Research grant directory
The major recurring funding programs, profiled: who they fund, how much, when the deadlines fall, and how to write for them. Each profile links the official source — always the authority on the current cycle.
United States
NIH R01 Research Project Grant
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Independent health researchers at US and eligible foreign institutions
- Deadline
- Three standard cycles per year — new R01s are typically due in early February, June and October
- Funding
- Commonly $250k–$500k per year in direct costs (modular up to $250k/yr)
NIH R21 Exploratory/Developmental Grant
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Health researchers testing novel, higher-risk ideas
- Deadline
- Three standard cycles per year — typically mid-February, mid-June and mid-October
- Funding
- Up to $275k in direct costs over the whole project (max $200k in any year)
NSF CAREER Award
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Pre-tenure, tenure-track faculty in NSF-supported fields
- Deadline
- Annual — recent cycles have closed in late July
- Funding
- Minimum $400k over 5 years (≥ $500k in BIO, EHR and polar programs)
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP)
National Science Foundation (NSF)
US-citizen/resident students starting graduate research careers
- Deadline
- Annual — applications due in mid-to-late October, staggered by discipline
- Funding
- Five-year fellowship with three years of funding — recently a $37k annual stipend plus a $16k institutional allowance
European Union
ERC Starting Grant
European Research Council (ERC)
Researchers 2–7 years after their PhD, any nationality, hosted in Europe
- Deadline
- Annual — one call per year; recent cycles have closed in autumn
- Funding
- Up to €1.5M (plus up to €1M in specific start-up/equipment cases)
ERC Consolidator Grant
European Research Council (ERC)
Researchers 7–12 years after their PhD consolidating their own group
- Deadline
- Annual — one call per year; recent cycles have closed around January–February
- Funding
- Up to €2M (plus up to €1M in specific cases)
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship
European Commission (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions)
Postdocs up to 8 years after the PhD moving to (or within) Europe
- Deadline
- Annual — one call per year; recent cycles have closed in September
- Funding
- Salary plus allowances funded via fixed EU unit costs (country-corrected living, mobility, and family allowances)
Sweden
Vetenskapsrådet Project Grant
Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet)
PhD-holding researchers at Swedish HEIs, all fields
- Deadline
- Annual — main calls open in winter and close in spring (roughly February–April, varying by subject area)
- Funding
- Typically SEK 1–2M per year, by area
Vinnova Innovation Funding
Vinnova (Swedish Innovation Agency)
Companies, universities and public organisations innovating in Sweden
- Deadline
- Rolling — dozens of thematic calls per year, each with its own deadline
- Funding
- Varies by call — commonly SEK 0.5–10M per project, with co-funding requirements
Formas Annual Open Call
Formas (Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development)
Sustainability, environment and land-use researchers at Swedish organisations
- Deadline
- Annual — the open call has recently run with a spring deadline (around April)
- Funding
- Typically up to SEK 1M per year
Forte Project Grant
Forte (Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare)
Health, working-life and welfare researchers at Swedish organisations
- Deadline
- Annual — the main call has recently opened around December–January with a winter deadline, sometimes in two steps
- Funding
- Commonly SEK 1–1.5M per year
Profiles describe each program’s typical recent cycle and were last reviewed 2026-08-07. Amounts and dates change between cycles — the official call is always the authority.
Find live calls and draft against their requirements
Kahubi’s grant flow searches open funding calls (grants.gov, Vinnova, the EU portal), extracts the requirements, and drafts your application with your library as evidence.