Funding basic science: Finding sources to fill the government gap

What does it take to fund science research that is not clearly aligned with profit objectives from the outset?

In an age when budgets are shrinking and research is expected to deliver a near-term return on investment, it is easy for science doubters to question the value of studies conducted in search of knowledge rather than monetization. But knowledge has value, even if that value has no immediate dollar sign attached to it. For example, without a study of “how bees optimize nectar foraging and distribution among a colony…we never would have developed an algorithm that allocates internet traffic among computer servers—a technology that powers the $50 billion web-hosting industry,” notes David Shiffman, faculty research associate at Arizona State University, in the July–August 2025 issue of American Scientist.¹

Although federal funding for fundamental research is in decline in the United States, there are still agencies, foundations, corporations, nonprofits, and even crowdfunding sources available to researchers with basic science goals in mind. This article offers resources to support the search for funding.

The global state of basic science funding

US funding cuts dull competitive edge

The New York Times headline on Dec. 2, 2025, did not mince words: “The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine.”² The reporters found that 2025 saw “fewer new grants awarded in biology, geosciences, STEM education, computer science and engineering, math, physics, technology and innovation.” Just 758 grants were awarded for STEM education in 2025, a 30% drop from an average of 1,087 annually during 2015–2024. The number of engineering grants fell 17%, as did those for math and physics; technology and innovation grants declined by 13%.

The outlook was even bleaker: On Jan. 10, 2026, The New York Times reported that further proposed cuts to federal science programs would reduce science funding from $198 billion to $154 billion, which “would have been the largest reduction in federal spending on science since World War II.”³ On a similarly discouraging note, Science reported on Jan. 26, 2026, that as a result of reductions in the federal workforce during 2025, “10,109 doctoral-trained experts in science and related fields left their jobs” during the year, a number that “represents 14% of the total number of Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering, and math or health fields employed at the end of 2024.”⁴

(Some positive news for scientists is that the proposed cuts met bipartisan opposition, and in February 2026, five bills were signed into law that “fund most scientific research agencies at much higher levels” than were allocated in the original budget proposal, according to an Association of American Universities article.⁵ Several of the bills also included provisions preventing various federal agencies from modifying or implementing changes to indirect cost negotiated rates.)

Europe and Asia ramp up science research

Where some see crisis, others see opportunity. European universities and research institutes were quick to offer employment to some of those displaced U.S. scientists, with one notable example being the €30-million Choose France for Science initiative launched in April 2025. The program aimed to recruit researchers based abroad to work in France, and so far it has resulted in the hire of 46 scientists, most previously employed at U.S. institutions and most studying climate, biodiversity, and sustainable societies.⁶

These immigration opportunities for scientists come as the European Union proposed doubling its research and innovation allocation to €175 billion (US$206.627 billion) in the 2028–2034 budget for Horizon Europe, the EU’s primary research and innovation program.⁷ Yet this news carries an asterisk: On Sept. 29, 2025, the League of European Research Universities published a statement that “EU funding for basic research is now in jeopardy. If the ECF [European Competitiveness Fund] budget does not contribute to R&I—and particularly to basic research—only the European Research Council will explicitly fund fundamental research at EU level.”⁸

But Europe recognizes the value of basic science and is investing in it beyond the continent’s established research powerhouses. In September 2025, The Polish Academy of Sciences Institute of Physical Chemistry announced the creation of 20 postdoctoral positions within its Basic Sciences for Society Needs, positions that are co-funded under Horizon Europe.⁹

Events unfolding in Asia add further perspective. A Dec. 18, 2025, DongA Science article reports, “The South Korean government aims to become one of the world’s top five basic research powerhouses by 2030 by securing a 30% faculty participation rate, expanding the proportion of long-term projects (5+ years) to 70%, and abolishing phased evaluations for projects under five years.”¹⁰ It describes the Ministry of Science and ICT as committed to establishing a long-term research system and notes, “The government will also pursue an amendment to the ‘Basic Research Promotion Act’ to ensure that a certain percentage of its R&D investment is allocated to basic research.”

Japan’s Science and Technology Agency’s strategic basic research programs include the following¹¹:

• JST-Mirai Program, which “promotes research and development from a basic research stage to a stage where industry can decide whether they could make a business successful.”
• CREST (Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology), which supports “studies that aim for the creation of new values leading to innovations in science and technology…young researchers advance their research studies according to their unique ideas.”
• ALCA-Next: Advanced Technologies for Carbon-Neutral, which “promotes basic research on innovative technologies that are not just extensions of conventional technologies and that will bring about discontinuous innovation, with the aim of contributing to the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050.”
• Moonshot Research and Development “is driving high risk, high impact R&D towards ambitious and attractive targets…to solve issues facing future society.”
• BOOST (Broadening Opportunities for Outstanding young researchers and doctoral students in STrategic areas) “is a program for developing highly urgent national strategies.”

As University World News reported on Feb. 28, 2025, China’s National Natural Science Foundation, which oversees a billion-dollar science fund, seeks to overhaul its basic research funding system over the next five to 10 years.¹² The Foundation operates under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

“The government says young scientists have the potential to drive pioneering breakthroughs,” the article reports. “As part of the revamp, a new dedicated fund for young scientists pursuing basic research is being developed…It builds on recent initiatives such as China’s Research Funding Programme for Students, which since 2023 has supported high-achieving university students to kick-start their research careers with grants of between CNY100,000 (about US$14,000) to CNY300,000 (about US$41,400).”

