The May update for Innovation, Research & Smart Cities brings new calls that cluster around three distinct movements: AI safety and governance funding consolidating into a substantial scientific category at unusual scale, bilateral research frameworks emerging as the dominant structural pathway for international scientific cooperation, and research infrastructure investment shifting from individual project support toward systems-level integration and resilience.

In AI Safety and Governance as a Scientific Category at Scale, the dominant signal this month is that AI safety has matured from speculative concern into a substantive, well-resourced scientific funding category. Schmidt Sciences’ Science of Trustworthy AI RFP deploys up to $5M+ per project across two tiers (Tier 1 up to $1M, Tier 2 $1M-$5M+) and is calibrated to fund work that turns fast-moving AI safety questions into durable scientific methods, measures, and control techniques. The agenda spans three connected aims: forecasting misalignment under distribution shift and optimization pressure, building generalizable measurement and control approaches, and extending oversight into regimes where humans cannot directly evaluate correctness. Amazon Research Awards’ 2030 Call funds AI for science, distributed systems, robotics, and security with up to $100K in unrestricted cash plus $70K in AWS credits, prioritizing work where conventional methods break down under operational complexity, latency, reliability, or safety requirements. The Foresight Institute’s Security/Neurotechnology/Coordination/Forecasting RFP funds work on automated red-teaming, formal verification, multi-agent collusion prevention, and pro-social AI agents at $10K-$300K. GDN’s Digital Public Infrastructure Inclusivity Measurement call funds five teams at $50K each to investigate who remains excluded from digital identity, payment, and government service systems in LMICs. The Public Benefit Innovation Fund deploys $20M to catalyze responsible AI innovation for social service delivery. The pattern: AI safety funders are no longer treating the field as a research curiosity but as a category demanding the same rigor as established scientific disciplines, with measurable evaluation validity, control techniques that survive model evolution, and oversight regimes for superhuman capability becoming explicit deliverable expectations.

In Bilateral Research Frameworks as the Dominant Structural Pathway, the calls this month are unusual for how explicitly they tie scientific cooperation to sovereign-level political relationships rather than open international collaboration. TÜBİTAK and CNPq run a Türkiye-Brazil bilateral call requiring matching national funding (each agency backs its own country’s team) with a single aligned research plan in environment, food, agriculture, health, ICT, and physics. The Israel Innovation Authority’s I4F deploys up to $2.5M per project for Israel-India joint commercialization in smart mobility through three maturity tracks (feasibility, R&D, pilots). Hungary’s HU-RIZON Programme commits HUF 8 billion total to international consortia led by Hungarian higher education institutions, with explicit positioning as Hungary’s strategic alternative to “traditional supranational funding mechanisms.” Vinnova’s Southern Africa Mining and Minerals call (SEK 9M per project) requires Swedish higher education institutions partnered with African research organizations, with a physical-presence requirement that signals long-term embedded partnerships. NWO’s Tulip Fund deploys €50M to enable Dutch institutions to recruit researchers whose work is constrained by rising threats to academic freedom abroad. The European Commission’s Horizon Europe Research Infrastructures topic on Ukraine integration commits €8M per project to building coordinated access between Ukrainian actors and Europe’s research infrastructures with a beneficiary required in government-controlled territories. The pattern: bilateral and sovereign-anchored research frameworks are now the dominant pathway for major scientific cooperation, with each framework carrying distinct political logic — Türkiye-Brazil portfolio shaping, Israel-India commercialization, Hungary alternative-ecosystem building, Sweden-Africa embedded partnerships, Netherlands academic freedom protection — rather than generic international collaboration.

In Research Infrastructure as Systems-Level Integration and Resilience, several calls this month explicitly treat research infrastructure not as individual facilities but as networks requiring coordination, resilience, and continuity-planning at the systems level. The European Commission’s Horizon Europe topic on risk management for ESFRI/ERIC infrastructures deploys €10M total (€1M-€4M per project, 3 awards expected) for actionable methods and operational practices that research infrastructure operators can adopt under real constraints, treating risk as multi-domain and dynamic with cascading failure preparedness. The parallel ERA integration topic for Ukraine commits €8M per project to using infrastructure access as a deliberate ERA integration mechanism. URBACT IV deploys €1M per Action Network across European cities for transnational urban governance learning that moves beyond planning into delivery, with structured Action Labs and Actions Playbooks designed for transferable knowhow. Wolfson Foundation deploys £250K-£1M per UK research institution capital grant for buildings, laboratories, and major equipment, with biannual rounds. The Linux Foundation’s Alpha-Omega Initiative deploys $12.5M for maintainer-centric security investment in critical open source software, treating the software supply chain as foundational research infrastructure. The pattern: research infrastructure funders are increasingly treating their investments as systems requiring ongoing risk management, integration mechanisms, and resilience capability rather than one-time capital deployments.

For AI safety and trustworthy AI researchers, this month’s lineup represents the deepest concentration of scientific AI safety capital to date — Schmidt Sciences’ $5M+ Tier 2 grants are particularly notable for their willingness to fund compute-intensive empirical work, and the May 17 deadline is tight enough that consortium-building must already be in motion. For bilateral cooperation, organizations should match their pipeline to the specific bilateral framework that fits their work: TÜBİTAK-CNPq for Brazil-Türkiye applied research, I4F for Israel-India smart mobility commercialization, HU-RIZON for Hungarian-led international consortia, Vinnova for Sweden-Africa embedded partnerships. For research infrastructure operators, the two parallel Horizon Europe Research Infrastructures topics (Ukraine integration €8M and risk management €10M, both June 16 deadline) should be considered together — they represent ~€18M deployed against the broader question of how Europe maintains and integrates its research infrastructure ecosystem. For US-based social science researchers, Russell Sage Foundation’s stage-gated process (LOI screen testing fit and design completeness before full proposal access) at $75K-$200K is the cleanest pathway for high-rigor, novel-data-strategy work. For early-career researchers across disciplines, the Wellcome Early-Career Awards (£400K research expenses plus salary, deadline July 21) and William T. Grant Scholars Program ($425K over five years, deadline June 30) together represent the strongest “independence arc” funding available this cycle.

Snapshot of New Opportunities

The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 30 open opportunities- 7 new!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 12 rolling opportunities- 1 new!

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 4 long term opportunities!

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Open Calls:

2026 Innovation Grants (Electronic Innovation Grants Information System, EIGIS), Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev). *Closing soon!*

DEPDev, as the National Innovation Council Secretariat, is seeking public-sector innovation programs that move beyond concept-stage activity into implementable, measurable solutions aligned with the Philippine Innovation Act and national development priorities. The call is designed to fund innovation across the full pathway, from pre-commercialization and commercialization through diffusion and adoption, and it also supports enabling infrastructure such as innovation facilities, culture-building programs, and innovation-oriented policy and administration. The funder’s logic emphasizes avoid-duplication safeguards, readiness and feasibility, and a structured authorization and governance process that ties accountability to an identified Program or Project Leader and an eligible implementing entity. Proposals are evaluated on strategic alignment, innovativeness, socioeconomic and environmental impact (including gender and development integration), and feasibility, sustainability, and scalability.

• Geographies: Philippines.

• Who can apply: Eligible Philippine public sector entities (NGAs, SUCs, public schools, GOCCs, LGUs including local universities and colleges) submitting through EIGIS via an authorized Program or Project Leader.

• Funding amount: Total pool PhP 100,000,000.00; per-proposal caps up to PhP 7,500,000.00 (most categories) and up to PhP 5,000,000.00 (innovation culture and capacity-building).

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Innovation & Technology; Focus areas: pre-commercialization, commercialization, diffusion and adoption, innovation facilities, innovation culture, innovation policy and digital transformation.

• Deadline: May 5, 2026.

• Learn more and apply here.

This program positions government as an innovation enabler, funding pilots and systems that can be institutionalized and scaled across agencies and communities.

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The April update for Innovation, Research & Smart Cities brings an wide spread of new calls, from frontier AI safety science to bilateral R&D diplomacy to community connectivity, that together signal a field actively sorting out what it wants to fund next, and at which layer.

In AI and Frontier Technology, funders are no longer treating AI as a single investment category. This month’s new calls reveal a deliberate split: some are funding AI as open scientific infrastructure, outputs that other researchers can build on, in health, climate, and philanthropy systems. Others are funding the safety science layer, rigorous empirical work on how to measure, control, and oversee AI systems as they scale. And a third group is funding the commercial capability layer, feasibility evidence for whether novel architectures can even be proven to work. These aren’t competing priorities. They’re different parts of a maturing field that funders are beginning to resource in parallel. For practitioners, the implication is that “AI proposal” is no longer a meaningful category — the question is which layer you’re working on and what kind of evidence the funder is trying to buy.

In Research Systems and Infrastructure, Europe is treating durability as an investment priority in its own right. Two new Horizon Europe calls land as a pair this month, one funds risk management and continuity frameworks across major European research infrastructures, the other uses those same infrastructures as a direct integration mechanism for Ukraine into the European Research Area. Both signal the same underlying logic: research systems themselves are now understood as things that need resilience investment, not just operational maintenance. Alongside this, bilateral science diplomacy is unusually active, matched national funding calls between Switzerland-India, Türkiye-Brazil, and Israel-India all appear this month, each using a paired investment structure to reward genuinely joint research rather than parallel national projects with a coordination veneer.

In Urban and Community Technology, the signal is quieter but consistent. The URBACT IV call funds transnational city networks that move from planning into delivery, with an explicit requirement to produce transferable know-how rather than isolated pilots. The Internet Society Foundation’s connectivity call and DEPDev’s Philippine public sector innovation grants both position technology as community and government infrastructure respectively, fundable when it changes how systems work, not just when it introduces novel tools. The Gates AI for philanthropy call sits at an interesting intersection: it’s funding AI not for its own sake, but as a lever for shifting donor behavior at scale, with a learning mandate that requires transferable methods across the giving ecosystem.

