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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.

 

 

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.

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)

NSF

26-504

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/prfb-postdoctoral-research-fellowships-biology

Posted Date: February 9, 2026

Proposal Due Date: September 29, 2026

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Biological Research has the potential to pave the way for breakthroughs in biotechnology and bio-system design that will create innovations, new industries, and jobs. To capitalize on this promise, the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) will make awards for Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB) to recent doctoral degree recipients, for proposals with a research and training focus at the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Biological Sciences to Strengthen and Safeguard Biotechnology Innovations. Applying AI to highly complex biological systems will reveal unknown mechanisms in the natural world that hold promise for technological developments.

Candidates with AI and/or biology experience will develop deep expertise in both by proposing additional training in both areas. These combinations of current expertise and new cross-training will produce scientists who work seamlessly at the intersection of AI and biology. The fellows are expected to become field leaders who use AI capabilities to extrapolate from biological data to technological advances.

Proposers are encouraged to consider how to leverage the nation’s diversity of existing biological data, and biological infrastructure, such as Biofoundries, Programmable Cloud Labs, Manufacturing USA Institutes, and NEON, to accelerate discovery, innovation and the biotechnology that improves human lives, promotes the U.S. economy, and benefits the nation.

CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service

NSF

Solicitation: 26-503

https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361238

Posted Date: February 4, 2026

Proposal Deadline: July 21, 2026

 

Government and the nation face a talent shortfall in artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. The CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service (CyberAI SFS) program welcomes proposals that address AI and cybersecurity education and workforce development. CyberAI refers to using AI in cybersecurity as well as providing security and resilience for AI systems.

  • The Scholarship Track provides funding to establish, or to continue, scholarship for service programs with integrated AI and cybersecurity components (CyberAI). Scholarship recipients must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and work after graduation in the AI or cybersecurity mission of a government organization for a period of at least the length of the scholarship.
  • The Innovation Tracksupports projects that enhance preparation of AI and/or cybersecurity professionals. Projects may expand existing educational opportunities, curricula, degree programs, educational pathways, methods and interventions, and partnerships among institutions of higher education, government, and employers.

Artificial Intelligence for Material Allowables in Additive Manufacturing (AIM-4AM)

America Makes

Artificial Intelligence for Material Allowables in Additive Manufacturing (AIM-4AM)

Posted Date: January 29, 2026

Proposal Due Date: March 25, 2026

This project call seeks to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) driven framework to identify and quantify risks within the existing material allowables approach for 17- 4PH stainless steel in the H1025 condition produced via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). By leveraging predictive modeling and machine learning techniques, the framework will enable  reductions in physical testing to be explicitly associated with quantified probabilities, severities, or categories of risk, supporting agile, informed decision-making for production-relevant parts. This approach has the potential to significantly reduce time and cost associated with traditional allowables development while maintaining appropriate risk tolerance, thereby accelerating qualification and certification of additively manufactured materials. Aligned with priorities of the Department of Defense Joint Additive Manufacturing Working Group (JAMWG) to develop pedigreed AM materials data, the program aims to validate AI-driven risk predictions and establish a streamlined, acceptance-ready testing protocol that delivers substantial return on investment for both defense and commercial high-performance applications.

Powder Alloy Development for Additive Manufacturing (PADAM) 2.0

America Makes

Powder Alloy Development for Additive Manufacturing (PADAM) 2.0

Posted Date: January 29, 2026

Proposal Due Date: March 15, 2026

Proposed efforts are expected to generate application-relevant data, improve process robustness and qualification readiness, and deliver actionable insights that reduce technical and industrial risk while enabling realistic transition pathways. Collectively, the outcomes of this call are intended to provide mutual value to DoD and industry by accelerating informed adoption of refractory alloys in additive manufacturing. The call encompasses three complementary topic areas listed below. 

