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The Economic Development Administration (EDA) published a solicitation for the new AI Upskill Accelerator Pilot Program (AI Upskill). Published as an addendum to the EDA’s current Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs (PWEAA) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the competition will provide $25 million to support industry-led sectoral partnerships to deliver AI-skills training to American workers in communities likely to benefit from the adoption of AI for business functions in critical industries. Details on the three phases of funding and program eligibility requirements are included attached/below.

Applications are due at 4:59 PM ET on July 10, 2026. EDA intends to make 5-8 awards ranging from $1 million - $8 million from this solicitation.

DOD DARPA released a Special Notice announcing the . This initiative falls under DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office (BTO) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) and is designed to solicit innovative, proof-of-concept technologies capable of creating and removing new-to-nature epigenetic modifications on DNA bases. The goal is to go beyond known epigenetic modifications by developing new classes of chemical modifications that can alter DNA-protein interactions without changing the underlying genetic sequence. Successful outcomes are expected to expand the possibilities of epigenetic engineering and reduce technical risks for future applications.

DARPA anticipates making multiple awards, with total funding levels depending on the quality of submissions received and funding availability. Abstracts are required by May 27, 2026, before full proposals can be submitted.

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), in partnership with the United States Department of the Interior, has launched the Emerging Technology Accelerator (ETA) framework to support five AI-focused research and prototyping efforts. The initiative aligns with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s push to accelerate operational use of emerging technologies through faster contracting methods, including Other Transaction Authority (OTA).

ETA supports projects in circuit design automation, geospatial monitoring, coded language detection, multimedia geolocation, and video-based neurological assessment through programs including ARCADE, COSMIC, DECIPHER, LocUS, and MOVES. IARPA plans to award multiple prototyping OTAs, though total funding was not disclosed. White papers are required before full proposals, and submission windows may close once enough applications are received. Questions are due May 13, 2026, and proposals are due June 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

The Social Science Research Council, in partnership with the LEGO Foundation, has announced the new LEGO Foundation Fellowship, a global program supporting early- and mid-career researchers studying how children thrive in diverse contexts. Applications open June 1, 2026.

The fellowship offers up to $300,000 over three years for ambitious, rigorous, and practical research projects. Eligible applicants must have earned a PhD within the past 10 years and be employed by a university or research institute. Researchers from all disciplines and countries may apply.

Priority research themes include young children in crisis and conflict settings, inclusion and wellbeing for neurodivergent children, and children’s thriving in an AI-enabled world. Applications are due July 31, 2026, with additional program details to be released soon.

The Department of Energy (DOE) released an $11.3 million solicitation to fund a new , which would establish regional consortia to expand hands-on training and credentials for hydrocarbon and geothermal energy production. DOE plans to award approximately eight consortia up to $300,000 each to enhance or pivot existing training programs (Topic A), or up to six new consortia up to $2 million each to establish new training programs (Topic B). Consortia applicants must be led by institutions of higher education (IHE) and must include at least one two-year IHE, two industry partners, and one workforce development entity. Of the $11.3 million available, $2.3 million is exclusively for consortia led by Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). PACT applications are due July 17, 2026, with more information on topic areas, application components, eligibility, and upcoming webinars available attached.

The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, on behalf of the Department of Education, recently announced a funding opportunity for the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) program. Authorized under Title II, Part A of the Higher Education Act, the program aims to improve student achievement and strengthen teacher quality through enhanced teacher preparation, professional development, and recruitment of qualified educators. The initiative supports partnerships among Institutions of Higher Education, high-need school districts, and high-need schools to build strong teacher pipelines.

The FY 2026 competition places increased emphasis on Registered Apprenticeships as a work-based pathway for preparing and credentialing teachers, especially in shortage areas and underserved schools. The program aligns with the administration’s priorities around workforce readiness, apprenticeship models, state flexibility, and career pathways. Applications are due June 23, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. EST.
 

