Discover Funding Opportunities for Cooperative Extension and Higher Education

Explore funding opportunities curated by the Extension Foundation currently available for Cooperative Extension. New grants are added twice a month, so make sure to check back frequently! 

National Opportunities

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Digital Infrastructure

  • Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Education Innovation and Scholarship for Service (CyberAI SFS) | U.S. National Science Foundation
    Eligibility label: Both
    Amount: $300,000–$2,500,000
    Estimated number of awards: 1 to 25
    Synopsis: NSF’s CyberAI SFS program supports AI and cybersecurity education capacity, including scholarship-track projects that place students into government cybersecurity work and innovation-track projects that strengthen AI/cyber education models. Four-year IHEs may apply directly under the Scholarship Track, while two- and four-year IHEs, including community colleges, may apply directly under the Innovation Track. (NSF – U.S. National Science Foundation)
    Best-fit screen: Strong fit for land-grant institutions with cybersecurity, AI, public-sector talent pipeline, and workforce-development capacity; especially worth review where Extension or public-service missions connect to cyber workforce needs. (NSF – U.S. National Science Foundation)
    Deadline: Full proposal deadline, July 21, 2026
    Link: NSF 26-503: Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Education Innovation and Scholarship for Service (NSF – U.S. National Science Foundation)
  • COE-LWRM Request for Applications · 2026 | 1890 Universities Foundation
    Eligibility label: Direct Applicant Eligible
    Amount: $50,000–$100,000
    Estimated number of awards: 10
    Synopsis: This nonprofit-administered competition supports applied research across land, water, and resource management, with explicit emphasis on artificial intelligence, robotics, sensing, automation, and decision-support tools. Eligibility is limited to 1890 land-grant universities, with some named 1890 institutions excluded from serving as lead PI institutions in this cycle.
    Best-fit screen: High-priority review for eligible 1890 institutions with agriculture, natural resources, Extension, and precision-agriculture capacity that can produce practical outputs such as datasets, tools, protocols, and extension-ready materials.
    Deadline: Application deadline, June 5, 2026
    Link: COE-LWRM Request for Applications · 2026 (1890 Foundation)

Workforce Preparation & Job Readiness

  • Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Directorate for STEM Education (IUSE: EDU) | U.S. National Science Foundation
    Eligibility label: Direct Applicant Eligible
    Amount: $200,000–$2,000,000
    Estimated number of awards: Not stated
    Synopsis: IUSE: EDU supports evidence-based projects to improve undergraduate STEM teaching, learning, and institutional change. The program is open to all institutions of higher education and associated organizations. (Simpler Grants)
    Best-fit screen: Strong fit for universities seeking to improve STEM student success, transfer, and workforce preparation at scale; especially relevant where undergraduate teaching innovation and institutional transformation are priorities. (Simpler Grants)
    Deadline: Full application closing date, July 15, 2026
    Link: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Directorate for STEM Education (Simpler Grants)
  • FY 2026 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) | U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
    Eligibility label: Direct Applicant Eligible
    Amount: Approximately $4,800,000
    Estimated number of awards: 1
    Synopsis: Global UGRAD funds the administration of an undergraduate exchange program that places participants at a broad range of U.S. colleges and universities, explicitly including land-grant institutions, rural campuses, and community colleges. Eligible applicants include U.S. not-for-profit public and private educational institutions.
    Best-fit screen: Best for institutions with strong international exchange administration and campus-hosting capacity; especially attractive for land-grant campuses that want to connect rural place-based education with strategic workforce fields.
    Deadline: Application deadline, June 2, 2026
    Link: FY 2026 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Simpler Grants)
  • Exemplary Pathways to STEM Graduate Education | Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
    Eligibility: U.S. higher education institutions and organizations working in partnership
    Amount: Up to $500,000
    Deadline: LOI due June 1, 2026
    Why it fits: Supports institutional partnerships that expand access and opportunity in STEM graduate education, with explicit attention to broad-access institutions, two-year colleges, and strong-access-mission institutions. (Alfred P. Sloan Foundation)
  • Strategically Responsive Grants / LOI Process | ECMC Foundation
    Eligibility: Postsecondary institutions and systems or their affiliated/supporting foundations
    Amount: Not stated
    Deadline: Rolling LOI
    Why it fits: ECMC is explicitly interested in projects that improve postsecondary persistence, completion, and career success for underserved students; national higher-ed institutions may submit LOIs directly. (ecmcfoundation.org)