For AI researchers and institutions, the most time-sensitive opportunity in this edition is Schmidt Sciences' Trustworthy AI call, explicit that it wants empirical work producing durable scientific methods, not commentary, with compute access available for ambitious proposals. For teams spanning Africa and Europe, AEDIB JIF is designed for execution-ready partnerships, not experimentation; the cross-border growth plan needs to be as concrete as the technology. Four calls in this edition simultaneously target the transition to independence for early-career researchers, William T. Grant, Einstein Fellowship, Wenner-Gren, and SciLifeLab's prize, suggesting a growing funder recognition that talent pipelines, not just research projects, need structural investment.

Snapshot of New Opportunities

The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 26 open opportunities- 19 new!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 12 rolling opportunities- 1 new!

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 4 long term opportunities!

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Open Calls:

Indo-Swiss Joint Research Program (ISJRP) 2026 – ICSSR & MoES Tracks, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). *Closing soon!*

Positioned within Switzerland’s bilateral science cooperation framework, the Indo-Swiss Joint Research Program supports jointly designed and implemented research projects led by partners in Switzerland and India. The 2026 call brings together two parallel partner tracks under a single program umbrella: one in collaboration with the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), and one with India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). While both tracks share a common submission process and evaluation logic, they differ in thematic scope, project duration, and national funding ceilings. The program’s design emphasizes balanced scientific leadership, clearly integrated research agendas, and sustained collaboration rather than parallel national projects. By coordinating matched funding, governance, and reporting across systems, the ISJRP functions as a platform for long-term institutional partnerships, researcher mobility, and jointly owned knowledge production that advances scientific capacity in both countries.

• Geographies: Switzerland; India.

• Who can apply: Research teams with eligible main applicants in both Switzerland and India, meeting SNSF and relevant Indian partner agency criteria.

• Funding amount: Swiss side: CHF 300,000 (3 years) or CHF 400,000 (4 years, MoES track only); Indian side: up to INR 25 lakh (ICSSR track) or INR 2.0 crore (MoES track).

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Scientific Research; Focus areas: bilateral collaboration, joint knowledge creation, researcher mobility.

• Deadline: April 8, 2026 (17:00 CEST).

• Learn more and apply here.

Structured as a dual-track mechanism, the program operationalizes science diplomacy through matched funding, shared leadership, and long-term international research partnerships.

Nordic Chemicals Program Open Call for Proposals - Theme 4 (Sustainable chemicals and materials), Nordic Chemicals Programme. *New!* *Closing soon!*

The Nordic Chemicals Programme seeks to reduce risks from hazardous chemicals and pollution by strengthening Nordic competence, knowledge exchange, and practical collaboration that can inform future chemical regulation. Theme 4 is positioned as a capacity-building investment: it supports projects that connect authorities and researchers around emerging regulatory needs and sustainable chemicals and materials, with a focus on producing usable knowledge and shared approaches rather than isolated research outputs. The call’s design reinforces cross-institution learning and synergy, encouraging applicants to structure projects so outputs can be applied by chemical authorities and integrated into regulatory practice and preparedness. With a defined financial framework and a fixed project duration window, the program favors tightly scoped, methodologically credible work plans that demonstrate clear value-added for Nordic regulatory readiness.

• Geographies: Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Åland Islands.

• Who can apply: Authorities, universities/colleges, research institutes, and other non-profit organizations (businesses cannot be main applicants).

• Funding amount: DKK 775.000,00 (max per project); Total pool: DKK 3.100.000,00.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Climate & Environment; Focus areas: hazardous chemicals, pollution prevention, sustainable materials, chemical regulation capacity.

• Deadline: April 13, 2026.

• Learn more and apply here.

This call rewards proposals that translate technical work into regulatory-relevant competence gains, not just new findings.

Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Science, Google.org. *Closing soon!*

Google.org seeks to accelerate scientific breakthroughs by funding AI-powered work that can compress discovery timelines and produce public-benefit outputs that other researchers can build on. The challenge prioritizes projects where AI is central to the methodology, whether that means foundational models, agents, computational tools, or large-scale open datasets that unlock new research pathways. Its funding logic is impact plus adoption: proposals should define clear, quantifiable success metrics, demonstrate a realistic execution plan and team capability, and show how outputs will be discovered, used, and maintained beyond a single lab or geography. Two priority domains anchor the call, AI for Health and Life Sciences and AI for Climate Resilience and Environmental Science, while still allowing exceptional proposals in other scientific areas that meet the criteria. Openness is a core expectation, with a strong preference for permissive open-source approaches that turn breakthroughs into durable scientific infrastructure.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: Nonprofits, academic or research institutions, and for-profit social enterprises with a clear social impact purpose.

• Funding amount: USD $500,000 up to USD $3,000,000+.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Scientific Research; Focus areas: AI for health and life sciences, AI for climate resilience and environmental science, foundational models, open datasets, open-source tools.

• Deadline: April 17, 2026 (11:59 PM PT).

• Learn more and apply here.

This is a bet on AI as shared scientific infrastructure, so the strongest proposals make the public-good pathway and adoption plan as concrete as the technical ambition.

VinFuture Prize — Nominations, VinFuture Foundation. *Closing soon!*

The VinFuture Prize is an annual global award that recognizes and celebrates breakthrough scientific research and technological innovations with the potential to transform everyday life and address critical global challenges. The VinFuture Prize awards a Grand Prize of USD $3 million annually for breakthrough research or technological innovations that significantly improve human life and promote a more equitable and sustainable world. Open to all regardless of nationality, age, gender, or background, the Prize reflects a deep commitment to inclusive excellence. In addition, three Special Prizes of USD $500,000 each are awarded to: (1) Innovator(s) from Developing Countries, (2) Women Innovator(s), and (3) Innovator(s) with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields—advancing diversity, equity, and the recognition of frontier science.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: Recognized nominators (institutional or individual) proposing exceptional researchers/innovators for consideration.

• Funding amount: Grand Prize USD $3 million; three Special Prizes USD $500,000 each.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Scientific Research; Focus areas: breakthrough research, technology innovation, wide societal impact.

• Deadline: April 17, 2026 (2:00 PM Vietnam Time).

• Learn more and apply here.

The VinFuture Prize spotlights scientific excellence and innovation that enhance equity, sustainability, and human wellbeing on a global scale — advancing solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

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The March funding cycle for innovation and research marks a definitive move toward what we are calling “Strategic Sovereignty”. Donors are shifting their focus away from discovery for discovery’s sake and are instead resourcing the secure digital infrastructure and trusted technology standards that anchor national competitiveness. This is particularly evident in high-stakes new calls from the U.S. Department of State and the Dutch Research Council, where the priority is to deploy high-readiness technologies in urban environments or safeguard academic freedom by recruiting top-tier global talent into domestic ecosystems. For practitioners, the signal is clear: your technology needs to be both “secure-by-design” and aligned with the strategic resilience goals of the host nation.

We are also observing a surge in “Bilateral Commercialization”—funding specifically designed to bridge the “valley of death” through cross-border partnerships. New joint tracks between India and Israel, as well as Türkiye and Brazil, are funding the applied R&D and real-world pilots needed to push smart mobility and medical diagnostics into the market. This market-ready push is being accelerated by an “AI-as-Infrastructure” movement, with Google.org and the Foresight Institute funding AI tools that can compress discovery timelines for global health and climate breakthroughs. The goal is no longer just to find a solution, but to build the shared, open-source platforms and international consortia that allow those solutions to be adopted across borders at speed.

Snapshot of New Opportunities

The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 21 open opportunities- 7 new!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 11 rolling opportunities!

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 3 long term opportunities!

This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities.

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Open Calls:

Project Grants 2026, Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte). *Closing soon!*

Forte’s annual Project Grants call enables researchers to pursue investigator-driven questions across health, working life, and welfare, while maintaining a clear expectation of societal relevance alongside scientific rigor. Priority is placed on projects that can advance understanding of defined issues and contribute knowledge with potential value for policy, practice, or system improvement over time. Emphasis falls on research quality, feasibility, and strong alignment with Forte’s disciplinary scope, with review routed through subject-specific panels covering public health, labor market and work organization, and social policy and living conditions. Open science expectations are integrated into the funding logic, including immediate open access requirements and data management planning within the administrating organization’s standards. Decision-making is positioned as a major annual investment moment in Sweden’s applied social research ecosystem.

• Geographies: Sweden.

• Who can apply: Researchers with a doctoral degree through an approved Swedish administrating organization (one application per main applicant).

• Funding amount: Maximum SEK 5 million per project (includes indirect costs); total call budget approx. SEK 345 million.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Scientific Research; Focus areas: health and welfare research, working life research, policy-relevant evidence.

• Deadline: March 3, 2026 (14:00 CET).

• Learn more and apply here.

Framed as Forte’s flagship open call, the program functions as a core pipeline for generating evidence that can strengthen welfare outcomes and healthier working lives.

INOVAIT Pilot Fund Winter 2026 Call for Applications, INOVAIT. *Closing soon!*

INOVAIT seeks to accelerate commercialization-ready innovation in image-guided therapy by co-funding short, tightly scoped R&D pilots that integrate AI or advanced data capabilities into medical technologies. The funder’s investment logic is collaboration-first: projects must bring together multiple Canadian partners, including at least one SME as an ultimate recipient, to strengthen pathways from lab discovery to deployable solutions. INOVAIT positions this funding as an economic and health-impact lever, prioritizing pilots with a clear commercialization path, credible partner commitment, and measurable potential to advance Canada’s medtech ecosystem and patient outcomes.

• Geographies: Canada.

• Who can apply: Canadian corporations, academic institutions, and not-for-profit organizations in multi-partner projects that include at least one Canadian SME as an ultimate recipient.

• Funding amount: CAD 100,000 to CAD 150,000 in matching funds; INOVAIT reimburses up to one-third of total eligible supported costs.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Innovation & Technology; Focus areas: image-guided therapy, medical devices, AI in healthcare, medtech commercialization, R&D collaboration.

• Deadline: March 11, 2026.

• Learn more and apply here.

This call uses matched, time-bound capital to turn cross-sector R&D partnerships into near-term prototypes and investable trajectories.

ComunicaCTi – Línea DifundeCTi | Convocatoria 01-2026, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (Senacyt). *Closing soon!*

Senacyt’s DifundeCTi line under ComunicaCTi seeks to strengthen Guatemala’s science-and-innovation ecosystem by funding public-facing activities that translate research results, technical advances, and innovation into knowledge that reaches communities, institutions, and productive sectors. The call is structured to prioritize proposals that are well-built and strongly aligned with national priorities, especially around nutrition, closing digital gaps through technology and innovation, environmental stewardship, and energy, while still allowing submissions across disciplines if they demonstrate clear problem-solving relevance.

