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ERI Funding Opportunities

Welcome to the ERI Funding Opportunities Site

College of Engineering campus
Research drives excellence in the College of Engineering by serving as a magnet to attract and retain outstanding faculty and students. Funding opportunities relevant to the College of Engineering will be posted here. If you are interested in pursuing any of these opportunities please contact ERI at eri-pre@iastate.edu for assistance or additional information. New opportunities are posted weekly. To have the new opportunities delivered directly to your inbox please subscribe using your ISU email address. One email per week.

 

 

Next-Generation Geothermal Field Tests and Geothermal Resource Characterization and Confirmation

DoE

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0003472

https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/#FoaIdfebb61fe-68ce-45fd-8529-6964dba11d27

Posted Date: February 25, 2026

Letter of Intent Due Date: March 27, 2026

Proposal Due Date: April 30, 2026

The field test activities to be funded through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seek to advance DOE’s goals and commitment to pushing the frontiers of science and engineering, advancing energy addition, and unleashing American energy innovation.

This NOFO may remain open for up to 72 months, with review cycles possibly occurring approximately every year, while funding lasts.  The details of this NOFO (including descriptions of closed Topic Areas) are subject to change in future review cycles.

This NOFO targets field-scale tests at depths and temperatures appropriate for full-scale project development.  These tests are intended to support research and development (R&D), testing, and evaluation of next-generation development technologies and approaches, and the applicability of those approaches in select real-world conditions.  Additionally, this NOFO targets exploration drilling activities required to gather data to support the characterization and potential confirmation of promising next generation and hydrothermal prospects for electrical power production.  These projects will directly support the DOE’s emphasis on learning-by-doing and helping to identify and focus R&D priorities.  In the end, the knowledge gained from these tests will support future private sector funding decisions regarding the development approach and the location for development.

Feed the Future Innovation Lab

DoS

Solicitation: DFOP0017826

https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/2334100f-f7b1-470c-9881-447ba64a0ee9

Posted Date: February 23, 2026

Proposal Due Date: April 03, 2026 11:59pm EST

The Office of Global Food Security of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit a statement of interest (SOI) to serve as a Management Entity to design, host, and lead a Feed the Future Innovation Lab (FtF Innovation Lab).

U.S. investments in agricultural research through the FtF Innovation Labs benefit the world’s poorest regions while also providing major benefits in the United States. America First investments in agriculture and food security are intended to directly benefit American safety, strength, and prosperity, especially in our own hemisphere. Simultaneously, the FtF Innovation Labs are structured to advance progress toward poverty reduction and hunger by developing innovative solutions that address the root causes of poverty and hunger. The United States values the ability to drive and shape agricultural research priorities, in part through its investments in programs such as the FtF Innovation Labs. Investments in U.S. university-led agricultural research, including the FtF Innovation Labs, have had an outsized positive impact on the American agricultural sector, foreign policy priorities, and economic prosperity. Over the past 40 years, our $1.2 billion investment in U.S. university-led international agricultural research led to the equivalent of over $8.4 billion in economic returns — $8 of impact for every $1 dollar invested

 

NIST, Precision Measurement Grant Program

NIST

Solicitation: 2026-NIST-PMGP-01

https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/8fbd45aa-d53d-4b54-a62b-8309d15ebfd6

Posted Date: February 23, 2026

Pre-Application Due Date: April 09, 2026 by 11:59 pm ET

Proposal Due Date: May 22, 2026

The PMGP was established in 1970 to support research in the field of fundamental measurement or the determination of fundamental constants, enabling the faculties at universities and colleges and laboratory researchers to conduct significant research in this area. By funding the research projects of eligible applicants through this program, NIST supports advances in fundamental measurement, the determination of fundamental constants, and fosters extramural collaboration with NIST scientists. The PMGP also is intended to make it possible for researchers to pursue new ideas for which other sources of support may be difficult to find. There is some latitude in
research topics that will be considered under the PMGP.
Proposals will be evaluated based upon the criteria indicated in Section V.1, which includes the relationship of the proposed research to NIST’s ongoing effort to develop improved fundamental measurement methods or standards, test the basic laws of physics, or provide an improved value for a fundamental constant.

Advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Agent Ecosystems through the National Science Foundation Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (NSF PESOSE) Program

NSF

Solicitation: 26-015

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/dcl-advancing-artificial-intelligence-ai-agent-ecosystems

Posted Date: February 20, 2026

Dear Colleague:

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) encourages proposals to the Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) program that focus on protocols enabling AI agent ecosystems.

