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Private Foundation Funding Opportunities, CESU Expert Database, and May Grant Writing Newsletter

Private Foundation Funding Opportunities

As the federal funding landscape continues to evolve, private foundations are playing an increasingly important role in supporting faculty research and creative activity. Below are five open funding opportunities from private foundations that reflect current trends and priorities in philanthropic giving. These opportunities are just a snapshot of what’s available and may be especially relevant for faculty seeking diverse and flexible sources of external support.

These opportunities are:

  • Spencer Foundation: Rapid Response Bridge Funding Program;
  • Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants;
  • Arnold Ventures: Causal Research on Community Safety and the Criminal Justice System;
  • John Templeton Foundation: Interdisciplinary research that enables people to pursue lives of meaning and purpose;
  • The Anna Fuller Fund: Cancer research as to its cause, treatment and care, and education of the public as to its prevention and treatment.

For more information about these funding opportunities, please refer to the reference sheet found here.

For additional information or guidance on pursuing these or other opportunities, please contact the Center for Research and Creative Activity at CRCA@boisestate.edu.

Reminder: Join the CESU Expert Database

Please join the new CESU Experts Database. The Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) has joined this database â€“ a resource for federal agencies that are seeking outside expertise for collaborative projects. By submitting your profile to the Experts Database, you will increase your chance of being contacted when an agency is developing a project in your field of expertise. The database can be used to facilitate collaboration between CESU partners (e.g., for identifying potential collaborators for interdisciplinary grant applications).

To join, submit a profile using the Apply to Join link. You will need a machine-readable PDF of your curriculum vitae to allow people searching the database to find keywords within it. A short narrative professional biographical sketch is also encouraged but not required.

May Grant Writing News

The May 2025 issue of Research Development & Grant Writing Newsletter is out!

This month’s Featured Articles include:

  • May 2025 Select List of Humanities, HSS, and Arts Opportunities & News
  • Statement of NSF Priorities, Updated May 7
  • Defining the New Funding Landscape at NSF
  • The Power of Early Specifics
  • Advice for Applicants to Social Science Research Council (or, Really, Any) Competitions
  • Addressing Agency-Related Significance at USDA/NIFA

The Research Development and Grant Writing Newsletter is available to faculty, staff, students, and affiliates with log-in access to the Albertsons Library. This subscription is sponsored by the Division of Research and Economic Development with support from the Albertsons Library. For reference, previous newsletters are located here.