Grant Research

Research is a key starting point in discovery of new approaches to solve a multitude of issues. This work saves lives, develops technology, and creates wealth and opportunity. However, research is expensive and takes technical expertise, time, equipment, and software.

The federal government and private industry invest a great deal of resources in research and development (R&D). Industry conducts in-house research before launching products such as a new medication into the marketplace. Commercial businesses are able to use profits to fund some research, but more research is needed.

Research is one of the few areas where individuals can receive a federal grant. The lead scientist or principal investigator is awarded funding based on their expertise, education, history of conducting research, and the reputation of the institutions or companies where they work.

Universities, research institutes, major hospitals, and other institutions usually provide administrative support for the application for research grants. A large portion of all research funding comes from government research grants.

There are two major research funding available: research grants and small business innovation research grants.

Grants for Research

The National Institutes of health is the largest biomedical grant maker in the world. Research grants from the NIH encompass a broad range of subjects, from the molecular level to a disease epidemic. The NIH awards several types of awards from small grants to large scale, multi-center projects. The NIH posts announcements on its web site and opportunities can also be found on Grants.gov.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) focuses more on basic research that in the immediate moment, may not have practical application. The physical sciences in universities rely heavily on NSF grants. The NSF has application guidance to grant seekers on its website.

Grants for Business’ Research and Development

There is a federal program devoting to helping small business do research and development activities. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant is awarded by 11 different federal agencies in different areas. A business must apply to the relevant federal agency for funding. SBIR grants have three phases:

Phase I (up to $100,000) to develop an idea that may have practical application.
Phase II (up to $750,000) for research and development (R&D) to bring the idea or product to market.
Phase III (no grant money) to market the product and launch the business. This phase is not funded by grants, but by private investment and financing.

More information on this program can be found on SBIR.gov.