Upcoming non-federal grant opportunities

The Office of Pre-Proposal Support (APPS) at RFCUNY is pleased to share a selection of upcoming non-federal grant opportunities.

APPS strongly encourage investigators to consider foundation funding as a strategic complement to federal support.  Foundation grants offer several important advantages.  They often provide greater flexibility in project design, enabling researchers to pursue innovative, early-stage, or interdisciplinary ideas that may not yet align with federal priorities.  In addition, foundation funders may have a shorter application timelines, more targeted program areas, and a stronger emphasis on community impact, pilot initiatives, and emerging fields of study.  Pursuing foundation funding can also help position researchers for future federal success by generating preliminary data, strengthening collaborations, and demonstrating proof of concept.  Diversifying funding sources in this way enhances both research resilience and long-term competitiveness. 

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation – Exemplary Pathways to STEM Graduate Education

Grants up to $500,000 will be awarded to US higher Education institutions and organizations working in partnership to advance access to opportunity in STEM graduate education.

• Deadline Dates:  LOI June 1, 2026
• Invited Proposal Deadline:  Seed Grants: October 5, 2026 and Implementation Grants: November 1, 2026
• Informational Webinars:  April 2, 2pm-3pm, register here  and  April 15, 2pm-3pm, register here

The Spencer Foundation – Racial Equity Research Grants

The grant supports education research projects that will contribute to understanding and disrupting racial inequality in education and work to reimagine generative possibilities to advance educational equity, with budgets up to $75,000 for projects ranging from one to five years.  Intent to Apply forms are accepted once a year.

Deadline Dates

• Intent to Apply: May 4, 2026
• Full Proposal: July 1, 2026

The Russell Sage Foundation is currently supporting two of their four core programs:  Behavioral Science and Decision Making in Context  and Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration

In addition, the following initiatives are also open:  Immigration and Immigrant Integration and Implications of the 2023 Supreme Court Decision to Ban Conscious Admissions at Colleges and Universities for Education Attainment and Economic Mobility

All of the above RSF programs and initiatives share the same deadlines:

• LOI: July 15, 2026
• Invited Proposal Deadline: October 26, 2026