Featured Opportunities

July 15, 2026

• The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program (RII-FEC) program (formerly known as “EPSCoR Track-2 program”) builds interjurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focus areas consistent with the current National Science Foundation Strategic Plan. Projects are investigator-driven and must include researchers from at least two EPSCoR eligible jurisdictions with complementary expertise and resources necessary to address challenges, which neither party could address as well or as rapidly independently. FEC projects have a comprehensive and integrated vision to drive discovery and build sustainable STEM capacity that exemplifies institutional, geographic, and disciplinary diversity. The projects’ STEM research and education activities seek to broaden participation through the strategic inclusion and integration of all individuals, institutions, and sectors. Additionally, EPSCoR recognizes that the development of early-career faculty is critical to sustaining and advancing research capacity. NSF typically provides a focus area for this program every two years which is announced in a Dear Colleague Letter. So far, it is not known what the focus area is for this year. NSF says that this will come out with a new RFA for the program. They expect to release this in a timely manner. This is a limited submission program. The Office Research Development is setting a preliminary notification (working title, team list, short synopsis) date of 9/3/2026 and an internal proposal date of 10/3/2026 following the date pattern from last year. Once the RFA comes out we will adjust the timeline accordingly.
• The Department of State, Fulbright Canada Scholar Entrepreneurship Award is designed for U.S. scholars aiming to explore the real-world application, commercialization, or broader societal impact of their work. As part of the Fulbright Canada Entrepreneurship Initiative, this award enhances the Traditional Fulbright Canada Scholar experience by offering specialized resources and mentorship aimed at helping researchers turn ideas into action, whether through commercialization, policy innovation, or social enterprise development. This award is ideal for academics whose work intersects with innovation, applied research, or systems-level change. It offers a unique opportunity to develop new collaborations, deepen North American impact, and contribute to entrepreneurial ecosystems in both Canada and the United States.
• The purpose of the Department of Agriculture, NIFA’s Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education, and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants Program (SPECA) program is to award grants to; enhance curricula in agricultural education, increase faculty teaching competencies, interest young people in pursuing higher education in order to prepare for scientific and professional careers in the food and agricultural sciences, promote the incorporation of agriscience and agribusiness subject matter into other instructional programs, particularly classes in science, business, and consumer education, facilitate joint initiatives by the grant recipient with other secondary schools, institutions of higher education that award an associate degree, and institutions of higher education that award a bachelor's degree to maximize the development and use of resources, such as faculty, facilities, and equipment, to improve agriscience and agribusiness education, support other initiatives designed to meet local, State, regional, or national needs related to promoting excellence in agriscience and agribusiness education; and support current agriculture in the classroom programs for grades K–12. Applications may only be submitted by: (1) public secondary schools 20 U.S.C. 7801(45), (2) public or private nonprofit junior and community colleges, (3) institutions of higher education (20 U.S.C. 1001), or (4) nonprofit organizations (Attach IRS 501(c)(3) status under R&R 'Other Project Information' Field 12 Other Attachments).
• The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Public Humanities Projects program supports projects that bring the ideas of the humanities to life for general audiences through public programming. Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history. Awards support projects that are intended to reach broad and diverse public audiences in non-classroom settings in the United States. Projects should engage with ideas that are accessible to the general public and employ appealing interpretive formats. All projects must focus on one of the following topic areas: 1) The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence; 2) American Military Valor; 3) The American Dream and Economic Freedom; and 4) America’s Role on a Global Scale. Public Humanities Projects supports two categories, Historic Places and Exhibitions, at two funding levels (Planning and Implementation). Proposed projects may include complementary components: for example, a museum exhibition might be accompanied by a website or mobile app.
• The Princeton Lewis Center’s Hodder Fellowship will be given to artists and writers of exceptional promise to pursue independent projects at Princeton University during the academic year. Potential Hodder Fellows are composers, choreographers, performance artists, visual artists, writers, translators, or other kinds of artists or humanists who have “much more than ordinary intellectual and literary gifts”; they are selected more “for promise than for performance.” Given the strength of the applicant pool, most successful Fellows have published a first book or have similar achievements in their own fields; the Hodder is designed to provide Fellows with the “studious leisure” to undertake significant new work.
