Chemistry-Related Research Grants 2025
| Grant Name | Funder | Description | Amount | Deadline/Key Dates | Eligibility | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable Ignition Grants | American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute | Supports high-risk, high-reward projects to accelerate green chemistry technologies in pharma and allied industries; 6-month projects with collaboration from GCIPR members. | $40,000 | May 16, 2025 (proposals due 11:59 p.m. ET) | Open to researchers in academia/industry focused on green chemistry; RFP issued March 15, 2025. |
gcipr@acs.org Phone: (202) 872-6295 acsgcipr.org |
| ACS GCI Pharmaceutical Roundtable Key Research Area Grants | American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute | Funds advances in sustainable chemistries/processes identified annually by industry experts; 1-year projects with focus team collaboration. | $80,000 | May 16, 2025 (proposals due 11:59 p.m. ET) | Open to researchers in academia/industry; selected topics announced March 15, 2025. |
gcipr@acs.org Phone: (202) 872-6295 acsgcipr.org |
| Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award | American Chemical Society (ACS) | Recognizes excellence in organic chemistry research and encourages contributions to the field. | $5,000 + travel expenses | November 1, 2025 | Early- to mid-career organic chemists (tenured/tenure-track faculty or equivalent). |
awards@acs.org Phone: (202) 872-4396 acs.org |
| Graduate Student Success Grants | American Chemical Society (ACS) | Provides support for at-risk master's and PhD chemistry students facing financial hardships, covering tuition/living expenses for one year. | Up to $25,000 per student (100 awards totaling $2.5M) | Applications open post-announcement (August 2025); check site for 2025 cycle. | U.S.-based chemistry graduate students in need; prioritized for underrepresented groups. |
education@acs.org Phone: (800) 227-5558 acs.org |
| Division of Chemistry: Disciplinary Research Programs (CHE-DRP) | National Science Foundation (NSF) | Supports fundamental research in chemical synthesis, physical chemistry, chemical structure/dynamics, and chemical measurement/analysis. | Varies ($300K–$1.5M over 3–5 years) | Proposals accepted anytime; target dates Oct 31, 2025 & Nov 20, 2025 for some clusters. | U.S. academic researchers; early-career encouraged. |
Program Officers: - John M. Papanikolas: jpapanik@nsf.gov, (703) 292-8840 - Tingyu Li: tli@nsf.gov, (703) 292-4949 - Anne-Marie Schmoltner: aschmolt@nsf.gov, (703) 292-4716 nsf.gov |
| Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) – Chemistry Focus | National Science Foundation (NSF) | Integrates research and education for early-career faculty in chemistry and related fields. | Minimum $500,000 over 5 years | July 24, 2025 (annual solicitation) | Tenure-track assistant professors in U.S. institutions (within first two years). |
che-dmr@nsf.gov Phone: (703) 292-4932 nsf.gov |
| Research Grants | The Welch Foundation | Funds innovative basic research in chemistry by tenure-track faculty. | $100,000 per year (up to 3 years) | Letters of inquiry: March 1, 2025; full proposals by invitation (June 2025). | Full-time tenure/tenure-track chemistry faculty at Texas institutions. |
info@welch1.org Phone: (713) 961-9884 welch1.org |
| EXPRESS:2025 Exploratory Research for Extreme-Scale Science | U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science | Funds exploratory research in computational chemistry, materials science, and simulations for extreme-scale computing challenges. | $200,000–$1M per project (total $16M available) | Pre-application: Feb 25, 2025 (5 p.m. ET); Full application: May 6, 2025 (11:59 p.m. ET) | U.S. researchers at universities/national labs; basic research focus. |
PAMS Helpdesk: sc.pams-helpdesk@science.doe.gov Phone: (855) 818-1846 or (301) 903-9610 science.osti.gov |
| Assay Development and Screening for Discovery of Validated Chemical Hits for Brain Disorders (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | NIMH (with NINDS, NIDA) | Funds development of chemical assays and high-throughput screening to identify validated small-molecule hits for brain disorder therapeutics; emphasizes chemical probe validation. | Up to $500,000 direct costs/year (3-5 years) | Standard R01 dates: Feb 5, Jun 5, Oct 5, 2025 | U.S. investigators at research institutions; open to early-career. |