Agriculture, Food Systems & Natural Resources Innovation

  • Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program | U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
    Eligibility label: Both
    Amount: $49,999–$750,000
    Estimated number of awards: Not stated
    Synopsis: BFRDP supports education, outreach, and technical assistance that help beginning farmers and ranchers enter or strengthen agricultural operations. Colleges and universities are explicitly eligible, and the program requires collaborative state, tribal, local, or regional partnerships.
    Best-fit screen: High-priority for collaborative teams including some combination of  Extension, private sector, agriculture education, etc. spanning topics such as farmer training, risk management, land access, business planning, and succession programming.
    Deadline: Application deadline, June 16, 2026
    Link: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program | NIFA (Nation Institute of Food and Agriculture)
  • Supplemental and Alternative Crops | U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
    Eligibility label: Direct Applicant Eligible
    Amount: Not stated
    Estimated number of awards: Not stated
    Synopsis: SAC supports projects that expand U.S. adaptation and acreage of alternative crops for food, feed, oil, and industrial uses. The official eligibility language expressly allows applications from colleges and universities.
    Best-fit screen: Strong fit for LGUs with crop diversification, specialty and emerging crops, bio-based products, and experiment-station plus Extension capacity.
    Deadline: Application deadline, June 25, 2026
    Link: Supplemental and Alternative Crops | NIFA (Nation Institute of Food and Agriculture)
  • Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative | U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
    Eligibility label: Both
    Amount: Not stated
    Estimated number of awards: Not stated
    Synopsis: AG2PI funds research on agriculturally significant crops and animals in production environments, with emphasis on genetics, phenomics, resilient production, and dissemination of findings. Colleges and universities are explicitly eligible, and consortia are encouraged.
    Best-fit screen: Best for research-intensive LGUs with genomics, breeding, animal or crop systems, and translational ag-science capacity; especially worth review where experiment station strengths can connect to producer-facing impact.
    Deadline: Application deadline, June 29, 2026
    Link: Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative | NIFA (Nation Institute of Food and Agriculture)
  • Methyl Bromide Transition Program | U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
    Eligibility label: Direct Applicant Eligible
    Amount: $500,000
    Estimated number of awards: Not stated
    Synopsis: MBT supports discovery and implementation of practical pest-management alternatives to methyl bromide in agricultural production, post-harvest management, processing, and transport systems. The program explicitly limits applications to colleges and universities, including research foundations maintained by eligible colleges or universities.
    Best-fit screen: Strong fit for LGUs with applied pest-management, specialty-crop, post-harvest, and Extension translation capacity rather than purely basic lab science.
    Deadline: Application deadline, June 29, 2026
    Link: Methyl Bromide Transition Program | NIFA (Nation Institute of Food and Agriculture)
  • Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program | U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
    Eligibility label: Direct Applicant Eligible
    Amount: $150,000–$2,500,000
    Estimated number of awards: Not stated
    Synopsis: TCRGP supports research-capacity development at Tribal colleges in agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences, with explicit encouragement for projects involving AI, data science, robotics, and other digital tools. Eligibility is limited to 1994 land-grant institutions.
    Best-fit screen: High-priority review for 1994 institutions seeking research-capacity growth with agriculture, community vitality, and emerging technology components.
    Deadline: Rolling / open through December 31, 2026
    Link: Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program | NIFA (Nation Institute of Food and Agriculture)

