Illinois Grant News | August 2026

Washington, D.C. | August  17 2026 | Engineering (ENG): Chemical, Bioengineering, Energy, and Transport Systems (CBET) (26-518) | The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering (NSF ENG) supports foundational engineering research for chemical, bioengineering, energy, and transport systems through the following programs: The Chemical Process Systems (CPS) program supports foundational engineering research in chemical and biochemical processes for chemicals, fuels, energy, and materials; The Engineering Biological and Biomedical Systems (EBBS) program supports foundational engineering research on platforms, devices, organisms, tissues, and processes that advance knowledge and control of biological functions; The Energy, Water, and Resource Engineering (EWRE) program supports foundational engineering research to manage energy, water, minerals, and material resources; and, The Transport Phenomena (TP) program supports foundational engineering research to understand, model, and control the transport of mass, momentum, energy, and species across multiple scales. NSF ENG anticipates a portfolio of ENG: Chemical, Bioengineering, Energy, and Transport Systems (CBET) awards with a range of budgets and durations. Estimated program budget, number of awards, and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. NSF ENG is particularly interested in intellectually ambitious and potentially transformative foundational research. Proposals need not promise a near-term product, deployment, or commercial outcome, nor need they address later-stage development to be competitive. Estimated Awards: 275. Total Funding: $100,000,000. Award Ceiling: Not specified. Closing Date: “Applications accepted anytime.”

Washington, D.C. | August 17 2026 | Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI-2026/27) Wave-Based Computing (EFRI-WBC) (26-524) | The Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) program serves a critical role in helping the NSF Directorate for Engineering focus on important emerging areas in a timely way. The EFRI program invests in potentially transformative ideas that offer the opportunity for significant shifts in foundational engineering knowledge. EFRI-funded research must have strong potential for long-term impact on strategic technology priorities and/or national science and technology (S&T) missions identified in the Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2028 Research and Development (R&D) Budget Priorities Memorandum. Such impacts need not be fully realized within the duration of the research period; however, proposers are expected to articulate how a proposal is use-inspired and may lay the foundations for stated priorities. This EFRI solicitation leverages a portfolio of both two-year EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) awards and larger four-year awards in response to Science: A New Golden Age, which calls for a more flexible set of funding mechanisms that match the scientific challenges they seek to address. The EFRI Wave-Based Computing (WBC) solicitation will support foundational and transformative research to advance the development of computing approaches that harness the principles of wave dynamics. The EFRI WBC solicitation will support two tracks. Track 1: Exploratory approaches may be funded through EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) awards. Track 2: Larger, multidisciplinary projects may be funded through four-year awards of up to $2,000,000. The EFRI WBC program encourages collaboration with industry. Proposers may consider using a formal mechanism, such as NSF Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI). Estimated Awards: 30. Total Funding: $30,000,000. Award Ceiling: $2,000,000. Closing Date: February 11 2027.

Washington, D.C. | August 17 2026 | BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes (O-BJA-2026-172698) | This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act (SCA) Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes. This opportunity supports state, local, and tribal governments and community-based organizations to provide education and employment programs for adults and youth leaving prison and jail. The goal of the program is to improve academic and vocational/trade programs available to adults and youth in prisons and jails and expand workforce development and career pathways that result in improved job readiness, employment attainment, and retention, thereby improving employment prospects and reducing recidivism. Applicants may consider proposing projects that develop marketable skills, leverage technology, and build capacity to align with their local job market and engage in the digital economy. Estimated Awards: 20. Total Funding: $20,000,000. Award Ceiling: $1,000,000. Closing Date: October 1 2026.

