Illinois Grant News | June 2025

Washington, D.C. | June 26 2025 | Addressing the Housing Affordability Crisis Research Grant Program (FR-6900-N-29R) | HUD/PD&R”s funding opportunity titled Addressing the Housing Affordability Crisis Research Grant Program will provide competitive awards to: (1) fund quality research that contributes to knowledge about the housing affordability crisis in the United States; and (2) generate actionable insights and evidence that can inform policy decisions to address the housing affordability crisis in the short-term. Through this funding opportunity, PD&R will fund research projects that contribute to one of the five eligible research categories, including: 1) Government-induced Demand and Housing Affordability, 2) Immigration and Housing Affordability, 3) The Financialization of Housing and Housing Affordability, 4) Economic Opportunity Cost and Housing Affordability, and 5) Opportunity Zones identified in Section III.G. Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity include institutions of higher education, nonprofit, and for-profit institutions. Awards made under this NOFO will be cooperative agreements and, therefore, awardees should anticipate substantial involvement by subject matter experts within PD&R in the execution of funded projects.  Estimated Awards: 10. Total Funding: $10,000,000. Award Ceiling: $2,000,000. Closing Date: July 24 2025.

Washington, D.C. | June 18 2025 | OVW Fiscal Year 2025 Grants to Enhance Community-based Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program (O-OVW-2025-172373) | The Grants to Enhance Community-based Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program (CSSP) supports (1) the maintenance and replication of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking services in community-based programs that offer culturally specific services and other resources; and (2) the development of innovative community-based programming that improves access to services and resources for victims who face obstacles to using traditional services. Eligible entities are community-based organizations that aim to enhance access to services for all survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in their communities and that have demonstrated expertise in serving victims or can partner with a program having such expertise. Estimated Awards: 50. Total Funding: $22,500,000. Award Ceiling: $475,000. Closing Date: August 1 2025.

Chicago, Ill. | June 16 2025 | Mayor Johnson Announces $4.11M Investment into Community Wealth-Building | The Department of Planning and Development is allocating grants of up to $500,000 for Community Investment Vehicles and Worker Cooperatives in an effort to increase wealth in low and moderate-income neighborhoods. Seeded through a $4.11M City of Chicago investment, the W.O.W capital grant program provides both capital grants and technical coaching to commercial shared ownership models, specifically Community Investment Vehicles (CIVs) and Worker Cooperatives (Work Co-ops). Estimated Awards: Not Specified. Total Funding: $4,110,000. Award Ceiling: $500,000. Closing Date: July 31 2025.

Washington, D.C. | June 16 2025 | NIH Directors Transformative Research Awards (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) (RFA-RM-25-003) | The NIH Directors Transformative Research Award Program supports individual scientists or groups of scientists proposing bold, groundbreaking, exceptionally innovative, original, and/or unconventional research with the potential to create new scientific paradigms, establish entirely new and improved clinical approaches, or develop transformative technologies. To support innovative and novel research across the vast NIH mission, individuals from diverse backgrounds (including those from underrepresented groups; see Notice of NIHs Interest in Diversity) and from the full spectrum of eligible institutions in all geographic locations are encouraged to apply to this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Applications in all topics relevant to the broad mission of NIH are welcome in all topic areas relevant to the broad mission of NIH, including, but not limited to, behavioral, social, biomedical, applied, and formal sciences and topics that may involve basic, translational, or clinical research. No preliminary data are required. Projects must clearly demonstrate, based on the strength of the logic, a compelling potential to produce a major impact in a broad area of relevance to the NIH. The NIH Directors Transformative Research Award is a component of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research (HRHR) Program of the NIH Common Fund. Towards the objective of funding the best possible science, the Office of Strategic Coordination and the Center for Scientific Review are piloting a process for initial peer review of applications received in response to this FOA in which the identity of the investigators and institutions are withheld until the last phase of review.  Estimated Awards: 7. Total Funding: $8,000,000. Award Ceiling: Not specified. Closing Date: September 31 2025.