• Geographies: Guatemala.

• Who can apply: DNI-registered applicants with endorsement from a DNE-registered institution; must be in good standing with Fonacyt reporting.

• Funding amount: Maximum Q 125,000.00 per activity; minimum 20% counterpart required.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Education & Capacity Building; Focus areas: science dissemination, science communication, public engagement, technology transfer, digital inclusion.

• Deadline: March 13, 2026 (11:59 p.m. Guatemala Time).

• Learn more and apply here.

This is a “science-to-society” instrument: Senacyt is using modest, co-financed grants to expand the reach, legitimacy, and practical uptake of scientific and technological knowledge across Guatemala.

Digital Cities Innovation Accelerator – Small Grants Program, U.S. Department of State.

The Digital Cities Innovation Accelerator – Small Grants Program supports the deployment of secure, trusted, and high-impact digital solutions in cities across Latin America and the Caribbean. Administered by the U.S. Department of State’s City and Digital Policy (CDP) team, the program is explicitly designed to advance secure digital infrastructure, resilient urban services, and trusted data ecosystems while promoting U.S. technology standards abroad. Funded projects must deploy technology at readiness level 7 or higher, use trusted American technology vendors, and demonstrate clear potential for measurable impact at the sub-national (city or municipal) level. Beyond technical implementation, the program emphasizes economic opportunity, private-sector partnerships, and long-term digital resilience — positioning urban digital transformation as both a governance and economic development strategy. With large award sizes and a limited number of grants, the call targets initiatives that are ready to validate, deploy, and scale secure digital solutions in real-world urban environments. *Closing soon!*

• Geographies: USA and Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Aruba; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Bolivia; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; Guyana; Honduras; Jamaica; Mexico; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Martin; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; Uruguay.

• Who can apply: U.S.-based and foreign non-profits, public entities (including municipal governments), higher education institutions, and for-profit entities.

• Funding amount: Approximately USD $1.25 million total; USD $100,000 – $700,000 per award.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Digital Development; Focus areas: secure digital infrastructure, urban public services, trusted technology deployment.

• Deadline: March 13, 2026 (Round 1 Statement of Interest).

• Learn more and apply here.

This accelerator reflects a strategic push to anchor urban digital transformation in security, trusted standards, and cross-border economic partnerships.

Switzerland 2026 Call for Application: Swiss L’Oréal UNESCO For Women in Science Program, L’Oréal UNESCO For Women in Science. *Closing soon!*

This Swiss national program seeks to retain and accelerate women’s research careers in STEM by providing flexible awards that remove practical barriers in the postdoc phase, when career momentum and visibility are often most fragile. The funder’s logic is not tied to a narrow project cost line, but to career enabling support that helps early-career scientists sustain research productivity and leadership trajectory while remaining anchored at a Swiss host institution. Selection emphasizes research excellence, the quality and feasibility of the proposed research plan, and the applicant’s ability to leverage the award to strengthen long-term career outcomes, including pathways back after career breaks. The structure also values contributions that connect science to society, such as open science, policy engagement, and science communication with young people. This is a career-stage intervention designed to protect research continuity and strengthen the pipeline of women role models in Swiss STEM.

• Geographies: Switzerland.

• Who can apply: Female early-career postdoctoral researchers in eligible STEM fields conducting research at a Swiss university or research institute.

• Funding amount: CHF 25,000 (4 awards).

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Innovation & Technology; Focus areas: Research & Development, Women in STEM, Leadership Training.

• Deadline: March 15, 2026.

• Learn more and apply here.

The program consistently favors proposals that pair scientific excellence with a clear plan for how flexible support translates into sustained research output and career progression.

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The February 2026 cycle for Innovation, Research, and Smart Cities signals a transition from pure scientific discovery toward “Strategic Sovereignty” and Secure-by-Design Digitalization. We are observing a powerful trend where nations are no longer just funding research; they are building the institutional and coordination backbones needed to lead in high-stakes arenas like space science, deep-tech, and secure urban infrastructure.

This month, the intelligence highlights a significant momentum in human-centered automation and responsible AI innovation. Through large-scale initiatives from the European Innovation Council (EIC) and the U.S. State Department, the focus is on bridging the “innovation paradox” by embedding demand-side actors, regulators, users, and industry, directly into the design of the next generation of digital services.

Snapshot of New Opportunities:

This month’s portfolio is heavy on Deep-Tech, Bio-Innovation, and Evidence-Based Policy. Here is a breakdown of the new heavy hitters:

The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 15 open opportunities- 5 new!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 11 rolling opportunities- 1 new!

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 3 long term opportunities!

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Open Calls:

Supporting the Implementation of South Africa’s Space Programmes – Expression of Interest, National Research Foundation (NRF) South Africa. *Closing soon!*

Through this Expression of Interest, the National Research Foundation seeks to strengthen the institutional and coordination backbone of South Africa’s national space programmes. The call is designed to support a lead higher education institution in establishing a structured, inclusive coordination mechanism that connects government, academia, TVET institutions, historically disadvantaged institutions, and industry partners. The funder’s strategy emphasizes systems building rather than isolated research outputs, with a clear focus on developing skills pipelines, improving stakeholder alignment, and ensuring coherence with national policy frameworks such as the National Space Strategy and the STI Decadal Plan. By prioritizing coordination, monitoring, and knowledge exchange, the NRF positions this intervention as a catalytic enabler for long-term capacity development in space science and technology, particularly among institutions and learners historically underrepresented in the sector.

• Geographies: South Africa.

• Who can apply: South African higher education institutions; consortia encouraged, with priority for HDIs as co-leads.

• Funding amount: Up to ZAR 3 million over three years.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Scientific Research; Focus areas: space science coordination, skills development, stakeholder engagement.

• Deadline: February 15, 2026.

• Learn more and apply here.

This call reflects a funder logic that treats coordination and human capital development as critical infrastructure for South Africa’s long-term leadership in space science and technology.

UNESCO/Juan Bosch Prize 2026 – Call for Nominations, UNESCO. *Closing soon!*

UNESCO has opened nominations for the Juan Bosch Prize 2026, a biennial award celebrating exceptional social science research that has advanced understanding and policy responses to pressing social development challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean. Funded by the Government of the Dominican Republic, this Prize highlights the impact of rigorous, policy‑relevant scholarship in shaping inclusive and equitable development approaches. It recognizes young researchers under 40 whose work demonstrates scholarship quality and real‑world significance. Nominations must be submitted via Member States in consultation with their National Commissions or by eligible NGOs in official relation with UNESCO, and must include a written recommendation outlining the candidate’s achievements, contributions, and research outputs.

• Geographies: Latin America & Caribbean.

• Who can apply: Nominations by Member States (through National Commissions) or NGOs in official relations with UNESCO; self‑nominations not eligible.

• Funding amount: Award of USD $12,000 .

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Social Sciences; Focus areas: social science research, social development policy, evidence‑to‑policy in LAC.

• Deadline: February 15, 2026.

• Learn more and apply here.

The Juan Bosch Prize amplifies the voices of emerging social science leaders, reinforcing the role of independent research in strengthening equitable public policy across the Latin America and Caribbean region.

Mustafa (pbuh) Prize – 2027 Call for Nominations, Mustafa Science & Technology Foundation. *Closing soon!*

Nominations are open for the Mustafa (pbuh) Prize, a biennial international science and technology award that celebrates monumental scientific contributions with transformative impacts on human life and global knowledge. Laureates are selected in two major categories: Life and Medical Science and Technology and Basic and Engineering Sciences, recognizing work that advances understanding and delivers practical benefit in areas such as biomedical innovation, engineering breakthroughs, and foundational science. Interested nominators, including universities, research centers, accredited scientific bodies, and distinguished scientists, may submit candidates whose work demonstrates lasting scientific influence.

• Geographies: Global (with focus on scientists residing in Islamic countries).

• Who can apply: Scientists (individuals or groups) nominated by accredited scientific institutions or respected scientists.

• Funding amount: USD $500,000 per laureate.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Research & Innovation; Focus areas: biomedical sciences, engineering, scientific discovery with global impact.

• Deadline: February 20, 2026.

• Learn more and submit nominations here.

Frame your candidate’s work as transformative at a global scale - emphasize how the scientific innovation reshapes boundaries of knowledge or delivers tangible benefits to human well‑being.

EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges – Pilot, European Innovation Council (EIC). *Closing soon!*

The 2026 Advanced Innovation Challenges pilot is a cornerstone of the European Innovation Council’s strategy to tackle concrete, high‑impact problem areas with deep‑tech solutions and to bridge the gap between frontier R&D and real‑world use. This ARPA‑inspired funding scheme centers on challenge themes where European and global competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability converge — such as green transitions, energy system transformation, strategic digital capacities, health resilience, climate adaptation, and industrial biotechnology. The pilot’s staged model accelerates both early feasibility (up to €300,000) and later prototype validation and co‑creation (up to €2.5 million), emphasizing integration of demand‑side actors (industry, users, regulators) right from design to deployment. With a clear challenge orientation, the call is tailored to innovations that can demonstrate measurable progress toward concrete societal or market outcomes within the next several years.

• Geographies: EU Member States & Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

• Who can apply: Single entities or small consortia (SMEs, startups, research organizations, universities).

• Funding amount: Stage 1: up to €300,000; Stage 2: up to €2.5 million.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Technology & Innovation; Focus areas: deep‑tech solutions addressing strategic challenge themes in 2026 (green & energy transition, industrial transformation, health resilience, climate).

• Deadline: February 26, 2026 (Stage 1).

• Learn more and apply here.

The pilot brings a demand‑driven thrust to EIC funding, rewarding deep‑tech ideas that align with pressing 2026 challenge priorities and can move rapidly from concept through real‑world validation.

MAGICIAN Second Open Call – Application Use Cases (OC2), MAGICIAN Project (EU Horizon Europe).