• The goal of the National Science Foundation’s Nanoscale Interactions program is to support research to advance fundamental and quantitative understanding of the interactions of nanomaterials and nanosystems with biological and environmental media. Materials of interest include one- to three-dimensional nanostructures, heterogeneous nano-bio hybrid assemblies, dendritic and micelle structures, quantum dots, and other nanoparticles. Such nanomaterials and systems frequently exhibit novel physical, chemical, photonic, electronic, and biological behavior as compared to the bulk scale. Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged.
• The Kansas State University Johnson Cancer Research Center, through its Innovative Research Awards, will offer seed funding for research projects that aim to generate data for future grant proposals. All full faculty affiliated with the center are eligible to apply. Awards will be made on a competitive basis, with funding amounts capped at $25,000 per project due to budget limitations. Budgets that exceed this will not be reviewed. While larger funding requests may be considered, applicants seeking such support must consult with Dr. Ryan J. Rafferty prior to submission. Please note that proposals requesting sustained funding for full-time research assistants or postdoctoral fellows will not be considered. Additionally, funding cannot be used for major equipment purchases, faculty summer salaries, travel, or graduate student salaries. A progress report is required for award recipients to remain eligible for future funding opportunities. Funds must be spent within one year.
• The Department of Health and Humans Services, NIH’s Director's Early Independence Award helps exceptional new scientists start independent research careers right after finishing their doctoral degree or clinical training, forgoing postdoctoral training. This award is intended for early-stage investigators who have a record of scientific innovation and research productivity and have demonstrated unusual scientific vision and maturity. This is a limited submission program with K-State only allowed to submit 2 proposals. Thus, if you are interested in submitting to it, you must first contact the Office of Research Development via ordlmitedsubs@ksu.edu.
• The Department of Energy (DOE) Science, Technology, and Policy Program (DOE-STP) is designed to provide opportunities for students, postgraduates, and faculty to participate in programs, projects, and activities at the Department. Fellows will receive hands-on experience that provides an understanding of the mission, operations, and culture of the DOE. As a result, fellows will gain deep insight into the federal government's role in the creation and implementation of energy technology policies; apply their scientific, policy, and technical knowledge to the development of solutions to issues of importance to the DOE and continue their education and involvement in areas that support the DOE mission either in a technical or policy-related role. The DOE-STP- Minerals Processing Technology and Policy Fellowship seeks a fellow who will join the Energy Sector Industrial Base (ESIB) Team within the Analysis and Strategy Office and participate in the team’s analytical activities. The ESIB Team develops work products to inform U.S. government strategies and positions to ensure the United States has the materials and production capabilities for a resilient energy supply chain. This project seeks a fellow with a background in mineral processing/refining. Securing critical minerals and materials (CMMs) is a priority of the administration and DOE, necessitating substantial research and analysis to support decision-making. The selected fellow will engage in the following activities during the appointment: 1) Conduct research and analysis on CMM technologies and markets; 2) Learn to craft materials for senior leadership and respond to requests thereof (e.g., papers, presentations, and briefings); 3) Participate in program design and implementation; 4) Develop, implement, and automate new analytical tools and methodologies; 5) Build relationships with other offices and stakeholders; and 6) Additional projects as they become available.
• The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through A Science of Science Approach to Analyzing and Innovating the Biomedical Research Enterprise (SoS:BIO) are interested in proposals that will propel our understanding of the biomedical research enterprise by drawing from the scientific expertise of the science of science policy research community. This partnership will result in a portfolio of high-quality research to provide scientific analysis of important aspects of the biomedical research enterprise and efforts to foster a diverse, innovative, productive and efficient scientific workforce, from which future scientific leaders will emerge.
• AAUW’s proud tradition of funding women pursuing higher education is anchored in its American Fellowship – AAUW’s flagship initiative. The American Doctoral Fellowship, in particular, offsets scholars’ expenses during one year of their doctoral program and deepens AAUW’s impact by accelerating diversity, equity, and inclusion in academia. The American Doctoral Fellowship is open to women in all fields of study, though those engaged in science, technology, engineering, and math fields, or those researching gender issues, are especially encouraged to apply. Established in 1888, AAUW American Fellowships are the oldest non-institutional source of graduate funding for women in the United States.