Government Funding

Seeking possible government grant opportunities for your research or project?

Grants.gov is a central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs. Information on approximately $400 billion worth of awards can be accessed from the site. The site allows for keyword searches that will enable you to discover the wide variety of federal funding opportunities that are available.

You are welcome to explore the Grants.gov website independently or contact ORSP for help in your search. Please note, however, that all applications for external funding, including those via grants.gov, are submitted through ORSP.

You may also find additional information on grant opportunities by visiting the government agency websites directly. A number of federal and state agencies are listed below

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development.
The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.

The National Endowmen for the Humanities is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The Endowment provides grants for high-quality humanities projects in four funding areas: preserving and providing access to cultural resources, education, research, and public programs. NEH grants typically go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television, and radio stations, and to individual scholars. The grants:

• strengthen teaching and learning in the humanities in schools and colleges across the nation
• facilitate research and original scholarship
• provide opportunities for lifelong learning
• preserve and provide access to cultural and educational resources
• strengthen the institutional base of the humanities

National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. Helping to lead the way toward important medical discoveries that improve people's health and save lives, NIH scientists investigate ways to prevent disease as well as the causes, treatments, and even cures for common and rare diseases. Composed of 27 Institutes and Centers, the NIH provides leadership and financial support to researchers in every state and throughout the world.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…" With an annual budget of about $5.91 billion, the NSF is the funding source for approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America’s colleges and universities. In many fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences, NSF is the major source of federal backing. NSF issues about 10,000 new awards per year, with an average duration of three years -- to fund specific research proposals that have been judged the most promising by a rigorous and objective merit-review system. Most of these awards go to individuals or small groups of investigators. Others provide funding for research centers, instruments and facilities that allow scientists, engineers and students to work at the outermost frontiers of knowledge.

The U.S. Department of Education was created in 1980 by combining offices from several federal agencies. ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. ED's 4,500 employees and $71.5 billion budget are dedicated to:

• Establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, and distributing as well as monitoring those funds.
• Collecting data on America's schools and disseminating research.
• Focusing national attention on key educational issues.
• Prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education.

The Department of Labor fosters and promotes the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements. In carrying out this mission, the Department administers a variety of Federal labor laws including those that guarantee workers’ rights to safe and healthful working conditions; a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay; freedom from employment discrimination; unemployment insurance; and other income support.



The Minnesota Department of Education serves a wide range of customers: approximately 850,000 K-12 students and their families; 118,000 young children participating in a variety of early learning programs including Head Start and ECFE; 82,000 adult learners participating in adult education programs including GED and citizenship programs; Minnesota’s 339 school districts and over 52,000 licensed teachers. Their mission is to improve educational achievement by establishing clear standards, measuring performance, assisting educators and increasing opportunities for lifelong learning. Their four primary goals are to

• Improve Achievement for all students
• Enhance Teacher Quality
• Expand Education Options for Students and Families
• Implement Education Finance Reform and Enhance Accountability

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is the state's principal economic development agency, with programs promoting business recruitment, expansion, and retention; workforce development; international trade; and community development. The agency's mission is to support the economic success of individuals, businesses, and communities by improving opportunities for growth. DEED's organizational structure is aligned with its mission.

While the Minnesota Department of Health may be best known for responding to disease outbreaks, promoting healthy choices, or ensuring safe drinking water, their activities are diverse and far-reaching. The department is currently focusing on several priorities, including:

• Protecting, maintaining and improving the health of all Minnesotans
• Preparing for public health emergencies
• Eliminating health disparities
• Preparing for an aging population
• Improving our Health Care System

The Minnesota Department of Human Services, in cooperation with its county partners, helps people meet their basic needs so they can live in dignity and achieve their highest potential. Consumers include: seniors who need help paying for hospital and nursing home bills or who need home-delivered meals, families with children who need help during a financial crisis, parents who need child support enforcement or child care money, and people with physical or developmental disabilities who need assistance to live as independently as possible. DHS also provides direct service through its regional offices for the deaf and hard of hearing and through State Operated Services, which provides direct care to people with disabilities and those who pose a risk to public safety.