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH) (SB0 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-OD-27-009
Pilot Projects to Enhance the Human Virome Program (R03 Clinical Trials Not Allowed)
National Institutes of Health · RFA-RM-27-024
NCCIH Natural Product Mid Phase Clinical Trial (R01 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-271
NCCIH Natural Product Early Phase Clinical Trial Phased Innovation Award (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-269
NCCIH Natural Product Early Phase Clinical Trial Award (R33 Clinical Trial Required)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-270
NIDA Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Program Award in Substance Use and Substance Use Disorder Research (K12 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-24-089
Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Small Research Grant (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)
National Institutes of Health · PAR-25-370
OJJDP FY 2026 Internet Crimes Against Children On-Line Child Protection System (ICACCOPS)
Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention · O-OJJDP-2026-172740
NIJ FY 2026 Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP)
National Institute of Justice · O-NIJ-2026-172798
OJJDP FY 2026 Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence
Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention · O-OJJDP-2026-172752
OJJDP FY 2026 Mentoring for Youth Impacted by Opioids and Other Substance Use
Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention · O-OJJDP-2026-172743
NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Human Trafficking
National Institute of Justice · O-NIJ-2026-172799
NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Justice System Responses to Illegal Immigration
National Institute of Justice · O-NIJ-2026-172800
NIJ FY 2026 Crime and Justice Research
National Institute of Justice · O-NIJ-2026-172801
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.