The RDO provides diverse avenues for researchers to access internal and external funding. This encompasses internal seed grants fueling novel research, streamlined management of limited submissions to funding agencies, and tools such as Pivot to pinpoint potential funding sources.
Internal Funding Opportunities
Research Administrators can add their unit's Internal Funding Opportunities into Pivot, allowing users to find both internal funding and external funding opportunities, all in the same tool. View the open internal opportunities below. Please email vpr-rdo@uiowa.edu to inquire about posting internal funding.
Pivot Curated Searches
The list below includes links to sponsor-specific funding opportunities within the Pivot-RP database. These lists update automatically as new opportunities are added or archived. Note: By default, only this week's results are shown. To see more opportunities, click “All” under the gray box near the top of the screen.
Curated Searches by Federal Agency:
- Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)
- Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Department of Defense (DOD)
- Department of Energy (DOE)
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
- National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
Saving Searches
Complete the steps below to save your searches and receive a weekly email of funding opportunities.
- Click the link(s) above.
Note: By default, only this week's results are shown. To see more opportunities, click “All” under the gray box. - Click "sign in to save your query" (light grey box near the top)
- In the pop up Click "Access via my Institution Login"
- Find and select "University of Iowa."
- Log in using your HawkID and password.
- Near the top of the page (light grey box), click "Save Search."
- Name your search (e.g., "NIH").
- Ensure the box is checked to receive weekly email updates.
- Click "Save."
Learn More About Pivot
Join us for an upcoming Pivot session to learn how Pivot can save you time and effort in identifying the right funding opportunities for your research lines as well as identifying collaborators with the relevant expertise.
Upcoming Limited Submission Opportunities
Funding Focus is a weekly email alerting faculty and staff researchers and scholars about limited submission funding opportunities available to the University of Iowa. See the most recent issue of this email, view past issues, or access all current limited submissions via InfoReady below.
Note: for past issues of Funding Focus, limited submission opportunities may have reached their internal submission deadline.
Featured Limited Submission Opportunities
NEA Grants for Arts Projects
Description: Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) provides funding for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector. We welcome applications from first-time and returning applicants; from organizations serving rural, urban, suburban, and tribal communities of all sizes; and from organizations with small, medium, or large operating budgets.
Limitation: one application per institution
Internal Submission Deadline: Monday, January 5, 2026
Sponsor Deadline: Thursday, February 12, 2026
NSF: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Fellows (ERF)
Description: EPSCoR Research Fellows directly aligns with the NSF EPSCoR strategic goal of establishing sustainable Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professional development pathways that advance workforce development and effects engagement in STEM at national and global levels. EPSCoR Research Fellows provides awards to build research capacity in institutions and transform the career trajectories of investigators and further develop their individual research potential through collaborations with investigators from the nation's premier private, governmental, or academic research institutions and/or centers. The fellowship provides opportunities to establish strong collaborations through extended or periodic collaborative visits to a selected host site.
Eligibility: Early or Mid-Career Faculty
Limitation: four applications per institution
Internal Submission Deadline: Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Sponsor Deadline: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Note: UI is eligible to submit to the NSF sub-track only
NSF: Scholarships in STEM Network (S-STEM-Net): S-STEM Research Hubs
Description: Through this solicitation, NSF seeks to foster a network of S-STEM stakeholders and further develop the infrastructure needed to generate and disseminate new knowledge, successful practices and effective design principles arising from NSF S-STEM projects nationwide. The ultimate vision of the legislation governing the S-STEM parent program (and of the current S-STEM-Net solicitation) is that all Americans, regardless of economic status, should be able to contribute to the American innovation economy if they so desire.
Limitation: one application per institution
Internal Submission Deadline: Thursday, April 30, 2026
Sponsor Deadline: Thursday, August 13, 2026