Funding opportunities

The Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation invites applications for its Transformation of Mental Health Care program, which supports research focused on improving access to high-quality mental health services for children and adolescents — especially those from under-resourced or minoritized communities. Applicants are welcome to submit rigorous research proposals that build on pilot data and are designed for scalability. The program will award $100,000 per year for two years. The application deadline is December 15.

The Gates Foundation invites proposals for innovative, scalable solutions to improve maternal and child nutrition in low- and middle-income countries. Projects should aim to reduce nutrient costs, especially for calcium, choline, and omega-3s, by at least 50% while ensuring safety, efficacy, and accessibility. Awards of up to $500,000 are available, with applications due December 16. 

The NIH Common Fund Replication Prize is crowdsourcing ideas to boost current replication efforts and encourage a culture of replication in biomedical research. Submissions should address either Replication Ideas (high-impact areas of research in need of replication studies) or Replication Exemplars (strategies used to integrate replication into ongoing research activities). Winners will receive up to $5,000. Submissions are due December 19 at 7 p.m. CT.

The Patient‑Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) funds patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research that generates evidence to help patients, caregivers, and the broader health-care community make informed health-care decisions. Seven PCORI funding announcements are open, with applications due January 6 by 5 p.m. ET.  

The 2026 Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC) Scholar Program is accepting applications for early-career investigators pursuing research in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This one- to two-year mentored research experience offers 50% salary support, individualized development planning, hands-on training, monthly career development seminars, grant-writing instruction, and opportunities for professional networking and research presentations. Eligible applicants must be at the late postdoctoral, instructor, or assistant professor stage with the ability to commit 50% effort to research training. Applications are due January 9.

The Society for Research in Child Development’s Victoria S. Levin Award for Early Career Success in Young Children’s Mental Health Research aims to foster early-career success in addressing the early foundations of children’s mental health. This nonrenewable award provides up to $25,000 for promising pre-tenured, early, to mid-career investigators whose research is informed by developmental science and addresses young children’s mental health. Applications are due January 9.

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) is a private foundation that supports biomedical research and education, fostering innovation and developing future leaders in science. The Fund’s Career Awards at the Scientific Interface provides $560,000 over five years to help postdoctoral researchers transition into faculty roles, supporting those applying physical, computational, and engineering approaches to biological research. Deadline for applications is January 12 at 3 p.m. ET.

WashU is offering a grant opportunity to advance research and teaching on leadership development across disciplines. The Bauer Leadership Center Research Grants provide up to $10,000 to support empirical research exploring leadership emergence, dynamics, and impact within organizations. Applications are due January 14, with funding for the 2025–2026 academic year.

The SHE+ Foundation seeks to fund cutting-edge research aimed at understanding and addressing women’s sexual health issues. Grants will fund research, educational programs, community outreach, and innovative treatments that align with the foundation’s mission to advance women’s sexual health. Letters of Intent are due January 21.

Caplan Foundation for Early Childhood supports innovative projects that improve the well-being of children from birth to age 7 across the U.S. Areas of interest include health, education, play, family support, and social integration. The foundation awards seed funding for creative, high-impact projects with national relevance and range from $30,000–$75,000. Applications start by submitting a letter of inquiry through the Caplan website. Some are then invited to submit full proposals. LOIs are due January 31. 

The Elevance Health Foundation supports community-based nonprofit organizations nationwide that are improving lives in vulnerable populations with a focus on four key areas: maternal/in­fant health; food as medicine; behavioral health; and community resiliency & disaster relief. Grants generally span one to three years, and funding levels are determined per project need. The application process varies by focus area, with current deadlines January 31 for Behavioral Health and July 31 for Maternal/Infant Health.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Research Grant Program supports innovative studies aimed at understanding and preventing suicide. For 2024–2026, priority areas include research on ethnic and racial diversity, understudied high-risk populations, and survivors of suicide loss. Grants are open to investigators across disciplines, and fund both basic and applied research that includes a suicide outcome measure. Seven categories of grants are available, with awards up to $500,000 per year for three years, with a two-year funding window for most mechanisms. For more information on criteria and the application processes, visit this page on suicide prevention research grants. 

The WashU Office of Technology Management (OTM) is accepting applications for the GAP Fund, which provides critical early-stage funding to help bridge the gap between academic research and market-ready innovation. The program supports promising non-drug technologies developed at WashU with strong commercial or societal potential. Funding can be used to advance prototypes, validate feasibility, or gather data to attract outside investment or industry partners. Applications may be submitted at any time. 

The WashU Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences (ICTS) Precision Health Innovation Awards provide up to $25,000 for research on rare diseases. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and are designed for independent faculty launching early-stage projects.

The ICTS also has the ICTS Just-In-Time Core Usage Funding Program, which provides rapid, flexible funding to support access to affiliated research cores. This program helps researchers advance medical knowledge and improve human health through collaborative, timely use of shared resources. Applications are due by 5 p.m. CT on the 10th of each month. 

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has posted a forecast grant opportunity to support creation of interdisciplinary research networks focused on resilience and health optimization through the Interdisciplinary Research Networks on Resilience and Health Optimization (U24). Networks are expected to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, pilot projects, training, and dissemination of best practices. Funding is estimated at $1.5 million. The notice of funding opportunity is expected January 5, with applications due May 25, 2026.

The CDC has released forecasted funding opportunities under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). These grants are designed to strengthen HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services across sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on health system resilience and equitable access to care. Prospective applicants are encouraged to explore related and upcoming CDC and HHS opportunities in the similar opportunities section for aligned funding aimed at advancing global HIV/AIDS relief and capacity building. For more details, visit the CDC PEPFAR Forecast on grants.gov.