Scientific/Research Contact: Yaffa Rubinstein, Ph.D. yaffa.rubinstein@nih.gov Phone: (301) 443-8870 Grants Management: Molly A. McGinn molly.mcginn@nih.gov grants.nih.gov |
| High-Risk, High-Reward Research: NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (DP2) | NIH Common Fund | Supports exceptionally innovative chemistry-enabled biomedical projects for early-career investigators; open to chemical biology, synthetic methods, or tool development addressing major health challenges. | Up to $1.5M over 5 years (plus $300K for supplies) | Letters of intent: Aug 15, 2025; Applications: Sep 15, 2025 | Early-career (up to 10 years post-terminal degree); U.S. institutions; diverse topics welcome. |
Scientific/Research Contact: Noni Byars, Ph.D. highriskhighreward@mail.nih.gov Phone: (301) 480-2879 Grants Management: Eunica V. Haynes eunica.haynes@nih.gov commonfund.nih.gov |
| High-Risk, High-Reward Research: NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award (R01) | NIH Common Fund | Funds high-impact, paradigm-shifting chemistry research in biomedicine, such as novel synthetic tools or chemical probes for disease mechanisms; encourages team-based innovation. | Up to $5M over 5 years (team awards) | Letters of intent: Aug 15, 2025; Applications: Sep 15, 2025 | Open to all investigators; U.S. institutions; high-risk focus. |
Scientific/Research Contact: Joni L. Rutter, Ph.D. highriskhighreward@mail.nih.gov Phone: (301) 496-5545 Grants Management: Gregory J. Milam greg.milam@nih.gov commonfund.nih.gov |
| Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE): Chemical Probes for Brain Disorders (R21) | NINDS | Supports early-stage development of chemical probes or small molecules for neuroscience; includes hit-to-lead optimization and validation for brain disorder therapies. | Up to $275,000 direct costs/year (up to 3 years) | Feb 18, 2025; Jun 18, 2025 | U.S. academic or small business researchers; translational focus. |
Scientific/Research Contact: Sandeep P. Robert, Ph.D. sandeep.robert@nih.gov Phone: (301) 496-1779 Grants Management: Jon R. Ranck, Jr. jon.ranck@nih.gov ninds.nih.gov |
| Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Contributions (MOSAIC) Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00) | NIGMS (with others) | Funds transition from postdoctoral to independent faculty positions in chemistry-related biomedical research; emphasizes diversity in chemical biology or structural biology. | Up to $249,000/year (K phase, 1-2 years); $249,000/year (R00 phase, 3 years) | Standard due dates: Feb 12, Jun 12, Oct 12, 2025 | Postdocs from underrepresented groups; U.S. citizenship not required. |
Scientific/Research Contact: Clifton Poodry, Ph.D. mosaic@nigms.nih.gov Phone: (301) 594-9829 Grants Management: Adrienne T. Lewin lewina@nigms.nih.gov nigms.nih.gov |
| Research Project Grant Program (Parent R01) – Chemistry Focus | NIGMS (primary for chemistry) | Investigator-initiated research in chemical synthesis, biological chemistry, and molecular biophysics; supports fundamental chemistry for biomedical applications. | Up to $500,000 direct costs/year (3-5 years; modular budget) | Standard R01 dates: Feb 5, Jun 5, Oct 5, 2025 | U.S. investigators; early-career encouraged. |
Scientific/Research Contact: Pamela Marino, Ph.D. pamela.marino@nih.gov Phone: (301) 594-3827 Grants Management: Laura A. Moen moenl@nigms.nih.gov Phone: (301) 594-5938 nigms.nih.gov |
| Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03) | Multiple (e.g., NIGMS, NIDDK) | Short-term exploratory chemistry projects, such as new analytical methods or chemical tools for disease study; ideal for pilot data. | Up to $50,000 direct costs/year (up to 2 years) | Standard R03 dates: Feb 16, Jun 16, Oct 16, 2025 | Open to all U.S. researchers; high-risk/high-reward. |
Scientific/Research Contact: Warren Jones, Ph.D. warren.jones@nih.gov Phone: (301) 594-5938 Grants Management: Same as above grants.nih.gov |