Resilient Lands & Communities

Organizational Capacity, Professional Development & Learning Networks

  • Research-Practice Partnerships: Collaborative Research for Educational Change | The Spencer Foundation
    Eligibility label: Both
    Amount: Up to $400,000
    Estimated number of awards: Not stated
    Synopsis: Spencer’s RPP program supports collaborative education research partnerships between academic researchers and practitioners or policymakers. The PI must be affiliated with a nonprofit or public/governmental institution, including public colleges and universities, and the program expressly encourages partnerships that include institutions of higher education and rural locations.
    Best-fit screen: Worth review for colleges of education, Extension-connected community learning teams, and public-engagement units that already have trusted district, policy, or community partners and want to build evidence with practice relevance.
    Deadline: Pre-proposal deadline, July 10, 2026
    Link: Research-Practice Partnerships: Collaborative Research for Educational Change | Spencer Foundation (Spencer Foundation)
  • William T. Grant Scholars Program | William T. Grant Foundation
    Eligibility label: Direct Applicant Eligible
    Amount: $425,000 over five years
    Estimated number of awards: 4 to 6
    Synopsis: This program supports early-career researchers pursuing five-year research and mentoring plans focused on reducing inequality or improving the use of research evidence for young people ages 5–25 in the United States. Awards are made to the applicant’s institution, and applicants must be nominated by their institutions.
    Best-fit screen: Strong fit for LGUs that want to back a high-potential early-career faculty member through an institutionally supported nomination, particularly at HBCUs, HSIs, TCUs, ANNH institutions, and other broad-access campuses the foundation says it wants to encourage.
    Deadline: Application deadline, June 30, 2026
    Link: William T. Grant Scholars Program (William T. Grant Foundation)
  • Research Grants on Reducing Inequality | William T. Grant Foundation
    Eligibility label: Direct Applicant Eligible
    Amount: $100,000–$600,000 for major grants; $25,000–$50,000 for Officers’ Research Grants
    Estimated number of awards: Not stated
    Synopsis: This program supports research on programs, policies, or practices that reduce inequality in academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes for young people ages 5–25 in the United States. The foundation makes grants only to tax-exempt organizations and explicitly encourages applications from underrepresented grantee institutions including HBCUs, HSIs, TCUs, Alaska Native-Serving, Native Hawaiian-Serving, and AANAPISI institutions.
    Best-fit screen: Best for faculty-led LGU research teams in education, youth development, child welfare, justice, housing, or related fields that can show a strong theory of change and policy/practice relevance rather than implementation-only work.
    Deadline: Letter of inquiry deadline, July 29, 2026
    Link: Research Grants on Reducing Inequality (William T. Grant Foundation)
  • Research Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence | William T. Grant Foundation
    Eligibility label: Direct Applicant Eligible
    Amount: $100,000–$1,000,000 for major grants; $25,000–$50,000 for Officers’ Research Grants
    Estimated number of awards: Not stated
    Synopsis: This program supports studies on strategies that improve the use of research evidence in policy or practice affecting young people ages 5–25 in the United States. The foundation funds tax-exempt organizations only and again explicitly encourages proposals from underrepresented higher-education institutions, including HBCUs, HSIs, TCUs, ANSIs, NHSIs, and AANAPISIs.
    Best-fit screen: Especially strong for LGUs with education, Extension, youth-serving systems, or public-policy partnerships that already work with schools, agencies, intermediaries, or community organizations and want to study how evidence gets used in real decisions.
    Deadline: Letter of inquiry deadline, July 29, 2026
    Link: Research Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence (William T. Grant Foundation)
  • Historically Black Colleges and Universities – Excellence in Research (HBCU-EiR) | U.S. National Science Foundation
    Eligibility label: Direct Applicant Eligible
    Amount: Not stated
    Estimated number of awards: 30 to 35
    Synopsis: HBCU-EiR supports research capacity and engagement with NSF at public and private HBCUs. The next required action date in-window is the required letter of intent due July 9, 2026. (NSF – U.S. National Science Foundation)
    Best-fit screen: High-priority capacity-building opportunity for 1890 land-grant institutions and other HBCUs seeking to strengthen research infrastructure, competitiveness, and NSF engagement. (NSF – U.S. National Science Foundation)
    Deadline: Letter of intent required, July 9, 2026
    Link: Historically Black Colleges and Universities – Excellence in Research (NSF – U.S. National Science Foundation)

Youth, Family & Consumer Wellbeing

  • Open Call for Proposals 2026 (LEVANTE) | Jacobs Foundation
    Eligibility label: Direct Applicant Eligible
    Amount: Up to $250,000 for regular projects; up to $600,000 for large projects; up to $1,000,000 for infrastructure projects
    Estimated number of awards: Not stated
    Synopsis: Jacobs is expanding its LEVANTE network to support longitudinal child-development research on learning variability, with special interest in causal inference and dense measurement approaches. Applicants must be employed by and part of a research lab at an institution of higher education or research institute.
    Best-fit screen: Best for research-active LGUs with child development, education, human sciences, psychology, or youth-learning teams that can run rigorous longitudinal studies and participate in a global research network.
    Deadline: Initial application deadline, June 10, 2026
    Link: Open Call for Proposals 2026 – LEVANTE (Levante)

Quick Links

Find Extension in Your State
Search Extension
Impact Collaborative
Connect Extension

About
Team & Board
Annual Report
Contact Us

Membership
Campus
Ask Extension
Tools

Privacy Policy
Accessibility Statement
Terms of Use
Careers

Extension Foundation Logo

Our mission is to empower a national network of community-based educators, volunteers, and partners to turn knowledge into real-world solutions for stronger communities and people.

Terms of Use

Cooperative Extension Logo

The Extension Foundation is a nonprofit established in 2006 by Extension Directors and Administrators nationwide. Extension Foundation is embedded in the U.S. Cooperative Extension System and serves on Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP).

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

This website is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension (funding opportunity no. USDA-NIFA-OP-010186), grant no. 2023-41595-41325 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Extension Foundation.

Sign up for our Newsletter

Stay up to date with the Extension Foundation.

Subscribe