Our editorial team is keeping abreast of the current status of federally funded opportunities. Such opportunities advertised here, to our knowledge at time of publication, are active. However, please continue to check solicitation websites for updates to U.S. Government opportunities of interest.

What is a Limited Submission?

A limited submission solicitation places a cap on the number of proposals Auburn may submit to a sponsor. Auburn coordinates limited submissions with notifications via this newsletter and competitions created in the Auburn University Competition Space (InfoReady). To apply to any limited submission posted in this newsletter, click on the link within the announcement. Please refer to the Limited Submission Procedures page for a general list of requirements.

Found a Limited Submission opportunity that interests you?

If so, please contact the PSFS office sooner than later so that an internal competition can be created for a timely, university-wide, fair and equitable selection process that allows for ample time for review, feedback and revisions.

Brain Research Foundation: Scientific Innovations Award

Brain Research Foundation invites nominations of one senior faculty member to submit a Letter of Intent for the 2027 Scientific Innovations Award (SIA). The program's objective is to support projects that may be too innovative and speculative for traditional funding sources but still have a high likelihood of producing important findings. It is expected that investigations supported by these grants will yield high-impact findings and result in major grant applications and funding as well as significant publications in high-impact journals.

The nominee must be a full-time associate professor/full professor working in neuroscience, neurology, neurobiology, physiology, psychiatry, psychology, or related disciplines, proposing scientific projects with a focus on brain health and disease, including cancer. Current major NIH or other peer-reviewed funding is preferred but evidence of such funding in the past three years is essential. Support focus is for new research projects of the highest scientific merit. 

Institutional Limit: One (1) LOI
Internal Deadline: May 1, 2026, 4:45pm

Funder Deadline: June 2, 2026, 4:00pm CT

Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation Grant

This opportunity supports early stage investigators in basic biomedical research aimed at enhancing understanding, diagnosis, or treatment of diseases, with potential impacts on disease prevention and medical education.

The funds are designed to provide to tenure track faculty members in their first to fourth year, at American Institutions, who hold M.D. and/or Ph.D. degrees, start-up support to move the project forward to the point where R01 or other independent funding can be obtained. Applicants with current R01 funding should not apply.

Instiutional Limit: One (1) Proposal

Internal Deadline: May 4, 2026, 4:45pm
Funder Deadline: July 1, 2026

Auburn University Rural Partnership Institute Collaborative Research Projects

The Auburn University Rural Partnership Institute (AURPI) is soliciting proposals from faculty who are collaborating with industry and/or community organizations to develop and implement solutions that enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and economic viability of Alabama’s poultry and forestry industries with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of rural Alabamians. This request for proposal is intended for faculty to collaborate with industry or community organizations in support of the goals of AURPI’s project.

Projects of Interest (but not limited to):


• Develop technology solutions and market intelligence that will help producers and processors of poultry and forest products improve their competitiveness and sustainability.
• Promote technologies that will advance the poultry and forest products industries.
• Predict and protect against cyber-physical vulnerabilities in poultry and forest products sectors
• Find opportunities to better manage water and wastewater; better manage and upcycle the waste streams emanating from poultry and forest product processing facilities for beneficial use.
• Other topics of investigation into challenges facing rural Alabama, including exploratory social and health science research.

Note that current PI/co-PI on AURPI internal funding program will not be considered for this funding opportunity.

Proposals Due: June 15, 2026, 4:45pm

Funding Opportunities

Mondelez International: Expertise in the Inhibition of Glycemic Peaks Sprint

Mondelez, a global leader in snacks, seeks long-term collaboration with US experts having knowledge natural compounds to inhibit glycemic peaks. The goal is to identify potential molecules or ingredients of interest for subsequent in vitro evaluation of their effect on digestive enzymes including a-amylase and amyloglucosidase. Ideally, respondents will also be able to test candidate ingredients allowing the modulation of glycemic response for possible evaluation in finished goods.

Collaboration partners of interest will have:

• Knowledge of possible compounds exhibiting inhibition of glycemic spikes
• Only natural compounds are of interest; synthetic inhibition is out of scope
• Primary focus is on inhibition of alpha-amylase and amyloglucosidase; inhibition of other digestive enzymes is beneficial but not required
• In vitro testing capabilities that mirror healthy Human adults
• Non-human in vitro models are potentially of interest if sufficient parallels to humans can be demonstrated.

Applications Due: May 6, 2026

The Dana Foundation: Pilot Projects in Neuroscience & Society

This foundation seeks to advance neuroscience that inspires transformational ideas where the field intersects with education, law, policy, and public engagement, among others. Grants support interdisciplinary, collaborative work that foster experimentation & investigation that open up new pathways. There are three programs:

Dana Education aims to support education that empowers people to use neuroscience in their everyday lives through deeper understanding of the field’s connection to people’s needs, values, and experiences.

Dana NextGen aims to prepare the next generation of scholars to think reflexively and responsibly about how to apply neuroscience knowledge to benefit society by supporting innovative training opportunities, workforce development, and collaboration across disciplines.

Dana Frontiers aims to increase collaborative engagement with diverse publics, supporting opportunities for all people to shape neuroscience and benefit from its power and promise.

LOIs Due: May 10, 2026

NIST: Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate (RAMPS) Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development

The NIST National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) invites RAMPS applications to stimulate cybersecurity education and workforce development. This funding will support eligible applicants for activities to establish community-based partnerships to develop cybersecurity career pathways that address local workforce needs and skill shortages in specific occupations within the local or regional economy.