Through its Second Open Call, the MAGICIAN project seeks to accelerate the adoption of autonomous defect detection and repair technologies by extending its robotics and AI framework into new industrial domains beyond automotive manufacturing. The call is structured as cascade funding, enabling startups and SMEs to test, adapt, and validate up to two MAGICIAN capabilities within a single targeted sector, in close technical collaboration with the MAGICIAN consortium. Priority is placed on solutions that combine advanced perception, learning systems, and control technologies with human-centered design, reflecting the project’s emphasis on productivity gains alongside improved working conditions. The funder’s logic centers on real-world feasibility and market relevance: supported Application Use Cases are expected to demonstrate industrial applicability, scalability, and readiness to reach higher technology readiness levels within a 12-month implementation window.

• Geographies: EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries (see full list here).

• Who can apply: Startups and SMEs applying alone or as a consortium of up to two entities.

• Funding amount: Up to €200,000 per Application Use Case; up to five projects funded.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Manufacturing & Industry; Focus areas: robotic defect detection, AI-driven rework, human–robot interaction.

• Deadline: March 2, 2026 (17:00 Brussels Time).

• Learn more and apply here.

Designed as a lean experimentation mechanism, the call channels Horizon Europe funding into rapid, industry-embedded validation of human-centered automation technologies.

Read more

The research and innovation landscape for January 2026 is shifting away from “ivory tower” academia and moving toward high-stakes implementation. Whether it’s using AI to sharpen global forecasting or building physical instruments that change how we measure the universe, this month’s newly added calls emphasize real-world validation. We are seeing a massive geographic spread—from the South African bioeconomy and Maldivian digital transformation to Norway-Ukraine academic partnerships and deep-tech challenges across the EU. The sectors are equally diverse, spanning biotechnology, engineering, social science policy in Latin America, and neurotechnology. If your work bridges the gap between a theoretical breakthrough and a scalable solution for global order, 2026 is officially inviting you to the table.

Snapshot of New Opportunities:

This month’s portfolio is heavy on Deep-Tech, Bio-Innovation, and Evidence-Based Policy. Here is a breakdown of the new heavy hitters:

The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 16 open opportunities- 11 new!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 10 rolling opportunities!

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 3 long term opportunities!

This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities.

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To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer discounted/subsidized rates for nonprofits and individuals from LMICs (Low- and Middle-Income Countries). Message us below for more information.

Open Calls:

Research Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence, William T. Grant Foundation. *Closing soon!*

This program supports rigorous studies that advance how research evidence informs policy and practice in U.S. youth-serving systems. The Foundation invites projects that pursue one of two core aims: (1) building or testing strategies to improve how decision-makers use existing research evidence; or (2) evaluating whether improved research use actually leads to better youth outcomes. Proposals may include impact studies, descriptive work on decision-making environments, or development of robust measures of research use. Critical perspectives, cross-sectoral inquiries, and mixed-methods designs are encouraged, particularly in fields like education, mental health, child welfare, housing, and justice.

• Geographies: United States.

• Who can apply: U.S.-based universities and research institutions; one application per PI per cycle.

• Funding amount: USD $25,000 – $1M over 1–4 years.

• Targeted Sectors: Public Policy; Focus areas: use of research evidence, research-to-policy strategies, youth-focused systems.

• Deadline: January 7, 2026 (3:00 pm EST).

• Learn more and apply here. Call page

This call rewards proposals that bridge policy research with system-level practice- think partnerships with agencies or intermediaries, not just academic relevance.

Paul Instrument Fund 2026, Royal Society. *Closing soon!*

This grant supports the design and construction of novel instruments that measure physical phenomena in the sciences- from pure physics to biophysics and medical physics. Emphasis is placed on innovative apparatus that can serve a broad scientific audience, not just a single lab. Proposals must demonstrate originality, feasibility, and scientific value beyond current instrumentation. Commercial use is permitted but subject to fund committee conditions.

• Geographies: United Kingdom.

• Who can apply: UK-based PhD holders with institutional tenure for project duration; universities, RIs, PSREs, and IROs.

• Funding amount: GBP £200,000 max; 100% of direct costs covered (no overheads).

• Targeted Sectors: Scientific Research; Focus areas: instrumentation, physical sciences, novel measurement tools.

• Deadline: January 8, 2026 (15:00 UK Time).

• Learn more and apply here.

Instruments that combine conceptual novelty with broader field utility, and not just local lab benefit, will best align with this fund’s founding vision.

Bioindustries Funding Call – Start-Up Support Programme, The Innovation Hub (in partnership with DSTI). *New!* *Closing soon!*

The Innovation Hub, supported by South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, is offering grant funding to early-stage bioeconomy ventures through its Start-Up Support Programme. This call targets companies working in bioconversion, biocatalysis, bioremediation, and related fields, with a strong emphasis on innovation, market readiness (TRL ≥ 3), and job creation. Funding will support both existing incubates and startups applying for incubation, helping them accelerate development and prepare for market engagement.

• Geographies: South Africa.

• Who can apply: TIH-incubated companies or those seeking incubation with The Innovation Hub.

• Funding amount: ZAR R51,000–R300,000 per project.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Scientific Research; Focus areas: bioconversion, biocatalysis, bioremediation, bioprospecting, biorefineries.

• Deadline: January 23, 2026 (23:59 South Africa time).

• Learn more and apply here.

This call supports South Africa’s growing bioeconomy by enabling science-based startups to reach viable innovation and scale.

Second Call for Proposals – ReCIPE Big Research Grants, CEPR Research for Impact. *New!* *Closing soon!*

Seek to support original, policy-engaged research that advances understanding of the intersections between conflict, economic development, and inclusive governance. The program seeks to inform policy in low- and middle-income countries through rigorous, field-grounded evidence. ReCIPE prioritizes work that explores its core themes—such as the economics of conflict, inequality, gender, governance, and climate—and explicitly encourages collaborations with researchers from the Global South, particularly in its focus countries. Funded projects are expected to demonstrate clear policy relevance, with strategies for uptake and engagement built into the research design.

• Geographies: Focus countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Rep.), Congo (Dem. Rep.), Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Korea (DPRK), Lao PDR, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Venezuela, West Bank and Gaza, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

• Who can apply: Researchers worldwide; PIs must hold or be pursuing a PhD; collaboration with LMIC-based researchers encouraged.

• Funding amount: Up to GBP £100,000 per grant; max project duration 24 months.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Economic Development; Focus areas: conflict & development, gender inequality, climate impacts, local governance.

• Deadline: January 27, 2026 (23:59 GMT).

• Learn more and apply here.

ReCIPE invests in actionable research that bridges global scholarship with the pressing policy needs of conflict-affected and low-resource settings.

Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order, Grawemeyer Awards / University of Louisville. *New!* *Closing soon!*

The Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order is an annual international prize that honors a specific published work, such as a book, essay, or policy analysis, that proposes original, actionable approaches to strengthening global governance, peace, and cooperation. Unlike typical research grants, this award celebrates bold ideas with demonstrated potential for real‑world impact, judged on criteria of originality, feasibility, and potential to improve global order. Nominations are submitted by qualified third parties (e.g., academic institutions, professional associations, publishers), and self‑nominations are generally not accepted.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: Idea authors nominated by eligible nominators (academics, associations, publishers, etc.).

• Funding amount: USD $100,000 (prize).

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Peace & Security; Focus areas: conflict resolution, global cooperation, governance innovation.

• Deadline: January 30, 2026 (nomination deadline).

• Learn more and nominate here.

The Grawemeyer Awards privilege clarity of concept and real‑world applicability: your work should be accessible to both academic and policymaking audiences.

AI for Forecasting and Sound Reasoning RFP, Coefficient Giving. *Closing soon!*

This global call seeks to fund projects that use AI to strengthen decision-making through better forecasting and more robust, truth-oriented reasoning. The RFP focuses on two intertwined priorities: AI for Forecasting, which targets judgmental and probabilistic models with actionable applications, and AI for Sound Reasoning, which supports tools or evaluations that enable consistency, meta-reasoning, and accuracy in high-stakes contexts. The goal is to develop epistemic infrastructure that increases transparency and supports better public and policy decisions- especially amid global risks.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: Individuals and organizations worldwide; nonprofits preferred; for-profits and individual applicants must clear a higher bar.

• Funding amount: USD $100,000–1,000,000 (total pool: $8–10M).

• Targeted Sectors: Artificial Intelligence; Focus areas: AI for forecasting, sound reasoning, epistemic tools, transparency, decision-making.

• Deadline: January 30, 2026.

• Learn more and apply here.

Proposals that target real-world epistemic improvements over abstract capability gains, especially those aligned with risk mitigation and clarity in public reasoning, will align closely with this funder’s strategic lens.

Read more

The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 10 open opportunities- 6 new!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 8 rolling opportunities!

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 3 long term opportunities!

This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities.

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To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer discounted/subsidized rates for nonprofits and individuals from LMICs (Low- and Middle-Income Countries). Message us below for more information.

Open Calls:

BRICS STI Framework Programme Innovation Call 2025, BRICS STI Framework Programme. *Closing soon!*

This multinational R&D call supports collaborative innovation among BRICS nations, targeting real-world solutions to shared societal challenges. Eligible institutions must partner across at least two BRICS countries and co-design projects that deliver scalable technologies in areas such as water sustainability, clean energy, medical innovation, and digital infrastructure. Proposals must reflect a clear path to impact—aligned with TRL 5–7—and be grounded in complementary expertise across the consortium. Funding is issued nationally, with each country applying its own regulations, instruments, and disbursement timelines.

• Geographies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt.

• Who can apply: Universities, research institutions, SMMEs, and innovators legally registered in BRICS countries; must form consortia with at least two national partners.

• Funding amount: Country-specific; e.g. €50,000 (South Africa), L.E. 10M (Egypt), R1M (approx.).

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Scientific Research; Focus areas: water treatment, energy storage, food tech, pharma, sustainability.

• Deadline: December 3, 2025 (15:00 Moscow Time).

• Learn more and apply here.

This fund reflects a coordinated effort to unlock high-impact science through cross-national R&D- balancing local strengths with global innovation goals.

OSC Award – Sustainable Cities Colombia, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). *New!* *Closing soon!*

This one-time award supports the implementation of sustainable urban development projects in Leticia and San Andrés, Colombia. As part of the broader “Biodiverse, Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities” initiative, the OSC Award promotes participatory planning, green infrastructure, and community-led approaches to environmental and social resilience. Projects should empower local actors, increase ecological awareness, and integrate biodiversity into the urban fabric.

