Possible Funding Resources
There are four basic types of funding sources:
- Government
- Private industry
- Foundations
- Professional organizations
Many government agencies provide funding to individuals and teams of researchers to work on specific types of research projects. Examples of government agencies that provide financial support include:
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) (science, engineering, and education);
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) (health related projects in science and engineering);
- The Department of Energy (DOE) (energy-related research); and
- The National Aerospace Agency (NASA) (research related to aerospace science and engineering)
Many private companies provide grants and/or materials and supplies in support of research. Examples of companies that provide targeted support include:
- Honda (e.g., fuel cells and robotics);
- DuPont; (e.g., polymer science broadly defined); and
- L’Oreal (personal care products)
Privately funded foundations are another good source of funding for research. Examples of foundations that provide financial support to researchers include:
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
- Research Corporation (RC); and
- The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
Finally, professional organizations represent still another possible source of funding for your research project. Examples of professional organizations that provide support for research include:
There are a number of useful tools that you can use to identify possible funding sources. A number of these can be freely accessed via the world-wide-web:
- The American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) Grants Net
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Grants; and
- The U.S. Department of Education’s e-Grants
However, the majority of the above provide support to scientists and engineers who have completed advanced degrees. That said, there are a number of associations and agencies that provide support for undergraduate research. To this end, Web-GURU has Program Listings that will assist you in identifying possible funding sources specifically targeted to undergraduate researchers.