Featured Opportunities

December 10, 2025

• The Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) are excited to announce the launch of the Resilient Agriculture Finance and Insurance Research Collaborative, a research initiative to advance finance and insurance solutions that benefit U.S. farmers and ranchers. The Research Collaborative will solicit initial research proposals from researchers at U.S.-based land-grant universities and partners, beginning in early 2026. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to register for an interactive webinar at 1 pm CT on December 11 that will provide an opportunity for researchers to build new relationships with industry partners. The RFA will be released in January 2020. The research collaborative invites proposals led by academic institutions and encourages applications from land-grant universities or including land-grant institutions as a core partner. Co-PIs and collaborators may include universities, nonprofits, private-sector partners, or other organizations with the capacity to conduct applied research. Successful applications will involve engagement with one or multiple financial institutions or insurers. Finally, projects must focus on U.S. agriculture.
• Consumers are increasingly seeking functional beverages that support holistic health benefits rather than simply emphasizing protein content. There is growing interest in formats that deliver protein in ways that align with the body’s needs and can be consumed throughout the day. Consumers are seeking new-to-market functional beverages that not only deliver meaningful nutrition but also maintain great taste and visual appeal. Thus, PepsiCo is looking for protein ingredients and solutions (derived from dairy, plant, or alternative sources) that enable clear/transparent and shelf-stable beverages at neutral pH. Beverage formats may include still or carbonated, preserved or thermally treated options. They are specifically interested in ready-to-drink beverage applications. Their must-have requirements are: 1) Solubility, clear appearance, and heat stability in low-acid systems (pH 4.5 to 7.5) after thermal treatment (140–145°C for 6 seconds); 2) Ability to deliver a minimum of 20 g protein per 14 oz serving; 3) Clean taste and minimal to no off-notes (e.g., sulfur) in aroma and flavor after heat treatment and 4) Food-grade.
• Cargill operates multiple fermentation lines for products such as ethanol, lactic and citric acids, ketogluconic acid, and erythritol. Across these plants, a recurring set of performance metrics governs success: achieving high fermentation and downstream yield, reducing filter-aid and other consumables, limiting natural-gas/steam and electrical power use. Through their Optimizing Fermentation Manufacturing Processes Halo request, thy are looking for manufacturing technologies, equipment, and process innovations that can improve the performance of fermentation-based production lines for products such as ethanol, lactic and citric acids, ketogluconic acid, and erythritol. We are open to practical, scalable innovations that enhance fermentation and downstream yield, reduce consumable usage, and/or improve energy and resource efficiency across key operations such as fermentation, clarification/filtration, and distillation/concentration. Solutions of interest include: 1) Media preparation and nutrient packages; 2) Solutions around process yield and productivity; 3) Foam and contamination control systems for fermentation stability; 4) Membrane or hybrid clarification that reduces diatomaceous earth consumption; 5) High-efficiency aeration or agitation equipment for improved oxygen transfer; 6) Power-efficient aeration and agitation systems for reduced energy demand; 7) Low concentration recovery technologies for organic acid purification; 8) Solid-liquid separation technologies; 9)Energy-efficient distillation or evaporation systems; 10) Inline sensors and digital controls for optimized fermentation performance; and 11) Novel liquid–liquid separation or extraction technologies.
• Individuals undergoing or transitioning off weight-management programs frequently report reduced appetite, nausea, altered taste perception, diminished eating pleasure, stress, micronutrient deficiencies, and difficulty maintaining muscle mass or satiety. Even with structured plans, long-term weight regain remains common, highlighting the challenge of achieving durable results. While many rely on high-protein foods, micronutrients, gut-health solutions, and other supportive ingredients, significant gaps remain in addressing both the journey itself and the wide range of side effects. A Private Company via Halo, through its Supportive Ingredients for Healthier Weight Management call for proposal, believes it is possible to empower people on their weight-management journeys through science-backed ingredient solutions that go beyond basic nutrition. Innovations that enhance satiety, support muscle retention, promote digestive comfort, and restore the emotional and sensorial aspects of eating could help individuals and families sustain healthier habits and achieve more positive long-term outcomes. They are looking for innovative, science-backed ingredient solutions that can support individuals on weight-management journeys by improving nutrition, satiety, muscle maintenance, digestive comfort, and overall eating experience.