• Geographies: Leticia and San Andrés, Colombia.

• Who can apply: Civil Society Organizations registered under national law; must be in good financial standing and compliant with governance obligations.

• Funding amount: EUR €686,000 (single project, up to 24 months).

• Targeted Sectors: Urban Development; Focus areas: urban biodiversity, participatory planning, citizen education, nature-based solutions.

• Deadline: December 16, 2026 (23:59 Colombia Time).

• Learn more and apply here.

This is a flagship call under AICS’ urban resilience strategy. Strong proposals will integrate biodiversity, participation, and sustainable infrastructure into city-level transformation.

Second Edition – Arab Alliances for Scientific Research and Innovation Initiative (ARICA), Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils (FASRC). *New!* *Closing soon!*

The Arab Alliances for Scientific Research and Innovation Initiative is the first multilateral Arab research collaboration program focused on the priorities of food security, energy security, health security, and social peace. The initiative aims to build distinguished and integrated Arab research teams that contribute to achieving tangible impact on the ground by strengthening Arab research capabilities and fostering partnerships with the public and private sectors and civil society. The initiative seeks to establish distinguished and integrated Arab research teams committed to achieving real-world impact by leveraging the capabilities of Arab scientific research and innovation institutions and partnering with the economic, social, and cultural environment across the public and private sectors.

• Geographies: Arab region (all eligible Arab countries).

• Who can apply: Consortia of ≥ 3 researchers from ≥ 3 different Arab countries affiliated with recognized Arab research institutions; institutional endorsement required.

• Funding amount: USD $30,000 – $100,000 per project.

• Targeted Sectors: Scientific Research; Focus areas: food systems & agriculture, energy & water systems, health & medicine, emerging technologies, social sciences & humanities, regional research collaboration.

• Deadline: December 31, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

This initiative aims to reposition Arab scientific cooperation toward solving shared, cross‑border challenges- consortia that span countries and disciplines are likely to stand out for their potential for scalable regional impact.

Read more

The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 13 open opportunities- 4 new!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 8 rolling opportunities!

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 3 long term opportunities!

This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities.

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To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer discounted/subsidized rates for nonprofits and individuals from LMICs (Low- and Middle-Income Countries). Message us below for more information.

Open Calls:

SMART ERA 1st Open Call for Pilot Add-ons, SMART ERA (EU Horizon Europe project). *Closing soon!*

The SMART ERA project, funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe, is launching its first Open Call for Pilot Add-ons to support technology and solution providers in co-deploying smart innovation packages within designated rural areas across Europe. Selected entities will join a nine-month support program, which includes mentoring, onboarding assistance, and guidance to help scale their solution from approximately Technology Readiness Level 4 to 6. Project proposals must align with regional socio-economic and environmental challenges, ranging from agro-food traceability, pasture ecosystem monitoring, and AI-based tourism platforms to rural mobility, digital health, and map-based tourism services, complemented with strong data privacy safeguards (GDPR compliance), use of open-source or OpenAPI standards, multilingual and user-friendly interfaces, and sustainable replication strategies.

• Geographies: Rural pilot regions in Italy, Spain, Finland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bulgaria.

• Who can apply: EU-based legal entities providing technological or solution-based innovations that can be implemented with local stakeholder involvement.

• Funding amount: Up to €60,000 per provider.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Rural Development; Focus areas: agrifood innovation, ecosystem monitoring, tourism enhancement, digital health, mobility, rural entrepreneurship.

• Deadline: November 4, 2025 (15:00 CET)

• Learn more and apply here.

By combining technology innovation with local stakeholder co-design and mentoring, SMART ERA aims to revitalize rural areas across Europe with resilient, socially inclusive, and replicable community-led solutions.

POLAR International Partnership Research Development Program (2025–2027), Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR). * New!* *Closing soon!*

This program funds Canadian researchers to deepen international collaboration on Arctic and Antarctic studies through an existing research project. The focus is on advancing scientific understanding of ecosystem change, environmental health, and sustainable technologies for the North, while ensuring Indigenous participation and knowledge mobilization. Researchers must demonstrate how international partnerships will enhance the scientific or social value of the work and align with POLAR’s strategic science goals.

• Geographies: Canada.

• Who can apply: Canadian citizens or permanent residents affiliated with eligible Canadian institutions with existing Arctic/Antarctic research.

• Funding amount: Up to CAD $100,000 over 2 years.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Scientific Research; Focus areas: Arctic ecosystems, Indigenous co-creation, polar infrastructure.

• Deadline: November 5, 2025 (15:00 EST).

• Learn more and apply here.

This grant strengthens global research ties and centers Arctic communities and ecosystems in knowledge creation.

CIFAR Global Scholars Program 2026–2028, CIFAR. *Closing soon!*

The CIFAR Global Scholars Program supports early-career researchers poised to lead interdisciplinary breakthroughs across science, health, technology, and society. Over two years, scholars receive CAD $100,000 in flexible funding and are embedded within a CIFAR research program tackling frontier challenges. This prestigious fellowship emphasizes leadership development, equity, and global collaboration — offering immersive retreats, international gatherings, mentorship from senior researchers, and intensive training in team science and research impact. Scholars remain at their home institutions and are selected for both excellence and potential to shape transformative knowledge agendas.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: Early-career faculty (PhD holders who began first independent role between July 1, 2021 and December 31, 2025).

• Funding amount: CAD $100,000 over 2 years.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Scientific Research; Focus areas: early-career research, interdisciplinary science, academic leadership.

• Deadline: November 5, 2025 (12:00 EST).

• Learn more and apply here.

This program builds the next generation of globally connected research leaders tackling urgent and complex challenges.

ERC Synergy Grant (SyG) 2026, European Research Council (ERC). *Closing soon!*

This flagship grant supports small teams of two to four principal investigators working jointly on high-risk, high-reward research problems that cannot be tackled by individual labs alone. Synergy projects aim to drive major advances at the frontiers of knowledge through cross-fertilization of disciplines, unconventional methods, and novel lines of inquiry. Proposals must clearly demonstrate the transformative ambition, feasibility, and integrated expertise needed to address complex, boundary-pushing questions—and position the research as a global benchmark.

• Geographies: EU Member States & Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

• Who can apply: Teams of two to four principal investigators with complementary skills; one PI may be hosted outside EU/Associated Countries.

• Funding amount: Up to EUR €10M for six years; plus up to €4M for start-up or major infrastructure costs. Total envelop of EUR €500M

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Research; frontier interdisciplinary science.

• Deadline: November 5, 2025 (17:00 Brussels time).

• Learn more and apply here.

ERC prioritizes proposals where the group’s synergy is critical, not just complementary, creating new research interfaces and methods that redefine their field’s frontiers.

Faculty for the Future (2026 Fellowships), Schlumberger Foundation. *Closing soon!*

The foundation seeks women from developing and emerging economies who will use advanced STEM training to strengthen teaching, research, and evidence‑based leadership back home. Priority goes to candidates pursuing PhD or postdoctoral work at leading universities abroad with strong academic records, clear links to home‑country institutions, a plan to return, and a track record of outreach that inspires girls and women into STEM.

• Geographies: Developing and emerging economies.

• Who can apply: Women in STEM pursuing PhD/postdoc abroad; excellent record; leadership and teaching commitment; intent to return.

• Funding amount: PhD up to USD $50,000/year; Post‑doc up to USD $40,000/year; childcare grant (conditions apply).

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Education; Research & Innovation; Gender Equality; SDG 5, SDG 4.

• Deadline: November 7, 2025 (12:00 CST, UTC−6).

• Learn more and apply here.

This fellowship enables exceptional female scholars from emerging and developing economies to gain world-class STEM training abroad and return home as influential academics, innovators, and policy shapers- driving systemic change for their communities and regions.

DUT Call 2025, Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Partnership. *New!* *Closing soon!*

This Horizon Europe-aligned transnational call funds R&I projects focused on accelerating urban sustainability transitions. Applicants must form a consortium of at least three entities from three of the 26 participating countries. The call prioritizes solutions aligned with three interconnected thematic pillars: Positive Energy Districts, the 15-minute City, and Circular Urban Economies. Funding is provided through national/regional agencies- each with their own eligibility and budget frameworks.

• Geographies: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Tunisia, Türkiye.

• Who can apply: Transnational consortia with at least 3 partners from 3 of the participating countries; organizations must check national annexes for eligibility.

• Funding amount: €1–2 million per project (approx.); Total pool: €44 million.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Urban Development; Focus areas: circular urban economies, 15-minute city, energy-positive districts, integrated planning.

• Deadline: November 17, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

Funding under this call requires strategic alignment with both European R&I goals and national-level conditions—coordination across partners is essential from the outset.

Read more

The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 17 open opportunities- 8 new!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 9 rolling opportunities!

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 5 long term opportunities!

This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities.

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To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer discounted/subsidized rates for nonprofits and individuals from LMICs (Low- and Middle-Income Countries). Message us below for more information.

Open Calls:

GenAI for Africa, European Commission (EC). *Closing soon!*

This call seeks proposals that apply Generative AI to address critical challenges in African contexts—especially in rural communities and for women—by fostering local innovation and technological capacity. Projects should focus on one or more priority areas: agriculture (e.g. optimizing crop yields through predictive analytics), healthcare (e.g. AI-assisted diagnosis and telemedicine with attention to gender equity), infrastructure and urban planning (e.g. water and waste management, energy efficiency), and digital skills and education (e.g. personalized learning and multilingual content). Emphasis is placed on context-specific, inclusive, and sustainable solutions enabled by quality digital infrastructure and designed with local communities in mind.

• Geographies: European Union, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States, countries associated to Horizon Europe, and many LMICs. See full list of eligible countries here (from page 9).

• Who can apply: Consortiums of any legal entities.

• Funding amount: Grants range EUR €1M - €2M. Two projects expected to be funded.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, urban planning, digital skills and learning.