Springfield, Ill. | June 3 2025 [weekly grant digest] | Community Solar Energy Sovereignty Grant Program (CSFA Number 420-35-3055) | The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the “Department” or “DCEO”) is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) to provide awards from $50,000 to $1,000,000 per application to support the pre-development and development of community solar projects that promote community ownership and energy sovereignty. The Community Solar Energy Sovereignty Grant Program, established by Public Act 102-0662, is intended to provide grants to plan, develop, and execute community solar projects. The grant program provides upfront capital to support the development of community solar projects and provides seed capital and pre-development funding to support community ownership of renewable energy projects. Estimated Awards: 40. Total Funding: $8,500,000. Award Ceiling: $1,000,000. Closing Date: December 31 2025.

Springfield, Ill. | June 3 2025 [weekly grant digest] | Equitable Energy Future Grant Program (CSFA Number 420-35-3054) | The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the Department” or “DCEO”) is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) to provide pre-development funding opportunities to eligible contractors to support the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects benefitting businesses, community organizations, and the workforce in Illinois with a specific focus on historically disadvantaged communities. The grant program is designed to help remove barriers to project, community, and business development caused by lack of capital. The Equitable Energy Future Grant Program, established by Public Act 102-0662 (Section 5-60, subsection (d)), is intended to provide grants of up to $1 million promoting renewable energy1 and energy efficiency projects. Estimated Awards: 40. Total Funding: $25,500,000. Award Ceiling: $1,000,000. Closing Date: December 31 2025 .

Springfield, Ill. | June 3 2025 [weekly grant digest] | Energy Transition Community Grant Program (CSFA Number 420-35-3071) | The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the “Department” or “DCEO”) is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) to continue the Energy Transition Community Grant Program, which provides grants to support economic development in communities impacted by a closure or reduced operation of a fossil fuel power plant or coal mine. The Energy Transition Community Grant Program will provide grants to promote economic development to communities that are in an area with a closure or reduced operation of a fossil fuel power plant, coal mine, or nuclear plant. These funds support the activities to help communities develop economic opportunities to replace the revenue lost due to plant/mine closures, achieve environmental goals outlined in Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA)…Estimated Awards: 50. Total Funding: $40,000,000. Award Ceiling: Not Specified. Closing Date: June 30 2025.

Washington, D.C. | June 6 2025 | FY2025 Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation (CDLPI) (FM-CDL-25-003) | The CDLPI program objective is to provide financial assistance to States and other eligible entities to carry out and improve the national CDL program. The national CDL program focuses on the concept that each driver has only one driving record and only one licensing document, commonly referred to as ““One Driver — One License — One Record.”” Further, the national CDL program requires States to conduct knowledge and skills testing before issuing a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) and/or CDL; to maintain a complete and accurate driver history record (DHR) for anyone who obtains a CLP and/or CDL; and to impose driver disqualifications, as required by the regulations. Estimated Awards: 55. Total Funding: $89,400,000. Award Ceiling: $Unspecified. Closing Date: July 7 2025.

Washington, D.C. | June 3 2025 | Applications for New Awards; Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program (ED-GRANTS-060325-003) | The DHSI Program provides grants to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs) to expand educational opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students; and expand and enhance the academic offerings, program quality, and institutional stability of colleges and universities that are educating the majority of Hispanic college students and helping large numbers of Hispanic students and other low-income individuals complete postsecondary degrees. Estimated Awards: 116. Total Funding: $66,944,786. Award Ceiling: $600,000. Closing Date: July 3 2025.

Washington, D.C. | June 1 2025 | Legal Services for Homeless Veterans and Veterans At-Risk for Homelessness (LSV-H) Grant Program (VA-VJP-LSV-H-2026) | Ending and preventing homelessness among Veterans is a priority for VA. VA’s Homeless Programs constitute the Nation’s largest integrated network of homeless treatment and assistance services for Veterans. The LSV-H Grant Program’s purpose is to award legal services grants to eligible public or non-profit private entities who will provide legal services to eligible Veterans who are homeless or at risk for homelessness. This NOFO will provide awards designed to address the needs identified in 38 C.F.R. § 79.20, including legal services related to housing; family law; income support; criminal defense; protective orders and other matters related to domestic or intimate partner violence; access to health care; requests to upgrade military discharge or dismissal; consumer law, such as financial services, debt collection, garnishments, usury, fraud, and financial exploitation; employment law; and the top 10 unmet legal needs as enumerated on VA’s annual Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups (CHALENG) survey for the grant award cycle. Estimated Awards: Unspecified. Total Funding: $42,000,000. Award Ceiling: $500,000. Closing Date: July 7 2025.