
Funding opportunities to explore
Beyond the National Institutes of Health, a number of U.S. government agencies provided funding for basic scientific research. Here are some of them.
U.S. Department of Agriculture

The USDA has a series of programs offered through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture specifically to help minority serving institutions strengthen research capacity, increase student recruitment and retention and conduct outreach to diverse communities. For example, the 1890 Land-Grant Institutions Programs support historically Black universities and the Tribal College Research Grant Program helps 1994 Land-Grants become centers of scientific inquiry and learning for remote and rural reservation communities. Learn more.
National Institute of Aging

National Library of Medicine

The NLM offers numerous grants related to fundamental research in biomedical informatics and data science. For example, it has an exploratory/developmental research grant program that supports early and conceptual work and feasibility in tests in biomedical informatics. Learn more.
Department of Energy

The DOE funds over 6,000 scientists through its Basic Energy Sciences program, which supports basic research to lay the foundations for new energy technologies. The DOE also has an Early Career Research Program for outstanding scientists just starting out. Learn more.
National Science Foundation

The NSF supports research, through its Directorate for Biological Sciences, that advances the frontiers of biological knowledge. The directorate funds, among other things, research traineeships, research experiences for undergraduates and infrastructure grants to advance biology and biotechnology. Learn more about the directorate at nsf.gov/bio/about.jsp.
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