• Deadline: October 2, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

EthiopiAI Programme: Call for Proposals, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UK. *New!* *Closing soon!*

This program aims to identify and deploy high‑potential, responsible artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in Ethiopia, targeting service optimization in sectors like health, education, climate action, economic development, and humanitarian assistance. Beyond deploying AI tools, it emphasizes strengthening the capacity of civil servants, forging policy engagement, and embedding ethical and regulatory safeguards to ensure both impact and sustainability. Eligible organizations are non‑profit NGOs or UK‑based non‑profits, or consortia thereof; for‑profit entities are excluded. The initiative will deliver through FCDO’s bilateral development programs, ensuring alignment with national priorities and lasting system integration.

• Geographies: Ethiopia.

• Who can apply: Legally registered non‑profit NGOs; consortia allowed; for‑profit organizations not eligible.

• Funding amount: ~£4.6 million total funding.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Technology, innovation; Focus areas: responsible AI automation/optimization, public service delivery, health, education, climate action, regulation.

• Deadline: October 3, 2025 (13:00 Eastern Africa Time).

• Learn more and apply here.

EthiopiAI offers a timely chance to shape Ethiopia’s AI ecosystem, combining innovation and public service with policy engagement to ensure ethical, inclusive and sustainable adoption.

SPI Technogrants 2025 Call, Swiss Polar Institute. *Closing soon!*

The Swiss Polar Institute is inviting proposals for its SPI Technogrants, designed to accelerate the development of technologies for use in polar and extreme high-altitude environments. These grants can support both the creation of new tools and the adaptation of existing ones, with a strong emphasis on clean technologies that minimize environmental footprints while maximizing scientific outcomes. Projects may include conception, development, and field testing in the Arctic, Antarctic, Andes, Himalayas, or even Alpine settings, with eligible costs covering development, logistics, and carbon offsetting. By linking innovation with sustainability, the program strengthens Switzerland’s leadership in advancing responsible polar research.

• Geographies: Arctic, Antarctic, high-altitude regions (Andes, Himalayas, Alps).

• Who can apply: Doctoral students to senior researchers based at Swiss public research institutions; private companies/startups may join as partners but not leads.

• Funding amount: Up to CHF 75,000 per project; total pool CHF 150,000 (2025).

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Science & Research, Technology Innovation, Environment.

• Deadline: October 9, 2025 (12:00 Swiss time).

• Learn more and apply here.

This fund underscores the role of Swiss-led innovation in creating sustainable research methods for some of the world’s most fragile and logistically challenging ecosystems.

SPI Exploratory Grants 2025 Call, Swiss Polar Institute. *Closing soon!*

The Swiss Polar Institute is offering its Exploratory Grants to enable Swiss researchers to test new ideas, expand fieldwork, or initiate collaborations in polar and extreme high-altitude regions. With a focus on short-term, high-potential projects, the grants provide flexible support for logistics, equipment, and data acquisition, including innovative approaches to sample collection and remote sensing. Proposals are encouraged to foster cross-disciplinary work and international cooperation, while also integrating sustainability practices to minimize environmental footprints. These grants complement the SPI Technogrants and Polar Access Fund by targeting established researchers with at least three years post-PhD experience.

• Geographies: Arctic, Antarctic, high-altitude regions (Andes, Himalayas).

• Who can apply: Postdoctoral and senior researchers employed at Swiss public research institutions (≥3 years post-PhD).

• Funding amount: Up to CHF 75,000 per project; total pool CHF 150,000 (2025).

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Science & Research, Environment, Capacity Building.

• Deadline: October 9, 2025 (12:00 Swiss time).

• Learn more and apply here.

This program creates space for Swiss scientists to launch bold pilot projects that advance polar and high-altitude research through innovation, collaboration, and sustainability.

dAIEDGE 3rd Open Call for Collaborative Projects, dAIEDGE Network of Excellence. *New!* *Closing soon!*

This call seeks to support up to 10 pioneering projects that address industrial Edge AI challenges using advanced technologies. The program invites organizations to develop and deploy AI‑at‑the‑Edge solutions across real‑world industrial use cases. Projects run over two phases, a 1‑month planning phase followed by a 6‑month implementation phase, and participants receive access to the dAIEDGE Virtual Lab and technical guidance from experts.

• Geographies: European Union, Overseas Countries and Territories, Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

• Who can apply: Legal entities (research organizations, universities, start‑ups, SMEs), individually or in consortia (up to two entities), registered in eligible European countries.

• Funding amount: Grant of up to EUR €60,000 per project.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Primary focus on AI & Technology (Edge AI).

• Deadline: October 14, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

This final open call marks a significant push to embed AI‑at‑the‑Edge within industrial contexts through hands‑on innovation and deep technical immersion in virtual laboratory settings.

Read more

The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 27 open opportunities- 13 new!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 6 rolling opportunities- 1 new!

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 5 long term opportunities!

This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities.

Subscribe now

To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer discounted/subsidized rates for nonprofits and individuals from LMICs (Low- and Middle-Income Countries). Message us below for more information.

Open Calls:

Veni Grants- 2025 Pre-Proposals, Dutch Research Council. *Closing soon!*

Veni is for researchers who have recently graduated. The Veni grant is intended to fund innovative scientific research and thereby give these researchers the opportunity to develop as independent researchers. The Veni round 2025 has nine submission windows within NWO's four domains: Social Sciences and Humanities, Applied and Engineering Sciences, Science domain, and Health Research and Development.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: PhD researchers with permanent or temporary employment, from home or abroad. The 2025 Veni round is open to researchers with a PhD date after 1 January 2022 and before 2 September 2025.

• Funding amount: Grants of up to EUR €320,000.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Multisector, health, science, humanities, engineering, research.

• Deadline: September 2, 2025 (pre-proposal). Full application deadline is January 27, 2026.

• Learn more and apply here.

AI4D Innovation Scaling Challenge, African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS). *New!* *Closing soon!*

The AI4D program, led by ACTS, seeks to deepen the responsible use of artificial intelligence by scaling African-developed innovations with demonstrated real-world application. This challenge targets AI solutions that are already in use and aims to support their expansion across diverse development sectors including education, agriculture, and climate resilience. ACTS combines catalytic funding with technical and risk mitigation support to build a trusted, inclusive AI ecosystem anchored in African contexts.

• Geographies: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini (Formerly Known as Swaziland), Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, The Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

• Who can apply: Individuals, startups, SMEs, researchers, and consortia based in Sub-Saharan Africa with in-use AI solutions.

• Funding amount: USD $100,000.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Education, Agriculture, Climate, Digital Innovation.

• Deadline: September 4, 2025 (23:59 EAT).

• Learn more and apply here.

This challenge advances AI4D’s core outcome of scaling AI innovations that are not only impactful but governed by principles of equity, sustainability, and rights-based design.

LAUDS Factories Open Call #2 – Replication, LAUDS Factories Project. *New!* *Closing soon!*

The LAUDS Factories Project, funded under Horizon Europe, is seeking hybrid teams to replicate its approach to sustainable, decentralized urban manufacturing. Proposals must combine technology providers with creative professionals to address a specific challenge from the LAUDS “Catalogue of Challenges.” The funder’s aim is to generate innovative, socially and environmentally impactful solutions at the intersection of art, design, and advanced digital technologies, contributing to resilient and localized production systems.

• Geographies: Europe.

• Who can apply: Hybrid teams with at least one technology provider (SME, midcap, start-up) and one artist/designer/creative/architect; based in EU Member States or Horizon Europe-associated countries.

• Funding amount: Up to EUR €27,000 per project (100% eligible costs).

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Innovation & Technology; Creative Industries; Manufacturing.

• Deadline: September 4, 2025 (17:00 CET).

• Learn more and apply here.

This call is designed to demonstrate the replicability of art-tech collaborations in sustainable urban manufacturing.

Call for Proposals: Canada–Chile Collaborative Industrial R&D 2025, National Research Council Canada. *Closing soon!*

This bilateral innovation initiative invites Canadian SMEs and Chilean companies to co-develop commercially viable technologies across sectors, with strong emphasis on sustainable mining, clean energy, and construction innovations. Projects must be jointly designed and executed, with clear technological complementarity and commercialization plans, and funding support will be coordinated through NRC IRAP (Canada) and Corfo (Chile).

• Geographies: Canada, Chile.

• Who can apply: Canadian SMEs (≤ 500 FTEs, ≥ 12 months old) and eligible Chilean firms in a balanced R&D consortium.

• Funding amount: Up to CAD $500,000 from Canada; Chilean funding through Corfo.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Technology & Innovation.

• Deadline: September 5, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

This is a strategic opportunity for SMEs aiming to jointly commercialize deep-tech solutions in high-growth, sustainability-aligned sectors across the Americas.

APEX Awards, The British Academy. *Closing soon!*

The APEX Awards (Academies Partnership in Supporting Excellence in Cross-disciplinary research) offer established independent researchers an exciting opportunity to pursue genuine interdisciplinary and curiosity-driven research to benefit wider society. Applications must be within the remit of more than one of the Academies. Applications that span the remit of The British Academy and The Royal Academy of Engineering are encouraged. The British Academy Remit – In any discipline within the social sciences and humanities - in some cases, creative and professional practice may play a significant role in shaping the methods and/or outcomes of research. The Royal Academy of Engineering Remit – The Royal Academy of Engineering Remit – Applications are welcome from any engineering discipline. Engineering is defined in its broadest sense, encompassing a wide range of diverse fields, including computer science and materials. The Royal Society Remit – Natural sciences (including agriculture, mathematics, technology, computer science, materials, medical, environmental and engineering sciences, but excluding clinical medicine). The Society does not support clinical or interventional research on humans at the individual or group level.

• Geographies: UK.

• Who can apply: Applicants must be exceptional researchers with excellent track records as established independent researchers. Researchers of any nationality may apply, must be based in UK University or not-for-profit research organization. Applicants will be expected to collaborate with a research partner (co-applicant) from a different discipline to their own, based at the same institution or a different university in the UK.

• Funding amount: Grant of up to GBP £200,000200,000 to fund staff costs for the lead applicant and the co-applicant, and associated research costs such as consumables, equipment, and collaborative travel.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Social sciences and humanities, engineering, natural sciences.