• Fulbright Canada’s Fulbright Specialist Award is designed to provide U.S. and Canadian faculty and professionals with opportunities to collaborate on curriculum and faculty development, institutional planning, and a variety of other activities. Short-term grants of two to six weeks are available to provide leading U.S. scholars and professionals with opportunities to collaborate with their Canadian counterparts. During the course of their grant, Fulbright Specialists may engage in any of the following activities at their Canadian host institution: 1) Conduct needs assessments, surveys, institutional or programmatic research; 2)Take part in specialized academic programs and conferences; 3) Consult with administrators and instructors of post-secondary institutions on faculty development; 4) Present lectures at graduate and undergraduate levels; 5) Participate in or lead seminars or workshops at overseas academic institutions; 6) Develop and/or assess academic curricula or educational materials; or 7) Conduct teacher-training programs at the tertiary level.
• The National Sciences Foundation’s EPSCoR RII: EPSCoR Research Fellows program provides awards to build research capacity in institutions and transform the career trajectories of investigators and further develop their individual research potential through collaborations with investigators from the nation’s premier private, governmental, or academic research institutions and/or centers. The fellowship provides opportunities to establish strong collaborations through extended or periodic collaborative visits to a selected host site. Through collaborative research activities with the host site, Fellows will be able to learn new techniques, develop new collaborations, advance existing partnerships, benefit from access to unique equipment and facilities, and/or shift their research toward potentially transformative new directions. The experiences gained through the fellowships are intended to have lasting impacts that will enhance the Fellows’ research trajectories well beyond the award period. The benefits to the Fellows are also expected to improve the research capacity of their institutions and jurisdictions more broadly. Because this is a limited submission program, you must notify (working title, team list, and a short, 2-3 sentence synopsis) the Office of Research Development of your interest in applying by 5 pm January 16, 2026 via ordlimitedsubs@ksu.edu.
• Michigan State University Libraries is now accepting applications for Visiting Scholars for the summer of 2026. Our Visiting Scholars program welcomes researchers at all levels (projects can be academic, journalistic, or creative) to make use of our world-class collections related to (but not limited to) popular culture, comics, rare books, Africana, LGBTQ activism, Michigan writers, cookery and foodways, as well as both the radical left and right. Please consult their collectionsand MSU’s University Archives and Historical Collections for more information on MSU’s unique holdings.
• The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read grants support community reading programs designed around a single NEA Big Read book. As our nation moves into its 250th year, the goal of this program is to honor America’s rich artistic and cultural heritage, inspire meaningful conversations, celebrate local creativity, elevate a wide variety of voices and perspectives, and build stronger connections in each community. Grantees will receive funding for their programming and purchasing books, and tools to support them in working with local partners, developing public relations strategies, and leading meaningful book discussions. NEA Big Read programs vary and can be as short as a week or as long as several months. Beyond discussions of the book, organizations may choose to include a kick-off event, invite the author for a visit, or have other events inspired by the content and themes of the book. These may include panel discussions, lectures, film screenings, art exhibitions, theatrical and musical performances, poetry slams, writing workshops and contests, and community storytelling events.
• The Department of Defense, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), through its Broad Agency Announcement: High-Efficiency Nitrogen Oxidation, is soliciting innovative proposals in the foundational technologies to enable high-rate, energy efficient, decentralized nitric acid manufacturing to protect critical supply chains in the defense industrial base and redefine energetics manufacturing in contested logistics environments. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.
