Funding Opportunities


NSF invests $26.7 million in building the first-ever prototype open knowledge network

18 multidisciplinary, cross-sector teams will create knowledge graphs, connections and educational materials for a trustworthy open knowledge network

In collaboration with five other U.S. government agencies, the U.S. National Science Foundation has invested $26.7 million in 18 projects through its Building the Prototype Open Knowledge Network (Proto-OKN) program. An open knowledge network is a publicly accessible, interconnected set of data repositories and associated knowledge graphs that will enable data-driven, artificial intelligence-based solutions for a broad set of societal and economic challenges.

NSF invests $18.8M in inaugural cohort of projects enabling experiential learning in key technologies

The new Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program invests in 27 teams to expand practical learning opportunities and grow talent nationwide.

The U.S. National Science Foundation announced the first Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) investment of $18.8 million to 27 teams at U.S. institutions of higher education, including teams led by minority-serving institutions and historically Black colleges and universities. Each team will receive up to $1 million for up to three years.


Get Funding and Support To Engage Students in Inclusive STEM Innovation and Entrepreneurship

VentureWell Course & Program (C&P) Grants of up to $30,000 are awarded to U.S. higher education institutions to expand and strengthen STEM innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) ecosystems, with the end goal of accelerating sustainable and inclusive innovation. Ideally, C&P Grant funding should act as a catalyst for increased entrepreneurial activity and help faculty and universities leverage other opportunities to launch and/or grow their I&E ecosystems.


VentureWell E-Team Program

The E-Team Program, part of the VentureWell Accelerator, supports student ventures as you embark down the path you’re likely to take as an innovator and entrepreneur. We help you advance your invention through a powerful mix of up to $25,000 in grant funding, entrepreneurship training, mentorship by dedicated staff, national recognition, and networking with peers and industry experts.


DoD SMART Scholarship

The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program is a combined educational and workforce development opportunity for STEM students. SMART offers scholarships for undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students pursuing a STEM degree. Scholarship recipients receive full tuition, annual stipends, internships, and guaranteed employment with the Department of Defense after graduation. Applications are open annually from August 1-December 1.


NSF Regional Innovation Engines Development Awards

The U.S. National Science Foundation announced the first-ever NSF Regional Innovation Engines, or NSF Engines, program awards to 44 unique teams spanning universities, nonprofits, businesses and other organizations across the U.S. states and territories. Each awardee team will receive up to $1 million for two years.


National Security Innovation Network - Defense Innovation Funding

The NSIN Defense Innovation Funding Opportunities Series on LinkedIn provides a resource for innovators to access national security challenges and opportunities.


Grants in Aid of Research

Sigma Xi is a multidisciplinary community of science and engineering professionals and students dedicated to research excellence, promoting public engagement with science, and fostering the next generation of researchers. One of the ways Sigma Xi fulfills its mission of strengthening the research enterprise is through its flagship program, Grants in Aid of Research (GIAR).

Since 1922, GIAR has provided thousands of undergraduate and graduate students across disciplines with valuable educational experiences and research grants. The program awards grants of up to $1,000 to students from most areas of the sciences and engineering. Designated funds from the National Academy of Sciences allow for grants of up to $5,000 for astronomy research and $2,500 for vision related research.


Pipeline Angels

Pipeline Angels is changing the face of angel investing and creating capital for women and non-binary femme social entrepreneurs


Camelback Ventures

Camelback Ventures is an accelerator that identifies, develops, and promotes early-stage underrepresented entrepreneurs with the aim to increase individual and community education, and generational wealth.


Who Becomes an Inventor in America?  The Importance of Exposure to Innovation

Using deidentied data on 1.2 million inventors from patent records linked to tax records, we show that children's chances of becoming inventors vary sharply with characteristics at birth, such as their race, gender, and parents' socioeconomic class.


Echoing Green

Echoing Green identifies tomorrow’s transformational leaders today. Through its Fellowships and other innovative leadership initiatives, Echoing Green spots emerging leaders and invests deeply in their success to accelerate their impact.


Venture Philanthropy Partners

VPP seeks to help great nonprofit leaders and support nonprofit organizations measurably improve the effectiveness of their work and expand their reach.