• Deadline: September 9, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. *New!* *Closing soon!*

The UK Government has launched the £9.5 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to back projects that tackle digital exclusion through both innovative interventions and the scaling of proven best practices. Building on the 2025 Digital Inclusion Action Plan, the fund seeks proposals that generate new evidence on what works, while expanding successful models across England’s regions. Grants will support initiatives addressing barriers such as skills gaps, device and data poverty, and confidence in digital engagement, particularly for low-income households, older people, disabled people, unemployed individuals, and young people not in education, employment or training. Funding will be available in three categories: scaling best practice, R&D-focused innovative interventions, and capital assets such as devices and software, with projects required to conclude by March 2026.

• Geographies: United Kingdom (England as lead; proportionate funding for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland).

• Who can apply: Combined authorities, local authorities, charities (registered ≥1 year in England), and UKRI-eligible research organizations; consortia welcome.

• Funding amount: Grant range GBP £25,000–£500,000 per project; total pool £9.5m (with £7.242m allocated for England).

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Digital Inclusion, Education, Employment, Social Inclusion.

• Deadline: September 10, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

This fund is a key instrument in shaping the UK’s digital inclusion strategy, ensuring communities most affected by exclusion benefit from scalable and evidence-driven solutions.

The Alignment Project, AI Security Institute.*New!* *Closing soon!*

A global coalition of public, private, and philanthropic partners seeks bold, interdisciplinary research to address one of today’s most urgent technical challenges: ensuring advanced AI systems act in alignment with human values. The Alignment Project provides funding up to £1 million, plus compute credits and expert support, for researchers working to either prevent harmful AI actions or design systems that avoid such attempts altogether. Priority areas include theoretical and empirical challenges across information theory, computational complexity, game theory, probabilistic methods, learning theory, reinforcement learning, cognitive science, interpretability, benchmark design, post-training methods, and red teaming.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: Researchers at universities, non-profits, start-ups, or independent teams worldwide.

• Funding amount: GBP £50,000–1,000,000; total pool: over GBP £15 million.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: AI Safety, AI Alignment, AI Security.

• Deadline: September 10, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

This is a rare, high-trust opportunity to shape the theoretical and empirical foundations of AI alignment through rigorous, scalable research.

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025, European Commission — Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions. *New!* *Closing soon!*

The Commission seeks to accelerate researcher mobility and skills development by funding postdoctoral projects that cross borders, sectors, and disciplines. Proposals should pair a strong host environment with a clear plan for training, supervision, and impact—demonstrating how the fellowship will advance the researcher’s career and deliver scientific, societal, or economic value in Europe. Two tracks are offered: European (12–24 months in an EU or Associated Country) and Global PFs (24–36 months with an outgoing phase to a non‑associated third country and a mandatory 12‑month return).

• Geographies: EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries.

• Who can apply: Researchers with a PhD and ≤8 years of research experience after PhD, applying jointly with an eligible host. Host organizations include universities, research institutions, businesses, SME’s or other organization based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country.

• Funding amount: EU allowances for living and mobility (plus family where eligible), and budgets for research/training and host management/indirect costs; total call budget €404.3M.

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Research & Innovation; Higher Education; international knowledge exchange.

• Deadline: September 10, 2025, 17:00 CEST.
  Learn more and apply here.

This call backs Europe’s talent and mobility strategy—funding high‑potential postdocs to move, collaborate, and transfer knowledge across borders and sectors at scale.

NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program 2026–2027, NVIDIA Corporation (Graduate Fellowship Program). *New!* *Closing soon!*

The NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program supports PhD students engaged in cutting-edge research within accelerated computing and its applications, such as AI, robotics, autonomous systems, and system architecture. Each recipient is awarded up to USD $60,000, along with industry mentorship, access to NVIDIA technologies, and a mandatory in-person summer internship. The funding covers stipend, tuition, and mandatory fees—administered through the student's university, with no institutional overhead. Applicants must have completed at least one year of PhD-level study, be enrolled full-time in 2026–2027, and be eligible for an internship at designated NVIDIA research offices. The program encourages proposals that align with GPU-driven innovation.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: PhD students worldwide in relevant technical fields (CS, EE, system architecture, etc.), post-first-year, not graduating before mid-2027, with commitment to internship; no immediate NVIDIA family ties.

• Funding amount: Grant of up to USD $60,000 (covers stipend, tuition, mandatory fees; no overhead).

• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Accelerated Computing; Focus areas: AI, machine learning, robotics, computer vision, system architecture.

• Deadline: September 15, 2025 (3 pm PT).

• Learn more and apply here.

By offering substantial support and deep integration with its research ecosystem, NVIDIA empowers future leaders to push the boundaries of computing innovation.

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The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 26 open opportunities- 16 new!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 5 rolling opportunities- 1 new!

3. Long term plannin…

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The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 15 open opportunities- 9 new opportunities added!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 4 rolling opportunities!

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 3 long term opportunities!

This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities.

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To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer discounted/subsidized rates for nonprofits and individuals from LMICs (Low- and Middle-Income Countries). Message us below for more information.

Open Calls:

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The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 14 open opportunities- 9 new opportunities added!

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 4 rolling opportunities!

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 3 long term opportunities!

This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities.

Subscribe now

To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer discounted/subsidized rates for nonprofits and individuals from LMICs (Low- and Middle-Income Countries). Message us below for more information.

Open Calls:

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The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date.

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible).

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows.

This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities.

Subscribe now

To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer discounted rates / free membership for nonprofits and individuals from LMICs (Low- and Middle-Income Countries). Message us below for more information.

Open Calls:

Research-Industry Grants for International Collaboration, The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE). *Closing Soon!*

Seeking applications from Australian organizations collaborating on key areas of science and technology with priority partner countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Applicants must focus on one of five priority themes and include at least one priority partner country. Priority themes: advanced manufacturing; quantum computing; artificial intelligence; hydrogen production; RNA (including mRNA) vaccines and therapies. Priority countries: Brazil; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; New Zealand; Singapore; Thailand; Vietnam

• Geographies: Australia and Priority countries: Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.

• Who can apply: Project must be led by Australian organization, including for-profit or non-profit, Publicly Funded Research Organisation (PFRO), and Cooperative Research Centre.

• Funding amount: AUD $100,000 - AUD $1M. Total of $6.3M available.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Innovation, research

• Deadline: May 4, 2025 for Expressions of Interest.

• Learn more and apply here.

2025 THRIVE Global Impact Challenge, SVG Ventures. *Closing this month!*

The THRIVE Global Impact Challenge is on a mission to discover the most innovative startups tackling the biggest challenges in agri-food systems. This year, they are seeking groundbreaking solutions across six key themes driving transformation in the agrifood industry: Regenerative Agriculture, Artificial Intelligence & Automation, Animal Health & Nutrition, Clean Energy & Climate Tech, Water & Waste Management, Post Harvest & FoodTech. Three finalists from each of the six themes will be selected to pitch at the THRIVE Global Impact Summit in Silicon Valley, and the winning company will receive the THRIVE Global Impact Challenge Award in addition to investment from SVG Ventures up to $1M USD.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: Early-stage startups or entrepreneurs at the seed to Series A stage.

• Funding amount: Winner will receive an investment from SVG Ventures up to $1M USD.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Agriculture, food, innovation, climate, energy, AI.

• Deadline: May 25, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

Prize for Cities 2025-2026: Catalyzing Healthy Cities, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. *Closing this month!*

The WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities recognizes trailblazing projects and initiatives for their contribution to inclusive and sustainable urban transformation. It seeks to inspire urban change-makers across the globe by amplifying lessons and telling impactful stories of transformative change. This Prize cycle invites submissions from projects leading the way in strengthening livability, nature and cities together for healthy, accessible and thriving communities.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: Businesses, NGOs, community groups, local governments and collaborations of all types of organizations and individuals from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors may apply.

• Funding amount: $250,000 will be awarded to one grand prize winner and $25,000 each to four runners up.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Cities, urban environments, innovation, health.

• Deadline: May 28, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

AWS Imagine Grant Program, Amazon Web Services (AWS). *New!*

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The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date.

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible).

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows.

This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities.

Subscribe now

To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer discounted rates / free membership for nonprofits and individuals from LMICs (Low- and Middle-Income Countries). Message us below for more information.

Open Calls:

J.M.K. Innovation Prize, J.M. Kaplan Fund. *Closing this month!*

The J.M.K. Innovation Prize seeks to identify and support bold problem-solvers leading transformative, early-stage projects in the fields of heritage conservation, the environment, and social justice. The Prize will be awarded to projects or ideas that: 1. Represent a game-changing answer to a clearly identified need; 2. Innovate within one or more of the Fund’s three program areas; 3. Demonstrate the potential to develop an actionable pilot or prototype with Prize funding; and 4. Hold out the promise to benefit multiple individuals, communities, or sectors through a clearly articulated theory of change. Most Prize awardees are organizations or fiscally sponsored projects that have been active for less than five years and operate with annual budgets of less than $500,000. While the Prize welcomes bold ideas of all kinds, we encourage applicants to carefully consider whether their work aligns with the Prize’s focus on early-stage, impactful innovation.

• Geographies: USA.

• Who can apply: Non-profits and mission driven for profits.

• Funding amount: Grant of $150,000 over three years and $25,000 in technical assistance funds to up to 10 winners.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Heritage conservation, the environment, and social justice.

• Deadline: April 25, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

Research-Industry Grants for International Collaboration, The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE). *New!*

Seeking applications from Australian organizations collaborating on key areas of science and technology with priority partner countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Applicants must focus on one of five priority themes and include at least one priority partner country. Priority themes: advanced manufacturing; quantum computing; artificial intelligence; hydrogen production; RNA (including mRNA) vaccines and therapies. Priority countries: Brazil; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; New Zealand; Singapore; Thailand; Vietnam

• Geographies: Australia and Priority countries: Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.

• Who can apply: Project must be led by Australian organization, including for-profit or non-profit, Publicly Funded Research Organisation (PFRO), and Cooperative Research Centre.

• Funding amount: AUD $100,000 - AUD $1M. Total of $6.3M available.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Innovation, research

• Deadline: May 4, 2025 for Expressions of Interest.

• Learn more and apply here.

2025 THRIVE Global Impact Challenge, SVG Ventures.

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The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date.

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible).

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows.

This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities.