Please see attached for information about the limited submission process for the from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The Sloan Research Fellowship Program recognizes and rewards outstanding early-career faculty who have the potential to revolutionize their fields of study. Sloan Research Fellowships support fundamental research conducted by early-career scientists. The two-year $75,000 fellowships are awarded annually to early-career researchers whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders.

Candidates must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in chemistry, computer science, Earth system science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, or a related field. DU is limited to submitting 3 nominations per department.

Interested faculty should contact du.foundation.relations@du.edu by Sunday, May 31 with their CV and a maximum 1-page statement of research plans.

The announced a new funding program, “Curriculum Development: Western Civilization,” on April 16. The program aims to strengthen humanities education at colleges and universities, focusing on Western civilization, American history, government and civics, and the Great Books tradition.

Only higher education institutions may apply, and while multiple project proposals are allowed per institution, individual faculty members cannot serve as director on more than one project. Funded projects must remain nonpartisan and may not promote specific political, religious, or ideological views, including gender ideology, DEI initiatives, or environmental justice.

If you are interested in submitting internally, please reach out to audry.lacrone@du.edu by Friday, May 1 with a brief email expression of interest. If enough there are enough internal applicants, ORSP will run a full internal submission process.
 

NEH expects to award about $7 million total to roughly 10 recipients, with individual awards up to $750,000. Proposals are due June 25, 2026. Projects may last up to three years, beginning between March and June 2027, and applicants will be notified of decisions in December 2026.
 

The NIH Office of Women’s Health Research (ORWH) and DPCPSI have launched a joint initiative to develop advanced computational models of human hormone systems. The program will fund interdisciplinary teams to build in silico models that capture hormone regulation, feedback loops, and system-wide dynamics across tissues. It supports NIH priorities to expand human-based research and reduce reliance on animal models, while aligning with a proposed Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application (ORIVA).

Using the flexible Other Transactions Authority (OTA) mechanism, projects will function as partnerships with NIH and must be milestone-driven with clear, measurable outcomes. The goal is to create data-driven models that simulate hormone signaling, predict sex-specific treatment responses, and integrate diverse data (clinical, omics, pharmacological, physiological). Approaches may include AI, digital twins, and multi-scale modeling, with emphasis on validation, reproducibility, and real-world applicability.

Key dates: Letters of intent due April 24, 2026; full applications due June 8, 2026; project start expected September 1, 2026.

Up to four awards (max $5M each over three years) are anticipated. Eligible applicants include academic, nonprofit, government, and industry organizations. Projects require a PI (or multiple PIs), with at least 20% combined effort, and a program manager contributing at least 50%.

• Letters of Intent: April 21, 2026
• Full applications:
  • : May 26, 2026
  • : June 22, 2026
  • : July 20, 2026

• : Recovery and production of critical minerals (including rare earth elements) from postindustrial scrap, postconsumer waste (e.g., electronics), and blended feedstocks.
• : Refining and alloying processes for gallium, germanium, and related materials.
• : Cost-effective lithium extraction, processing, and related technologies, including geothermal sources.

• Phase 1 supports prototypes (minimum 20% cost share).
• Successful projects (TA1, TA2, TA3A) may advance to Phase 2 pilot funding (50% cost share).

Please see below for information about the limited submission process for the Pew Biomedical Scholars program.

The internal concept paper submission is due by Wednesday, April 22, 2026. If you have questions, please reach out to du.foundation.relations@du.edu.

 Applications for this program are due May 1, 2026. Please see attached for additional information on this program.  

The Department of Energy (DOE) released its third round of the Battery Materials Processing Manufacturing and Recycling Grant program, funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This grant program funds large-scale demonstration and infrastructure projects to increase domestic battery manufacturing and critical mineral and material (CMM) processing used in advanced battery components. The scope of this funding call is focused on demonstrating technologies at commercial facilities for battery-grade critical materials, battery components, and recycling. Entities with innovative battery material processing, manufacturing, or recycling technologies ready for scaling are encouraged to apply under this program.

Letters of Intent are required and due March 27, 2026, while the full application is due April 24, 2026. For more information, view the solicitation and attend the informational webinar on the program March 26, 2026, at 1:00 pm ET. For a more detailed analysis, see the attached file. 

