Division of Research
Federal Funding Opportunities
Federal Funding Primers
Find out how to navigate different funding pipelines and adapt your research approach to meet agency needs.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is one of the largest funders of research and development in the world, offering substantial opportunities for academic institutions to contribute to national security, defense technologies, and scientific advancements.
As an academic researcher accustomed to receiving funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), transitioning to seeking grants from the Department of Defense (DOD) can open up new opportunities to apply your expertise to high-priority defense challenges. While the core principles of research funding remain consistent across agencies, the DOD operates under different structures, timelines, and priorities.
Federal Agency Funding Notifications
Stay informed about federal funding opportunities by signing up to receive regular email updates.
Though many federal funding agencies use the same platform (GovDelivery) to share information via email subscriptions, researchers must sign up to receive updates separately. You will need a login (your Brown email address) and password (optional) for all agencies, but can use the same credentials for all. Some agencies also use Constant Contact or other subscriber management platforms.
Use these quick links to access subscriptions to some of the top-searched federal agencies and organizations.
- American Institute of Physics
- Centers for Disease Control
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
- DARPA Biological Technologies Office
- DARPA Defense Sciences Office
- Institute of Education Sciences
- Institute of Museum and Library Services
- National Academies
- NASA
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- NIH Common Fund
- NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts
- National Science Foundation
- Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- U.S. Department of Defense
- U.S. Department of State
- U.S. Economic Development Agency
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Grants.gov
Grants.gov is the centralized location for grant seekers to find and apply for federal funding opportunities. To get started, create a profile, a simple and free process, albeit with stringent password requirements and mandatory password resets every 60 days.
Grants.gov also offers a newsletter, accessible with a Grants.gov account, that highlights recent blog content and keeps users aware of planned system updates and maintenance.
Connect with Agency Program Managers
Research Strategy and Development (RSD) consultants can help you identify federal agency program managers (PMs) who are aligned with your research as well as assist with drafting introductory emails and white papers, and arrange phone calls and agency visits. The following steps are recommended for any researcher looking to connect with an agency PM:
- Visit agency websites and read through their solicitations and broad agency announcements to figure out which PMs are best aligned with your research.
- Send an introductory email to the PM describing your research and how it might align with their programmatic priorities; request a brief telephone call to explore further.
- Prior to the phone call, send some read-ahead materials (e.g., white paper, one to two pages) or a few slides.
- Provided there is interest, offer to send additional materials (e.g., longer white paper, publications) and/or suggest an in-person meeting the next time you are in the Washington, D.C. area.
Identify Program Managers for Your Research
Research Strategy and Development (RSD) consultants can help you connect with federal agency program managers.