Subscribe now

To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer discounted rates / free membership for nonprofits and individuals from LMICs (Low- and Middle-Income Countries). Message us below for more information.

Open Calls:

Call for Open Source Frontier Tech Solutions, UNICEF Venture Fund, UNICEF Innovation. *Closing soon!*

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The grants are organized into three categories:

1. Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date.

2. Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible).

3. Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows.

Subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date on the latest funding opportunities in multi-sector/ sustainable development

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Open Calls:

Digital solutions to foster participative design, planning and management of buildings, neighborhoods and urban districts (Built4People Partnership), European Commission. *Closing soon*

Accepting proposals that address one or both of the following points: 1. Digital solutions that facilitate participative design and planning through visualization, analysis and engagement with data that is directly relevant to building users as well as citizens in the surrounding urban area (including e.g. immersive and interactive technologies, Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality, simulations and scenario modeling). 2. Digital solutions that allow to analyze and model different scenarios for to-be-renovated buildings, neighborhoods and / or districts in terms of energy use and generation; users’ health and wellbeing; impact on the energy grid; provisions for active and electric mobility, and sustainable delivery solutions; life-cycle environmental and micro-climatic impacts, and; socio-economic impacts for citizens, building users, owners and occupiers.

• Geographies: Europe.

• Who can apply: SME’s.

• Funding amount: Total budget available: EUR € 10 million.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Industrial leadership in key and emerging technologies that work for people, Affordable and clean energy, Circular and clean economy.

• Deadline: February 4, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

Fit4Future, Fondation Botnar. *Closing this month*

Seeks projects that leverage digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve the wellbeing of young people, particularly those from marginalized communities. Projects should focus on creating inclusive cities or advancing inclusive education, addressing barriers faced by youth with disabilities, those out of school, or from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Preference will be given to projects that are deeply rooted in the community and demonstrate strong local ownership.

• Geographies: Romania, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, Indonesia, Vietnam, Colombia, and Ecuador.

• Who can apply: Non-profits and social enterprises registered for at least two years and operating in one of the priority countries

• Funding amount: Grants minimum CHF 200,000 (total funding envelope of CHF 3.19 million available for 5-6 projects in this call).

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Digital technologies, AI, youth, inclusive cities, education.

• Deadline: February 10, 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

Open Call for Pilots, European Data Space for Smart Communities. *Last round closes this month*

Aims to advance the development and implementation of data spaces. This effort focuses on the green-digital transformation supported by secure and sovereign data infrastructure. Submitted proposals must also demonstrate actual services created based on data sharing among data space participants. The pilot consortia must create new data services from the data sharing across at least two target focus areas: 1) Predictive traffic management/sustainable mobility planning, 2) Data-services related to weather, climate and extreme weather events to facilitate risk prevention, disaster resilience as well as climate change adaptation, 3)Management of energy flows in a city/community specific context and in conjunction with other sectors, 4) Zero pollution actions (e.g., air, water, soil pollution or waste), and 5) Any other domain falling under the New European Bauhaus initiative (urban design, building management, public services, nature-based solutions, amongst others).

• Geographies: Europe.

• Who can apply: Eligible pilot consortia must consist of (and be led by) at least two local or regional public administrations from different EU member states (MS) and/or Digital Europe Programme (DEP) Associated countries, and can include a wide range of actors including private sector and non profits.

• Funding amount: Grants range EUR €1 million - €1.5 million (total of €15.3 million available).

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Smart cities, climate, energy, urban design, public services, nature-based solutions.

• Deadline: Final Round closes February 28 2025 (4+ pilots to be selected).

• Learn more and apply here.

The GSMA Innovation Fund for Impactful AI, GSMA. *New!*

The Fund is interested in solutions that demonstrate the transformative impact of innovative AI and supporting emerging technologies (e.g. computer vision, Internet of Things (IoT), remote sensing, drones, blockchain) to tackle socio-economic and climate-related challenges. The Fund is sector-agnostic, but priority will be given to applications that focus on one or more of the following: 1. Digital solutions that leverage contextual data generated by emerging technologies for training and deploying AI-driven products and services. 2. Digital solutions that leverage predictive and generative AI innovations and show promise to scale and deliver positive socio-economic and/or climate-related impacts. 3. Digital innovations across the value chain, including: AI-driven innovations that directly reach low-income and vulnerable populations and aim to advance socio-economic development and climate action (e.g. HealthTech, AgriTech, ClimateTech, FinTech, EdTech), and AI-driven deep-tech, ecosystem-level innovations [e.g. multimodal large language models (LLMs), edge computing, machine learning, big data] that support local and regional ecosystems for lastmile innovators to deploy AI solutions.

• Geographies: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) across Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific

• Who can apply: Small and growing enterprises in target regions.

• Funding amount: Grant funding ranging from GBP £100,000 to £250,000 for projects lasting 15 – 18 months.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Sector agnostic.

• Deadline: March 19 2025. Registration and eligibility forms must be completed by 12 March 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

Rolling Applications:

EIC Accelerator, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA).

The EIC is Europe’s flagship innovation program to identify, develop and scale up breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovations. The accelerator supports start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (to develop and scale up to new markets or disrupt existing ones. 2025 EIC Challenges themes: 1. Acceleration of advanced materials development and upscaling along the value chain, 2. Biotechnology driven low emission food and feed production systems, 3. GenAI4EU: Creating European Champions in Generative AI, 4. Innovative in-space servicing, operations, robotics and technologies for resilient EU space infrastructure, 5. Breakthrough innovations for future mobility.

• Geographies: Open to applicants from EU Member States and countries associated to the Horizon Europe programme and we as global applicants who relocate their company in order to become eligible.

• Who can apply: Single start-ups and SMEs, individuals intending to launch a SME and small mid-caps.

• Funding amount: EUR €500,000 - €17.5 million as well as business acceleration services. Grant component below EUR 2.5 million. Up to € 10 million of equity investments, coaching & mentoring, networking.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Multi-sector, innovation.

• Deadline: Short applications accepted on a rolling basis. Full application deadlines: March 12, 2025, October 1, 2025. Application deadlines for each challenge may vary.

• Learn more and apply here.

Development Innovation Ventures (DIV), USAID. *May be affected with US policy changes*

Accepting proposals for innovations that address international development challenges and improve the lives of people living in poverty in developing countries around the world. DIV provides tiered funding to pilot, test, and transition to scale (i.e., grow to reach the highest number of beneficiaries possible) those innovations that demonstrate evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness, and the potential to scale.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: Individuals; public, private, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations; institutions of higher education; faith-based organizations; public international organizations; non-governmental organizations; U.S. and non-U.S. governmental organizations; multilateral and international donor organizations.

• Funding amount: Grants ranging from USD $25,000-$15M.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Multi-sector, innovation.

• Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis.

• Learn more and apply here.

WFP Innovation Challenge, WFP Innovation Accelerator, World Food Programme.

Accepts submissions year-round in search of game-changing innovations that deliver relief, foster, resilience and end hunger. Current priorities are 1) Emergency Preparedness and Response, 2) Supply Chain and Delivery, 3) Nutrition and School Meals, 4) Food Systems and Smallholder Farmers, 5) Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods, 6) Social Protection. Selected organizations will receive a wide range of support including: access to WFP, innovation consultants, mentors.

• Geographies: WFP program countries.

• Who can apply: Start-Ups and Companies

• Funding amount: Up to US$100,000 equity-free funding to test the venture’s scalability potential, and more.

• Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

• Learn more and apply here.

Long Term Planning:

The Global Innovation Fund. *Next window TBA*

The fund seeks out innovations with the greatest potential to improve the lives of millions of people living in poverty, and accepts applications from any type of organization, working in any sector in any developing country. The fund innovations that are scalable, widely applied, and evidence-based.

• Geographies: Innovation must target people living on less than the equivalent of $5 per day (PPP) in developing countries. We are especially interested in innovations that impact people living on less than $2 per day (PPP) or vulnerable groups such as women and girls, the disabled, minority or indigenous groups, refugees or displaced communities, or other vulnerable populations.

• Who can apply: Any type of organization may apply. This includes social enterprises, for-profit companies, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and research institutions in any country. Individual innovators, entrepreneurs or researchers must apply through an affiliated organization.

• Funding amount: Three types of funding available: pilot (up to USD $230,000), test & transition (up to USD $2.3M) and scale (up to USD $15M).

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Multi-sector, poverty, innovation.

• Deadline: Next window to open Q2/Q3 2025.

• Learn more and apply here.

UNICEF Venture Fund, UNICEF Innovation. *Next window TBA*

The UNICEF Venture Fund investes in Open Source frontier technology solutions that have the potential to create radical change for children. They support company's leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), or blockchain that are registered in one of UNICEF’s program countries that have impressive working prototypes and a commitment to Open Source licensing and practices. 

• Geographies: UNICEF’s program countries.

• Who can apply: Early-stage, for-profit technology start-ups.

• Funding amount: Up to USD $100,000 in equity-free funding. Potential for an additional USD $400,000 in follow up Growth funding.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Open source frontier tech, blockchain, data science and AI, drones, VR and AR, eduction,

• Deadline: Previous cycle closed January 7, 2025. 2026 window TBA.

• Learn more and apply here.

Venture Lab, Mercy Corps Ventures.

Mercy Corps Ventures is a family of early-stage impact funds focused on climate adaptation and resilience solutions for underserved communities in emerging markets. Priority focus is on 3 themes: 1. Adaptive Agriculture & Food Systems, 2. Inclusive Fintech, and 3. Climate-Smart Technologies.

• Geographies: Global.

• Who can apply: Startups, NGOs, and more.

• Funding amount: Equity-free grants of up to $100,000.

• Targeted Sectors/ SDGs: Agriculture, climate, food, innovation, and additional sectors for various calls (i.e. Crypto for good fund, AI for climate Resilience, Anticipatory Humanitarian Action Accelerator)

• Deadline: Multiple calls announced through out the year.

• Learn more and apply here.

All content is currently open and free as we transition to Substack. Starting mid-February 2025, access to the full list of opportunities on this page will be available to paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities. Thank you for being part of the Impact Funding community!

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To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer discounted rates for nonprofits and individuals from LMICs (Low- and Middle-Income Countries). Message us below for more information.