Applicants must demonstrate, through commitment letters from project partners, that at least one of each of the following types of organizations will participate in the proposed multistakeholder workforce partnership:

• At least one local employer or owner or operator of critical infrastructure (that is not the applicant), and

• At least one of the following (that is not the applicant):

1. • K12 School,
2. • Local State Agency,
3. • Local Educational Agency,
4. • Institution of Higher Education,
5. • Non-Profit Organization, or
6. • Training Organization

Proposals Due: May 28, 2026, 11:59pm ET

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Partners for Fish and Wildlife

The goal of the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program is to engage private landowners involuntary habitat restoration projects that benefit federal trust species, including migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, and at-risk fish and wildlife.

Program biologists collaborate with landowners to identify restoration opportunities, develop practical project plans, and implement habitat improvements rooted in sound science. Strategic habitat conservation plans are used to identify priority species and habitats in each state or region.

The program supports on-the-ground conservation projects by restoring wetlands, streams, grasslands, and other essential habitats on private lands, helping to improve ecosystem health, biodiversity, and climate resilience while maintaining agricultural productivity and landowner operations.

Applications Due: May 30, 2026, 11:59pm ET

The Obesity Society: Early Career Research Grants

These grants are offered to foster and stimulate new research ideas in any area of obesity research. Two grants are given each year, one for Basic Science and the other for Clinical Research. The grants target early-career investigators and postdoctoral fellows by funding proposals that demonstrate a high likelihood of yielding new and innovative approaches to obesity research.

Applicants must 1) be a member of The Obesity Society (domestic or international); 2) obtained degree by the application date and not have more than five years of post‑doctoral experience; and 3) not yet have received an NIH K‑award, equivalent career‑development award, or R‑level research project grant;

LOIs Due: June 1, 2026

William T. Grant Foundation Institutional Challenge

The Institutional Challenge Grant supports university-based research institutes, schools, and centers in building sustained research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations in order to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. The program's goals should include

• Grow an existing institutional partnership with a public agency or nonprofit organization.

• Pursue a joint research agenda to reduce inequality in youth outcomes.

• Create institutional change to value research-practice partnerships within research institutions.

• Enhance the capacity of both partners to collaborate on producing and using research evidence.

LOIs Due: July 29, 2026, 3:00pm ET

Informational Webinar 
May 6, 2026
1:00pm - 2:00pm CT
Register Here

Important Updates

Reminder: Updated Institutional Proposal Review 
to Take Effect May 1 

In accordance with Office of the Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development (OSVPRED) memorandum, Updates to Auburn University's Proposal Submission Process, dated March 6, 2026, all proposals submitted by units within Auburn University will be required to undergo a standardized review by the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) effective May 1, 2026.

In order for OSP to have time to conduct these reviews, proposals must be submitted to OSP or the appropriate College Level Designee in accordance with the OSVPRED memorandum.

To assist with the transition, check out the following resources:

• General Process Information
• Training Video
• Frequently Asked Questions

Questions?

Contact the OSP Proposal Team at ospprop@auburn.edu.

Hanover Research Webinars

Pathways for Effective Research Translation

Thursday, April 30, 2026

11:00am CT

​Explore pathways for grant seekers aiming to extend their research discoveries from academic settings into real-world applications. Attendees will learn strategies for translating complex findings into accessible formats for practitioners, policymakers, and industry, increasing the impact and grant-readiness of their work. The session will highlight ways to bridge the gap between research and application, and discuss how feedback from users can inform future projects and proposals.​

Register Here.

• 2026 Calendar of Webinars
• Recently posted to the archives: Reimagining the Broader Impacts in Grant Writing

Hanover Research Queue Proposal Review Availability

Slots available July 3 - July 20 and after September 11


Auburn University has partnered with Hanover Research for a number of grant development solutions including Pre-proposal Support; Proposal Development; and Capacity Building. Hanover's full-service grant development solutions are available to set goals, build strategies to achieve key grant-seeking objectives, and develop grant proposals that are well-planned, researched, and written. 

For information regarding Hanover’s core capabilities and project timelines, click here. If you are interested in a slot in the queue, please e-mail Tony Ventimiglia.

Hanover GLC Modules for NIH, NSF-CAREER & Grant Development


The Hanover Research Grants Learning Center (GLC) on-demand grant development training portal offers faculty enrollees the unique opportunity to receive targeted training through self-paced, interactive modules with step-by-step guidance and templates for prospective applicants to develop compelling proposals. In addition to NIH and NSF-CAREER modules, AU faculty now have access to a variety of new modules on grant seeking, development and revisions.

Auburn faculty interested in signing up for this training should contact Christine Cline for registration information.

Free CITI Training Modules

Auburn subscribes to several training modules via the CITI Program website that may be of interest to researchers and research administrators. Each module is self-paced and can be finished in one or multiple sessions. Click on the link above to read descriptions.



• Essentials of Grant Proposal Development
• Essentials of Research Administration

The federal funding landscape is changing daily, necessitating extra due diligence on the part of funding seekers. When perusing a solicitation, 1) make sure you are viewing the latest version, 2) read all notes in the headers and margins, and 3) follow provided links to ensure a solicitation is still active and accepting applications.