Now accepting internal expressions of interest for the 2026 William T Grant Scholars Program! This is a call for internal proposals that have the potential to significantly change the world.

The William T. Grant Scholars Program supports career development for promising early-career researchers. The program funds five-year research and mentoring plans that significantly expand researchers’ expertise in new disciplines, methods, and content areas. The Foundation supports work in two key areas: Reducing Inequality and Improving the Use of Research Evidence, benefiting young people ages 5-25.

If interested in this opportunity, please submit a 2-page proposal summary along with CV to du.foundation.relations@du.edu by Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

See the attached EOI call for all details. Any questions on this opportunity or the may be directed to du.foundation.relations@du.edu.

Please see this for information about the limited submission process for the Keck Foundation. This is a call for internal proposals that have the potential to significantly change the world. Keck is interested in high risk, high reward, fundamental science and not so much in applied, developmental, or translational work. Funding is awarded to universities and institutions nationwide for projects in research that:

• Focus on important and emerging areas of research
• Have the potential to develop breakthrough technologies, instrumentation, or methodologies
• Are innovative, distinctive, and interdisciplinary
• Demonstrate a high level of risk due to unconventional approaches, or by challenging the prevailing paradigm
• Have the potential for transformative impact, such as the founding of a new field of research, the enabling of observations not previously possible, or the altered perception of a previously intractable problem
• Do not focus on clinical or translational research, treatment trials or research for the sole purpose of drug development
• Fall outside the mission of public funding agencies
• Demonstrate that private philanthropy generally, and the W. M. Keck Foundation in particular, is essential to the project’s success
   

Keck is trending towards awards that average between $1-1.3 million over a three-year period. The internal concept paper submission is due EOD Friday, May 1, 2026. If you have questions, please reach out to du.foundation.relations@du.edu.

The 2026 Panmure House Prize is now open for submissions. The prize offers $75,000 USD to support bold, high-impact research on the long-term funding of innovation, inspired by the legacy of Adam Smith and focused on developing practical, original solutions to pressing global challenges.

This international prize seeks research that advances new thinking about how innovation can be sustainably financed and supported over the long term, across areas such as finance, public policy, technology, and broader social or economic systems. Interdisciplinary projects and proposals that address real-world implementation challenges are particularly encouraged.

Applications are currently open, with submissions accepted until 17:00 (BST) on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released a revised solicitation for Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE), supporting the development, governance, sustainability, and security of open-source ecosystems that address national and societal challenges.

PESOSE includes three tracks:

• Track 1: Scoping and Planning – Up to $300,000 (approx. 30 awards)
• Track 2: Establishing and Expanding – Up to $1,500,000 (approx. 10 awards)
• Track 3: Improving Safety, Security, and Privacy – Up to $1,500,000 (approx. 10 awards)

NSF anticipates funding 40–60 total awards.

Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, state and local governments, Tribal Nations, and FFRDCs.

Deadlines: September 1, 2026; March 2, 2027; and annually thereafter on the first Tuesday of March and September (5:00 pm local time).

Are you interested in teaching, conducting research, and/or engaging internationally? The is now accepting applications for the 2027–28 cycle, with a deadline of September 15.
Join us for a Fulbright Coffee Hour for award details, application guidance, and stories from DU faculty Fulbright alumni.
March 13, 9:00–10:30 a.m., in the Faculty Lounge, CCOM 2800
For Fulbright questions and/or a personal consultation, email DU’s Fulbright Scholar Campus Liaison at leasa.weimer@du.edu.

Google has launched the Impact Challenge: AI for Government Innovation, a $30 million global initiative designed to help governments harness artificial intelligence to improve public services and drive measurable social impact. Academic institutions partnering with government entities are eligible to apply, creating a significant opportunity for university faculty engaged in applied research, civic innovation, and public-sector collaboration.