Washington, D.C. | August 17 2026 | Core Research in Biological Sciences (BIO Core) (26-517) | The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Biological Sciences (NSF BIO) Core Research in Biological Sciences (BIO Core) funding opportunity supports foundational and interdisciplinary research projects that expand knowledge of biology at any level of organization, from the molecular to the biome scale. We accept proposals that cover scientific topics associated with legacy programs historically supported by NSF BIO and proposals that explore new areas of biological sciences. BIO Core funds single- and multi-investigator awards. The portfolio of awards is anticipated to include a range of budgets and durations, including exploratory projects of smaller scope and long-horizon projects that benefit from longer-term commitment. BIO Core awards are subject to the availability of funds. Estimated Awards: 300. Total Funding: $280,000,000. Award Ceiling: Not specified. Closing Date: “Proposals accepted anytime.”

Washington, D.C. | August 14 2026 | Annual Recurring University Training and Research (DE-FOA-0003215) | Annual Recurring University Training and ResearchThe purpose of this funding opportunity is to solicit and award research and development grants to educate and train the next generation of engineers and scientists; to support novel, early-stage research at U.S. colleges and universities; to increase research and development opportunities for underrepresented and structurally marginalized communities; and to ensure that students are equipped with cutting-edge, translatable skillsets that allow them to contribute to the U.S. workforce and greater economy over the course of a longstanding and enduring career. Estimated Awards: 15. Total Funding: $10,750,000. Award Ceiling: $750,000. Closing Date: October 16 2026.

Springfield, Ill. | August 14 2026 | FY27 Rev Up EV: Curriculum and Student Support | Under this funding opportunity, applicants are required to complete allowable activities and scope outlined in this NOFO. Colleges will receive specialized support from the ICCB, the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN), and other partners through the EV Network. Grant objectives are listed below and expanded upon in Section D. Please note that all applications are required to address both objectives. Objective 1: Development and Implementation of CBE programming; Objective 2: Wraparound Student Supports. Estimated Awards: 10. Total Funding: $2,500,000. Award Ceiling: $350,000. Closing Date:  September 25 2026.

Springfield, Ill. | August 13 2026 | Innovative Bridge and Transition Grant (CSFA #684-01-1670) | The purpose of this grant is to create, support, or expand: innovative bridge programs and services; transition programs which improve student transitions to and through postsecondary education and into employment; programs that promote equity and diversity among those served; and/or programs and services that support individuals with disabilities. Estimated Awards: Not specified. Total Funding: $9,200,000. Award Ceiling: $375,000. Closing Date: October 2 2026.

Washington, D.C. | August 13 2026 | BJA FY 2026 Smart Reentry Demonstration Program (O-BJA-2026-172673) | This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 Smart Reentry Demonstration Program. This opportunity supports state, local, and tribal governments to implement comprehensive and collaborative reentry strategies to increase the likelihood of successful reentry for people returning to communities from adult correctional facilities, and to establish or expand a program or service (“intervention”) to reduce recidivism. Interventions may address a variety of needs related to reentry as outlined in section 101, subsection (b) of the Second Chance Act (34 USC §10631 – Adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry demonstration projects). Estimated Awards: 7. Total Funding: $6,805,353. Award Ceiling: $1,100,000. Closing Date: September 24 2026.

Washington, D.C. | August 12 2026 | National Resource Centers (HHS-2026-ACF-OFVPS-EV-0010) | The Resource Centers support efforts to prevent and respond to family, domestic, and dating violence by providing information, training, and technical assistance to individuals, organizations, government agencies, and communities.The National Resource Centers on Domestic Violence focus on strengthening services and knowledge in the field. One center provides training and technical assistance on domestic violence programs, research, and services for victims and their children. Another maintains a national resource library to collect, analyze, and share information on domestic violence, prevention strategies, and services for adult and youth victims.The National Indian Resource Center works with tribes and tribal organizations to improve responses to domestic violence and increase safety for Indian women. It also coordinates with federal partners that serve Native communities.Special Issue Resource Centers address key systems that impact victims of domestic violence. These centers provide training and technical assistance on responses within the justice system, child protective services, health care, and mental health systems. Additional centers focus on improving services and prevention efforts for racial and ethnic minority communities. Estimated Awards: 17. Total Funding: $17,710,000. Award Ceiling: $3,000,000. Closing Date: September 8 2026.