The PESOSE program strengthens open-source ecosystems that produce publicly accessible, modifiable, and shareable software and hardware, models and specifications, languages and measures for security and cybersecurity of artificial intelligence (AI) models and systems, metrology, data tools and benchmarking tools. These open ecosystems drive innovation across AI, cloud computing, finance, healthcare, education, manufacturing, mobility, and national security.

PESOSE supports the maturation of the organizations that manage open-source ecosystems by helping them distribute development and grow broad user and contributor communities across academia, industry, and government. The program also advances security and privacy by addressing vulnerabilities that affect how open ecosystems evolve.

Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems

NSF

Solicitation: 26-506

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361333

Posted Date: February 19, 2026

Due Date: September 1, 2026

 

The Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE) program supports the translation of open-source science and engineering-focused research products into safe and sustainable ecosystems that address national and societal challenges. Open-source tools such as software, hardware, machine learning models, languages, and data platforms are designed to be shared as they are publicly-accessible and modifiable. These tools spark innovation in critical fields as varied as artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, banking, healthcare, research, education, next-gen manufacturing, mobility, and National security (including cybersecurity). PESOSE supports the creation of managing organizations for these ecosystems, ensuring strong governance, distributed development, and broad user communities across academia, industry, and government. PESOSE also supports enhancements to the safety, security, and privacy of Open-Source Ecosystems (OSE) by addressing significant vulnerabilities, both technical and socio-technical, to improve the resistance of the ecosystem against threats. This solicitation seeks three types of proposals, allowing teams to propose specific activities to:1) scope and planthe establishment of an OSE, 2)establishand expand a sustainable OSE based on a robust, promising open-source product that meets an emergent societal or national need, and 3) improve the safety, security, and privacy of an existing OSE and its products.

Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs)

DOE

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0003614

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361309

Posted Date: February 18, 2026

Due Date for Pre-Application: April 1, 2026

Due Date for Full Application: July 1, 2026

 

The DOE SC program in Basic Energy Sciences (BES) announces a re-competition of the
Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) program and encourages both new and renewal
applications. Applications from multi-disciplinary teams will be required to propose
discovery science and use-inspired basic research that address scientific challenges in one or
more of the topic areas listed below. The focus of the EFRC program is on fundamental
scientific research, therefore applications to this NOFO must not propose applied research
and technology development activities.
BES is soliciting applications in two general categories: BES Report Topics and Special
Topics. Applications may respond to topics in both categories. Topic areas are open to both
new and renewal applications, unless noted in Section III.

In the BES Reports Topics, applicants must address priority research directions (PRD) and
opportunities (PRO) identified in one or more of the following reports (see full description
for PRO/PRD restrictions):
• Foundational Science to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Innovation
• Controlling Subsurface Fractures and Fluid Flow: A Basic Research Agenda
• Basic Research Needs for Next Generation Electrical Energy Storage
• Basic Research Needs for Transformative Manufacturing
• Basic Research Needs for Microelectronics
• BES Roundtable on Opportunities for Quantum Computing in Chemical and
Materials Sciences
• BES Roundtable on Opportunities for Basic Research for Next-Generation Quantum
Systems
In the Special Topics, applicants must address one or more of the following topics (see full
description for details):
• Controlling Quantum Phenomena to Enable Unconventional Computing Paradigms
• Development and Workflow Integration of AI/ML Models for Materials and
Chemistry Discovery Science
• Emergent Phenomena of Complex Chemical Systems
• Fundamental Science for Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM)

Building EPSCoR-State/National Laboratory Partnerships

DOE

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0003615

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361314

Posted Date: February 18, 2026

Due Date for Pre-Application: March 18, 2026

Due Date for Full Application: May 21, 2026

 

The DOE SC Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for Building EPSCoR-State/DOE-National Laboratory Partnerships. These partnerships advance understanding of the physical world by supporting fundamental, early-stage energy research collaborations with the DOE National Laboratories. (Information on the DOE National Laboratories including links to websites can be found at https://www.energy.gov/about-national-labs.) Participation by undergraduate students, graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows is required. Early career faculty from EPSCoR jurisdictions are encouraged to apply. Utilization of DOE user facilities is encouraged. (Information on the SC User Facilities can be found at https://science.osti.gov/User-Facilities/User-Facilities-at-a-Glance; information on the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy user facilities can be found at https://nsuf.inl.gov).

