Research Project Grants

14 funding opportunities

Funding for specific research projects, often supporting teams, equipment, and multi-year investigations.

Overview

Research project grants support specific research questions and programs. Unlike fellowships (which fund individuals), project grants focus on the research itself and can support entire teams, equipment, and infrastructure.

Key Features

  • Amount: Typically $400,000 - $10+ million
  • Duration: Usually 3-7 years
  • Support: Personnel, equipment, supplies, travel
  • Scope: Single-investigator to large collaborations
  • Audience: Primarily faculty/PIs, some for postdocs

Major Funding Agencies

United States

NSF CAREER Award

  • Amount: $400,000 - $500,000 over 5 years
  • Deadline: July (annually)
  • Audience: Early-career faculty
  • Domains: All NSF disciplines
  • Description: Early-career faculty development award integrating research and education

NIH R01 Research Project Grant

  • Amount: Variable (typically $250,000-$500,000/year)
  • Deadline: Rolling (multiple cycles)
  • Audience: Faculty / PI, experienced postdocs
  • Domains: Biomedical sciences
  • Description: Major NIH grant for independent research projects

DARPA Young Faculty Award (YFA)

  • Amount: $500,000 over 2 years (Phase I)
  • Deadline: Typically August-September
  • Audience: Junior faculty
  • Domains: CS, engineering, physical sciences
  • Description: Support for innovative research by junior faculty in DARPA mission areas

DOE Early Career Research Program

  • Amount: $750,000 over 5 years
  • Deadline: Typically May (annually)
  • Audience: Early-career faculty
  • Domains: Energy, physics, materials, computing
  • Description: Support for early-career university faculty in energy-related research

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigators

  • Amount: ~$9-11 million over 7 years
  • Deadline: Nomination-based (every ~3 years)
  • Audience: Established faculty
  • Domains: Biomedical sciences
  • Description: Major support for outstanding biomedical researchers

Europe

ERC Starting Grant

  • Amount: €1.5 million over 5 years
  • Deadline: Typically October
  • Audience: Researchers 2-7 years post-PhD
  • Domains: All fields
  • Description: For researchers with promising scientific track record

ERC Consolidator Grant

  • Amount: €2 million over 5 years
  • Deadline: Typically January
  • Audience: Researchers 7-12 years post-PhD
  • Domains: All fields
  • Description: For researchers to consolidate their teams

ERC Advanced Grant

  • Amount: €2.5 million over 5 years
  • Deadline: Typically May
  • Audience: Established research leaders
  • Domains: All fields
  • Description: For established research leaders with significant track record

Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions

  • Amount: Variable (€3-10 million typical)
  • Deadline: Multiple calls throughout year
  • Audience: Teams, consortia
  • Domains: All fields
  • Description: Large collaborative research projects

United Kingdom

EPSRC New Investigator Awards

  • Amount: Up to £250,000
  • Deadline: Rolling
  • Audience: Early-career PIs
  • Domains: Engineering and physical sciences
  • Description: For early career principal investigators

Asia-Pacific

A*STAR Investigatorship (Singapore)

  • Amount: Up to S$3 million over 5 years
  • Deadline: Typically twice a year
  • Audience: Outstanding scientists
  • Domains: Science and engineering
  • Description: For outstanding scientists to establish independent research programs

Global/Private Foundations

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative - Science

  • Amount: Variable (typically millions)
  • Deadline: Varies by program
  • Audience: Faculty, postdocs
  • Domains: Biomedical science, AI for science
  • Description: Various programs supporting biomedical research and AI

Simons Foundation Investigator Awards

  • Amount: $100,000-$200,000/year for 5 years
  • Deadline: Varies by program
  • Audience: Established faculty
  • Domains: Math, physics, computer science, life sciences
  • Description: Support for outstanding theoretical scientists

Fast Grants

  • Amount: $10,000-$500,000
  • Deadline: Rolling (rapid decisions)
  • Audience: Researchers at any level
  • Domains: COVID, science (availability varies)
  • Description: Rapid funding for urgent science projects

Grants by Career Stage

Early Career (0-7 years post-PhD)

  • NSF CAREER Award
  • ERC Starting Grant
  • DOE Early Career
  • DARPA YFA
  • EPSRC New Investigator
  • A*STAR Investigatorship

Mid-Career (7-15 years post-PhD)

  • ERC Consolidator Grant
  • NIH R01
  • Many national agency grants

Established Investigators

  • ERC Advanced Grant
  • HHMI Investigators
  • Simons Investigator Awards
  • NIH R01 (renewals)

Application Strategy

Timeline

  • 12-18 months before: Develop research plan, gather preliminary data
  • 6-12 months before: Write full proposal, get internal review
  • 3-6 months before: Finalize budget, get letters of support
  • Submission: Often requires institutional approval process

Key Components

Research Plan

  • Significance and innovation
  • Preliminary results
  • Detailed methodology
  • Timeline and milestones
  • Expected outcomes and impact

Team & Resources

  • PI qualifications and track record
  • Team composition and expertise
  • Facilities and equipment
  • Institutional support

Budget Justification

  • Personnel costs (salaries, benefits)
  • Equipment and supplies
  • Travel and conferences
  • Other direct costs
  • Indirect costs (overhead)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Overly ambitious scope
  • Insufficient preliminary data
  • Unclear methodology
  • Weak connection to funder priorities
  • Budget inconsistent with aims
  • Missing broader impacts (NSF)

Success Rates & Competition

Typical Award Rates

  • NSF CAREER: ~20-25%
  • NIH R01: ~20%
  • ERC Starting: ~13-15%
  • ERC Consolidator: ~12-14%
  • ERC Advanced: ~10-12%
  • HHMI: Highly selective (<5%)

Increasing Your Chances

  1. Build track record: Publications, preliminary funding
  2. Get feedback: Internal reviewers, mentors
  3. Study funded proposals: When possible
  4. Address criteria: Score on stated review criteria
  5. Resubmit: Most successful applicants try multiple times
  6. Network: Connect with program officers
  7. Broader impacts: Especially for NSF

Funding Strategies

Early Career Researchers

  • Start with smaller grants (seed funding)
  • Target early-career specific programs
  • Build preliminary data systematically
  • Seek mentorship from successful PIs

Scaling Up

  • Stack multiple grants
  • Transition from subawards to PI
  • Build from pilot to full project
  • Leverage institutional resources

Managing Multiple Grants

  • Coordinate overlapping scopes
  • Clear delineation of support
  • Report on all funding in applications
  • Manage commitments carefully

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