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: 2026 Seed Grant Program

Brain Research Foundation funds innovative neuroscience research that expands understanding of how the brain works, and provides educational programs for researchers, families struggling with debilitating brain disorders and the general public. . The purpose of the Seed Grant Program is to provide start-up money for new research projects and innovative programs that have the potential of becoming competitive for an NIH grant or other external funding sources. The Foundation's goal is to have this initial effort succeed in opening future opportunities for research, collaboration, and scientific advancement.  

To be eligible, PI must be a full-time Assistant or Associate Professor in the field of neuroscience, neurology, neurobiology, physiology, psychiatry, psychology, or related disciplines, proposing scientific projects with a focus on brain health and disease, including cancer. The grant proposal must detail a new research project that is not funded by other sources. This grant is not to be used as bridge funding.

Institutional Limit: One (1) Nomination

Internal Deadline: September 11, 2025, 4:45pm

Funder LOI Deadline: October 23, 2025, 4:00pm CT

NSF TIP Test Bed: Toward a Network of Programmable Cloud Laboratories

The NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) seeks to establish test beds to advance the development, operation, integration, deployment, and demonstration of new, innovative critical technologies. These test beds would provide access to innovative technologies that support new modes of work across research, development, and industry while also providing the opportunity to demonstrate commercial viability of new technologies and prospects for establishment of new enterprises and/or industry sectors. Such test beds would additionally nurture a workforce with the skills needed to operate the test beds with the expectation that the operation would continue after NSF and any other Federal funding ends.

This NSF solicitation calls for the establishment of a Programmable Cloud Laboratories (PCL) Test Bed consisting of a network of Programmable Cloud Laboratory Nodes (PCL Nodes) with the key objectives of accelerating automated science and engineering and democratizing access to state-of-the-art instruments, including AI-based methods across multiple domains of science and engineering.

The PCL Test Bed consists of a set of independent PCL Nodes. For the current solicitation, only organizations with pre-existing instrument facilities are eligible to apply to this program to be a PCL Node.

Institutional Limit: One (1) Proposal

Internal Deadline: September 18, 2025, 4:45pm

Funder Deadline: November 20, 2025, 5:00pm CT

Attendance is limited. Registration closes August 28.

Funding Opportunities

ARPA-I: Ideas & Innovation Challenge (Transportation)

Enhanced safety, faster project delivery, lower costs, increased efficiency, and improved resilience against physical and cyber threats for all users require innovative transportation technologies that can be scaled, deployed, and commercialized. Advanced digital infrastructure, automation, modern air traffic control, novel infrastructure materials, new construction techniques, enhanced operations systems, smart planning tools, precision sensing, high performance computing, and more are required. This Challenge is ARPA-I’s open call to innovators across the public and private sectors to help identify the most promising and transformative Research and Development (R&D) proposals that have the potential to deliver technologies that radically:

• Enhance the safe, secure, and efficient movement of people and goods,
• Lower the long-term costs of infrastructure planning, construction, and maintenance,
• Strengthen the resilience of infrastructure against physical, natural, and cyber threats, and
• Enhance the United States’ position as a global leader in advanced transportation infrastructure technologies and materials.

Concept Papers Due: September 17, 2025, 5:00pm ET

American Council of Learned Societies: Faculty Fellowships in the Humanities and Social Sciences

ACLS invites research proposals from scholars in all disciplines of the humanities and interpretive social sciences pursuing research on topics grounded in any time period, world region, or humanistic methodology.

The ultimate goal of the awarded project should be a major piece of scholarly work by the applicant, which can take the form of a monograph, articles, publicly engaged humanities project, digital research project, critical edition, or other scholarly resources. The fellowships support projects at any stage of development – beginning, middle, or end.

This program does not fund works of fiction (e.g., novels or films), textbooks, straightforward translation (without significant scholarly interpretation and apparatus), or projects that are primarily pedagogical in focus.

Proposals Due: September 25, 2025, 9:00pm ET

NASA ROSES 2025: Citizen Science Seed Funding Program

The Citizen Science Seed Funding Program (CSSFP) of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) aims to support scientists and other experts to develop citizen science projects and to expand the pool of professional scientists who use citizen science techniques in their science investigations. Citizen science is a form of open collaboration in which individuals or organizations participate voluntarily in the scientific process.