Applications should propose research relevant to program areas in the Office of Science or
the Applied Energy Offices. Supported programs from the Office of Science are: Advanced
Scientific Computing Research (ASCR), Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Biological and
Environmental Research (BER), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), High Energy Physics (HEP),
Nuclear Physics (NP), and Isotope R&D and Production (DOE IP). Supported programs
from the Applied Energy Offices are: Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency
Response (CESER), Electricity (OE), Environmental Management (EM), Critical Minerals
and Energy Innovation (CMEI), Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO), and
Nuclear Energy (NE).

Virtual update on NEH funding opportunities

NEH

https://research.unl.edu/events/event_nuramp.php?EMSEventUUID=91757335-d04e-43f8-a8bc-0c3894e98cf8

Posted Date: February 20, 2026

Virtual Day: March 05, 2026

Registration required. To register and receive the Zoom link for the one-hour online event, click here.

Program staff at the National Endowment for the Humanities will provide a virtual funding opportunity update on Thursday, March 5, beginning at 1 p.m. EST/12 p.m. CST/11 a.m. MST/10 a.m. PST.

Julia Nguyen, Senior Program Officer in the Division of Lifelong Learning, and Daniel Sack, Deputy Director of the Division of Research, will share information about current grant opportunities, deadlines, and application requirements and offer suggestions for writing an application.

The update will focus on individual grant programs with April 8, 2026, application deadlines:

It also will feature information about the education and media grant programs with June 25, 2026, application deadlines:

The virtual update is presented by NEH in partnership with Fostering Opportunities Through Collaborative University Synergies (FOCUS). FOCUS is a collaboration among research development professionals at Montana State University; University of Idaho; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; University of Nevada, Reno; and Utah State University.

Please send questions about the March 5 update to unlrd@unl.edu.

A.3 NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Mission Data, Applications, Research, and Technology Team

NASA

Solicitation: NNH25ZDA001N-NISAR

https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?solId={0073A14E-AFC3-13BD-0128-56AFE0030B08}&path=&method=init

Posted Date: Feb 12, 2026

Due Date: May 14, 2026

 

The NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR: http://nisar.jpl.nasa.gov) mission evolved from the radar element of the Deformation, Ecosystem Structure, and Dynamics of Ice (DESDynI) mission concept from the 2007 U.S. National Research Council (NRC) Earth Science and Applications from Space: National Imperatives for the Next Decade and Beyond; referred to as the “2007 Decadal Survey”. NASA established a partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 2014 to develop a mission that could achieve the science objectives for the radar elements outlined in the 2007 Decadal Survey.
The NISAR mission is providing large scale data sets of Earth surface dynamics that are critical to three Earth Science disciplines: 1) Earth Surface and Interior (Deformation), 2) Terrestrial Ecology (Vegetation, Carbon Cycle) and 3) Cryosphere (Climate Change), and will contribute to others including Terrestrial Hydrology (Water Cycle). NISAR will also provide valuable data for numerous science applications including hazard/disaster management cycle (i.e., earthquakes, volcanic unrests, oil spills, flooding, wildland fires), agriculture and food security, forest and wetland management, infrastructure monitoring, and costal resilience. In addition to the science and applications identified in the 2007 Decadal Survey, the Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG) found that by increasing NISAR’s downlink bandwidth, NISAR could collect higher resolution data over North America and could provide a near global soil moisture product, both capabilities directly benefiting the land monitoring U.S. Federal agencies. Additionally, this increased bandwidth enables NISAR to collect data in the coastal regions to about 650km offshore of the continental United States (East and West Coasts) and Hawaii along with the Gulf of Coast to the Lesser Antilles including the Caribbean Sea to enable sea wind measurements (i.e., hurricanes and atmospheric rivers) and study ocean and coastal processes.

National Quantum and Nanotechnology Infrastructure

NSF

Solicitation: 26-505

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361297

Posted Date: Feb 13, 2026

Due Date: May 14, 2026

 

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) National Quantum and Nanotechnology Infrastructure (NQNI) program will empower researchers nationwide to advance critical and emerging technologies. Through NQNI, NSF will establish an open-access network of research facilities to spur innovations in future quantum technologies, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, manufacturing, biotechnology, and other areas of national priority. The NQNI solicitation establishes a competition for a network of university user facility Sites. The selection of user facility Sites will be based on their technical capabilities and instrumentation (specifically, fabrication, characterization, and expertise) to address current and anticipated user needs across quantum information science and engineering (QISE), nanoscience, nanoengineering, and nanotechnology. Site selection will also be based on plans to open facilities and instrumentation for external use, education, training, outreach, and workforce development. In a later stage, NSF will select an NQNI Coordinating Office from among the Sites; the Coordinating Office will enhance and coordinate NQNI collective impacts that serve the Nation’s quantum and nanotechnology innovators.

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