While innovative proposals across public service domains are encouraged, Google is particularly interested in projects addressing:

• Health – Strengthening public health systems and improving “front door” access to care
• Resilience – Enhancing crisis forecasting, response, and recovery through AI-powered tools
• Economy – Improving public infrastructure and essential services (e.g., optimizing transit networks using agentic AI)

Application Deadline:  April 3, 2026

, in collaboration with the European Union (EU) Delegation to the U.S., recently hosted an informational webinar introducing , the EU’s primary funding program supporting research and innovation. Horizon Europe aims to strengthen global research impact and foster international collaboration, and its newly released outlines upcoming funding opportunities.
The webinar, featuring , Science Counsellor for the EU Delegation to the U.S., offered guidance for U.S.-based scholars interested in engaging with Horizon Europe. Dr. Bernard highlighted that U.S. researchers may join Horizon Europe projects even without direct funding, and identified three pathways for eligibility: 

2. Health Cluster awards
3. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Individual Fellowships

DOE announced 26 Lighthouse Grand Challenge topics spanning AI applications that support its missions in scientific discovery, energy deployment, and nuclear and national security. In the coming months, DOE will release a solicitation for multi-institutional teams from national labs, universities, and industry to compete in these areas, along with detailed topic descriptions.
DOE will engage stakeholders—including the Genesis Mission University Summit on February 18—to align computing, data, AI tools, and research expertise. It is also launching a Genesis Mission Consortium with a Collaborative Hub linking DOE’s 17 National Labs, industry, and universities, plus Working Groups focused on AI validation, data standards, cloud infrastructure, robotics, automation, and high-performance computing.

• Implementation of New Common Forms:  
• FAQs:  

• Review the NIH announcements linked above
• Set up or update your SciENcv profile if you haven't already
• Transition your biosketch and other support documents to the new Common Forms
• Inform collaborators involved in upcoming NIH submissions
• Contact ORSP for assistance with the new requirements

This snapshot provides an update on current status, planned fiscal year (FY) 2026 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) activities and funding opportunities. 2026 will be a major year for the agency, highlighted by the Artemis II mission in February which is expected to launch humans outside Earth’s orbit for the first time since Apollo and the next flagship telescope, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is expected to launch as early as Fall 2026.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released an updated Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Advanced Research and Development of Regulatory Science. The BAA is a specialized contract mechanism used by the agency to solicit and fund extramural research concerning high-priority topics of concern to FDA’s public health mission. For FY 2026, FDA seeks proposals in areas such as biomarkers, innovative clinical trial design, predictive toxicology, medical countermeasures, antimicrobial resistance, and substance use. Please check the Sam.gov website for more information.

Proposals are now being accepted for the European Union’s flagship Horizon Europe program for research and innovation through its 2026–2027 main Work Programme, committing more than $16.4 billion in 2025 to advance ambitious scientific and innovation priorities. This new phase will accelerate the green and digital transitions and additional opportunities to be launched throughout the year.

Please check out the for more information. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Leasa.Weimer@du.edu.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) it is seeking applications to support the funding of 20-year term endowments that “advance the humanities on college and university campuses and at independent educational institutions, specifically by building the organization’s capacity in research and teaching of Western civilization, American history and government, and civics.” NEH anticipates awarding five grants, with a maximum award amount of $5 million, plus an additional $100,000 in outright funds for fundraising support costs.

The award requires a one-to-one match with nonfederal funds. Application materials are due by February 10, 2026, with award recipients expected to be notified by June 2026.

1. CAMEL Collaborative Networks
2. Establishment of a Collaboratory and National Coordinator.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) has announced a request for information (RFI) to gather feedback on its new proposed Tech Labs Initiative. The Tech Labs initiative aims to create new independent research organizations that will accelerate research with real-world applications, scale across technology readiness levels (TRL), and de-risk the development of emerging technologies to be applicable for industry investment. NSF seeks input from academia, nonprofits, venture capital, the private sector, and other interested parties to inform the development of this program.

NSF TIP will be hosting two webinars to discuss Tech Labs on December 17, 2025, 11:00 AM and January 14, 2026, 2:00 PM ET. Registration is available  The deadline for responses to the RFI is January 20, 2026, at 3:00 PM