Four Divisions of the SMD are participating in the CSSFP: the Astrophysics Division, the Biological and Physical Sciences Division, the Heliophysics Division and the Planetary Science Division. All proposals must address one or more goal(s) or objective(s) relevant to at least one of these participating SMD divisions.

Notice of Intent Due: October 1, 2025

NSF: Smart Health and Biomedical Research in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Data Science

The purpose of this interagency program solicitation is to support the development of transformative high-risk, high-reward advances in computer and information science, engineering, mathematics, statistics, behavioral and/or cognitive research to address pressing questions in the biomedical and public health communities. Transformations hinge on scientific and engineering innovations by interdisciplinary teams that develop novel methods to intuitively and intelligently collect, sense, connect, analyze and interpret data from individuals, devices and systems to enable discovery and optimize health. Solutions to these complex biomedical or public health problems demand the formation of interdisciplinary teams that are ready to address these issues, while advancing fundamental science and engineering.

Proposals Due: October 3, 2025, 5:00pm CT

CCTS Opportunities

Deep South Mentored Career Development Program (K12 Award)

The CCTS is now accepting pre-applications from junior faculty committed to conducting translational research that reduces the burden of diseases and improves health conditions that disproportionately affect populations in the Deep South.

Pre-applications Due: October 17, 2025, 5:00pm CT

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Clinical & Translational Science Pilot Program

The CCTS Partner Network invites applications for its pilot program, designed to address a roadblock in science and/or operations that limits translation into improved health and healthcare delivery. Projects must be focused on translational science – the generation of generalizable innovations that are applicable to a broad range of diseases and conditions and address translational barriers. Program goals include -

• Accelerate the translation and impact of discovery
• Elevate engagement of CTS through the pilot program
• Promote collaboration and team science

Pre-Applications Due: October 25, 2025, 5:00pm CT

Important Updates

CCTS Mock NIH Study Sections

Be the Fly On the Wall – Observe a Study Section in Action

R01 Grant Review Observation – September 23, 12:00noon-1:30pm via Zoom

K01 Grant Review Observation – September 26, 12:00noon-1:30pm via Zoom

See the scoring and discussion unfold just like it does in an actual NIH study section. Observe how reviewers present their critiques, debate strengths and weaknesses, and arrive at a final impact score. You’ll walk away with valuable insight on how to prepare your own proposals to succeed in peer review. Register

Hanover Research Webinars

Advanced Strategies for Enhancing Your Proposal Narrative

Thursday, August 28, 2025

11:00am CT

Explore advanced strategies for developing a strong grant narrative, including how to imagine the reviewer while writing a proposal, how to identify the early elements of the proposal that are most important, and how to create a meta narrative to help reviewers identify key points in the proposal.

Register Here.

• Upcoming Webinars in 2025
• Recently posted to the archives: Storytelling in Grantwriting, Part II: The Plot Thickens

UAB 2025 AI and Technology in Global Health Symposium

Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation Conference Center

October 29 - 30, 2025



The symposium will offer a unique opportunity for attendees to explore how artificial intelligence is shaping the future of global health. Attendees will leave with a broader understanding of how AI can be leveraged to support more efficient, accessible, and equitable health solutions around the world.

Register Here

CCTS: Translational Science Symposium '25

Share Your Science!

October 30 & 31, 2025

Gulf Shores, AL

Join colleagues from across the CCTS Partner Network for the 2025 Translational Science Symposium (TSS) featuring engaging keynote presentations, workshops, networking opportunities, and the popular 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Take advantage of this incredible opportunity to disseminate your research to a lively and engaged audience and submit for 3MT consideration here.

See the Agenda

Register Here

Hanover Research Queue Proposal Review Availability

Slots available after October 10

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.

Council on Government Relations (COGR) Resource Page

This resource page offers continually updated information concerning the 2025 Administration Transition in regards to federal funding.

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

Proposal Services and Faculty Support

The Office of Proposal Services and Faculty Support (PSFS) assists faculty and staff in the broad aspects of proposal development for their research, scholarly, and creative programs. The multifaceted mission of PSFS includes -

• Individual and group Pivot consultations
• Finding targeted funding opportunities for faculty
• Proposal development services for large, interdisciplinary projects
• Non-technical editing services for proposals
• Grantsmanship presentations
• Research events support
• Educating AU's administrators and support staff through the COMPASS program

Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or just starting in the world of proposals, contact the PSFS office to partner with you.

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.