• The Department of Energy, Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC), though its Rare Earth Elements Demonstration Facility program, is soliciting applications for projects to design, construct, commission and operate a Rare Earth Element (REE) Demonstration Facility that demonstrates the separation of REEs from feedstock derived from acid mine drainage, mine waste, or other deleterious materials to rare earth oxides and refining into rare earth metals at a single site. The objective of this program is to first, fund the design, construction and operation of one (or more) cost effective, innovative, demonstration processing line(s) at a new or existing facility that will supply 150 to 1000 metric tons per year of rare earth elements (REEs) for domestic use. Second, the facility must process, separate, and refine rare earth oxides into rare earth metals from feedstock derived from acid mine drainage, mine waste or other deleterious material, including e-waste at a single site -- with a priority for heavy rare earth elements.
• The Allen Family Philanthropies has issued a call to non-profit organizations across the U.S. that are working in the Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) space to break implementation barriers using science and technology. NCS are some of the few shovel-ready climate change mitigation technologies available today, and they have broad public support. To be effective, NCS must be implemented rapidly and rigorously, but there are numerous technical, social, economic, and other barriers to implementation. Recent research (Brumberg et al. 2025 and Kroeger et al. 2025) and a survey of NCS experts facilitated by the Science Philanthropy Alliance provide evidence that across all NCS pathways and barriers, science and technology solutions can help overcome barriers and accelerate implementation. The foundation is particularly interested in U.S.-based projects consisting of diverse teams of scientists, practitioners, and key stakeholders (e.g., community members, landowners, state land managers, etc.) to co-develop, test, and deploy science and technology solutions addressing barriers to NCS implementation. A total of $10M will be available to fund 6-7 projects (each lasting up to 3 years in duration) via this Request for Proposals (RFP).
• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), NIH’s Engineering Improved Cell-Derived Islet Cells for Replacement Therapies NOFO supports research in understanding how to engineer intrinsic characteristics of stem cell-derived islet cell products that can result in improved cell replacement therapy outcomes. Unlike cadaveric human islets, stem cell-derived islet cell products are generated from well-defined and highly controlled cell bank sources. Their banking, manufacturing, and quality control processes can be used to instill optimized cell characteristics resulting in more resilient and durable graft viability and function. This funding opportunity aims to stimulate studies on targets and pathways amenable to such engineering approaches and to encourage preclinical testing and validation of such strategies.
• The HHS, ARPA-H’s BioStabilization Systems (BoSS) program aims to make the seemingly impossible problem of room temperature biologics possible by pioneering new technologies to produce, store, and ship cells at room temperature, without any need for refrigeration. The program will eliminate deep freeze requirements, paving the way for a new era of efficient and resilient manufacturing and distribution of biologic drugs. BoSS seeks to boldly integrate approaches inspired by nature and materials science to establish ways for cell therapies and biologics to endure long-term shelf-life stability. Organisms in nature have found ways to survive extreme conditions and BoSS will adapt these strategies using similar protective molecules and advanced materials. Unlocking room-temperature preservation will drive down cost, reduce the risk of product losses, and expand access to life-saving medicines for all Americans, even those living in the most remote and resource-limited communities.
• The William T. Grant Foundation’s Scholars Program supports career development for promising early-career researchers. The program funds five-year research and mentoring plans that significantly expand researchers’ expertise in new disciplines, methods, and content areas. Applicants should have a track record of conducting high-quality research and an interest in pursuing a significant shift in their trajectories as researchers. We recognize that early-career researchers are rarely given incentives or support to take measured risks in their work, so this award includes a mentoring component, as well as a supportive academic community.
• The National Science Foundation’s Social Psychology program invites research and infrastructure proposals that advance knowledge of how human behavior is influenced by macro- and micro-level social forces, including how thought, motivation, emotion, neural, and physiological processes explain ways of thinking about and relating to self and others. Proposed research should carry strong potential for groundbreaking discoveries about the power of social dynamics to shape peoples’ attitudes, behavior, and experience. Basic research that connects to emerging and ongoing global challenges is especially encouraged. Proposals that develop new theories or methods are highly encouraged. Proposals involving non-human animals are considered only if the research offers clear and direct contributions to understanding human social behavior.