Washington, D.C. | August 10 2026 | Community Economic Development Projects (HHS-2026-ACF-OCS-EE-0026) | The Office of Community Services (OCS) will award approximately $18.57 million in Community Economic Development (CED) discretionary funds to Community Development Corporations (CDC) to enhance job creation and business development for individuals with low income. Projects should be well-planned, financially viable, and innovative. CED awards will be made as part of a broader strategy to address objectives such as decreasing dependency on federal programs, chronic unemployment, and community deterioration in urban and rural areas. CED projects are expected to actively recruit individuals with low incomes to fill the positions created by CED-funded development activities, to assist those individuals in successfully maintaining employment, and to ensure that the businesses and jobs created remain viable for at least one year after the project period. CED projects can be non-construction or construction projects. In states with current projects, OCS encourages applicants to target rural and underserved areas.Furthermore, OCS encourages potential applicants to explore how proposed projects can be aligned and/or integrated with other OCS-funded programs and priorities to more comprehensively address the needs of rural and urban communities with high rates of poverty, unemployment, and substance-use disorder, as well as communities experiencing persistent poverty, as identified by US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. Estimated Awards: 21. Total Funding: $17,484,782. Award Ceiling: $800,000. Closing Date: September 8 2026.

Washington, D.C. | August 6 2026 | Institute of Education Sciences (IES): National Center for Education Research (NCER): Statistical and Research Methodology in Education (ED-GRANTS-080626-003) | The goal of the Statistical and Research Methodology in Education (Stats/Methods) grant program (84.305D) is to provide a wide range of methodological and statistical tools that will better enable applied education scientists to conduct rigorous education research. Under this program, NCER will consider only applications that address one of the following topics: (1) Core Grants or (2) Toolkits, Guidelines, Compendia, Review Papers, and Curated Data Resources (Toolkits). The Core Grants topic supports the development of new and improved statistical and research methods for use by education researchers. These methods are to be user tested by education researchers to ensure their usability, revised as needed, then broadly disseminated through different types of products such as articles in applied education journals, detailed working papers and monographs, workshops, software, and curated data resources. The Toolkits Grants topic supports compiling existing research and information for a given method into products, such as toolkits, guidelines, compendia, review papers, curated data resources, workshops that help education researchers understand and apply the method. These products are to be user tested by education researchers to ensure their usability, revised as needed, and then broadly disseminated. Estimated Awards: Not specified. Total Funding: Not specified. Award Ceiling: $900,000 [Core track]. Closing Date: October 1 2026.

Washington, D.C. | August 5 2026 | Higher Education Challenge Grants Program (USDA-NIFA-CGP-011315) | The purpose of HEC, under assistance listing 10.217, is to strengthen institutional capacities, including curriculum, faculty, scientific instrumentation, and student recruitment and retention. The HEC program is focused on developing and improving formal master’s or doctorate degree-level food and agricultural sciences education and first professional degree-level education in veterinary medicine, such as a doctorate in veterinary medicine (DVM).  Estimated Awards: 36. Total Funding: $5,700,000. Award Ceiling: $750,000. Closing Date: October 15 2026.

Washington, D.C. | August 3 2026 | Innovative Traffic Safety Enforcement (ITSE) Grant Program (NHTSA-693JJ926R000024-FY26) | While the agency will consider innovative enhancements to existing countermeasures, the goal is to develop evidence-based projects that are scalable and transferable for use by State and local law enforcement agencies. The primary intent of this of the ITSE Grant Program is to 1) develop innovative traffic safety enforcement programs that demonstrate effectiveness by reducing the number of motor vehicle crashes due to one or more of the subject risky driving behaviors; and 2) ensure the traffic safety enforcement programs are repeatable and scalable for use by law enforcement throughout the United States. In addition to those goals, the Department seeks to fund projects that advance the priorities of this Administration as described in DOT’s mission statement and across executive orders. Estimated Awards: 10. Total Funding: $20,000,000. Award Ceiling: $20,000,000. Closing Date: September 1 2027.