  • Topic 1: Existing Refractory Alloy Systems – Maturing existing alloy systems with a focus on achieving an established AM process and generation of high-temperature material property data. Up to two awards are anticipated, with a maximum funding amount of $2M per award.
  • Topic 2: Novel or Emerging Refractory Alloy Systems – Advancing novel or emerging refractory alloys with demonstrated feasibility, emphasizing clear value-add for high-temperature applications. One award is anticipated, with a maximum funding amount of $1.7M.
  • Topic 3: Refractory Alloy Supply Chain Assessment (Mine-to-Qualified Part) – Assessing the end-to-end refractory alloy supply chain from raw material extraction to qualification of AM components, including environmentally relevant testing and evaluation capabilities and availability. One award is anticipated, with a maximum funding amount of $300K.

AFRI Strengthening Agricultural Systems

USDA

Solicitation: USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011677

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/afri-strengthening-agricultural-systems

Posted Date: January 29, 2026

Optional Letter of Intent Due: February 26, 2026

Proposal Due Date: March 26, 2026

The purpose of AFRI is to invest in research, education, and extension projects that will help farmers, ranchers, foresters, and other agricultural producers address key problems of local, regional, and national importance in sustaining food and agricultural systems. These include farm and ranch production efficiency, profitability, and sustainability; domestic biofuels and biobased products; forestry; aquaculture; rural communities and entrepreneurship; human nutrition;
mitigating impacts of biotic and abiotic constraints on food production; food safety; physical and social sciences; prevention of agricultural pests and diseases; and genetic improvement of plants and animals. In addition, the economic sustainability of food systems is an overarching priority for the projects funded in response to this NOFO; therefore, projects focusing on plant or animal species or commodities that are important to small- or medium-sized farms or ranches are also welcome. Through this support, AFRI advances knowledge in both fundamental and applied sciences important to agriculture. Additionally, AFRI supports work in education and extension activities that deliver science-based knowledge to end users, allowing them to make informed, practical decisions. The AFRI SAS NOFO provides funding for fully integrated extension, education, and research projects through a CAP grant type. CAP grants support large-scale projects and coordinate activities among academic, government, state, regional, nongovernmental, and private sector institutions. The long-term goal of the SAS program is to transform the U.S. food and agricultural systems by increasing agricultural production and optimizing its financial and human capital gains. Achieving this goal requires systems and transdisciplinary approaches to address current and future challenges in food and agriculture.

2026 Scientific Infrastructure Support for Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research

DOE

Solicitation: DE-FOA-003541 Topic Area 2

https://neup.inl.gov/open-funding-opportunities/  Topic Area 2 only

Posted Date: December 15, 2026

Proposal Due Date: April 9, 2026

The development of nuclear energy-related infrastructure and basic capabilities in the research community is necessary to promote Research and Development (R&D) that supports nuclear science
and engineering (NS&E), the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) mission, and the nation’s nuclear energy
challenges. Through the Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP), the Department of Energy (DOE)
intends to facilitate the education and training of nuclear scientists, engineers, and policymakers through graduate and undergraduate study, two-year programs, and R&D that is relevant to the NE and the U.S. nuclear energy industry in general.

The specific goals of the Scientific Infrastructure Support for Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research
NOFO (referred to as “CINR Infrastructure NOFO”) are:
• To support, maintain, or enhance the institution’s capacities to attract and teach high quality students interested in nuclear energy-related studies;
• Build the institution’s research or education capabilities; and
• Enhance the institution’s capabilities to perform R&D that is relevant to NE’s mission.

 

2026 Distinguished Early Career Program

DOE / NEUP

Solicitation: DE-FOA-0003540

https://neup.inl.gov/open-funding-opportunities/

Posted Date: December 15, 2025

Proposal Due Date: March 03, 2026

The Distinguished Early Career Program (DECP) is DOE-NE’s most prestigious award for the most innovative distinguished faculty members beginning their independent careers. The intent of the program is to provide stable support to those faculty to form the impactful research groups, innovative lines of inquiry, educational approaches, and critical new research directions that will drive the next generation of nuclear energy innovation.

The intent of this NOFO is to award approximately four awards, for up to five (5) years, to distinguished early career applications that provide a clear research and education plan that highlights the applicant’s research and educational strengths; the research and education vision to support the development of the faculty member; and research infrastructure, curriculum, and outcomes that will advance the applicant’s research focus while training the next generation of nuclear energy professionals.

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