The fundamentals of fund-seeking

Considering the above global funding dynamics, basic science research grantseekers in the U.S. are competing not just for funding but for maintaining the U.S. presence on the global stage. To win financing, researchers must be able to counter arguments against projects that launch without an immediate target for commercial or economic gain.

Ahead of the 2023 World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, European Research Council President Maria Leptin made her case for fundamental research in a blog post¹³: “Apart from the important cultural value of satisfying human curiosity and creating new knowledge, fundamental research leads to a better understanding of the natural world and establishes the essential foundation of knowledge needed to solve acute, practical problems,” she wrote. “The history of innovation shows that freedom for researchers to pursue their creative ideas, without strings attached, has been vital for countless discoveries, many of which have led to breakthrough technologies with enormous benefits for society and that have boosted the economy.”

She is not alone in that perspective. The directory below lists sources of funding from foundations, universities, research institutes, and government agencies that support basic science research.

Databases and resource libraries

Grants.gov maintains a database of grants available throughout the U.S. government and so is not dedicated exclusively to science grants. In addition to its “Search funding opportunities” page, available at https://simpler.grants.gov/search, it provides online tutorials and information about topics such as how to apply for federal funding opportunities, confirming that you are eligible to apply, and grant-writing tips. There is also an applicant FAQ at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-faqs.

GrantForward describes itself as “the only funding opportunity database and service built by academics for researchers.” The site “uses specialized data-crawling technology to constantly update our extensive database of sponsors and funding opportunities, allowing thousands of grant opportunities to be gathered from over 30,000 sponsors. Every grant opportunity is thoroughly analyzed and then verified by our team of specialists to ensure accuracy.” Learn more: https://www.grantforward.com

Science compiled a “Where to Search for Funding” reference, which provides links to prospects. It also contains information about how to get funding and “how not to kill a grant application.” Learn more: https://www.science.org/content/page/where-search-funding

The University of California, Los Angeles’ David Geffen School of Medicine hosts BioFund, a non-NIH funding database that includes basic science research opportunities. Learn more: https://biofund.healthsciences.ucla.edu/crt-funding/crt-funding-list

The UMass Amherst Foundation hosts Private Foundations that Fund Academic Research: A Quick Guide, which introduces and links to funders and lists their funding priorities. Learn more: https://umassfoundationrelations.org/sites/cfr/files/2025-06/Private%20Foundations%20Fund%20Research.pdf

The Open Education Database offers 100 Places to Find Funding for Your Research, with links to (actually) 99 organizations and resources. Learn more: https://www.oedb.org/ilibrarian/100_places_to_find_funding_your_research

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science provides links to Funding Opportunity Announcements at https://science.osti.gov/bes/funding-opportunities and information about its Early Career Research Program at https://science.osti.gov/early-career.

The U.S. National Science Foundation maintains a funding search database with more than 400 search results at https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities.

Organizations funding science research

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation funds “research and education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and economics.” Its Research page states that “Support for basic scientific research lies at the core of the foundation’s mission” and notes that the Foundation prioritizes “proposals for original projects…for which funding from the private sector, government, or other foundations is not yet widely available.” Website: https://sloan.org

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative supports science “through targeted grantmaking and open competitions for research funds in specific issue areas.” Its science interests are often related to artificial intelligence. Website: https://chanzuckerberg.com/science/science-funding

The Simons Foundation supports “interdisciplinary projects that … connect science to peoples’ existing interests and identities, with a focus on broadening participation in science.” The Foundation also strives “to go beyond the traditional role of funder by building and offering professional and organizational development programs.” Website: https://www.simonsfoundation.org

Some states maintain science grant support resources. For example, New York Grant Watch maintains a database of “grants for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, STEAM education, and scientific studies. Funding supports research, clinical trials, laboratory expenses, and advancements in science.” Website: https://newyork.grantwatch.com/cat/30/science-grants.html

Notably, grant awards may not be limited to residents of the state hosting the database. New York Grant Watch promotes opportunities for U.S., Canadian, and international nonprofit and for-profit grantseekers.

University resources

Many universities partner with commercial enterprises and research institutes that provide financial support for the pursuit of advances in basic science. For example, the Penn State Research Enterprise is “an ecosystem where businesses, education, and research come together. In the past decade more than 2,000 companies have partnered with Penn State on more than 9,000 projects.” Website: https://research.psu.edu/#partnering

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Research Partnership program aims to “cultivate partnerships between academia, industry, nonprofits, government, civil society, and other sectors so they can pursue transformative research, solve societal problems, fuel economic progress, and build a future-ready workforce.” Website: https://www.nsf.gov/focus-areas/research-partnerships

Resources for science educators

The NEA [National Education Association] Foundation’s STEM grants “provide the resources for districts to build and expand their STEM programs and the professional learning for educators to lead them well.” Website: https://www.neafoundation.org/projects-initiatives/past-programs-resources/stem-grants

STEMGrants.com compiled a list of funding available for K–12 nonprofits at https://stemgrants.com/stem-grants-for-k-12-nonprofits.

For a deeper dive

• Center for Strategic and Innovation Studies: “Innovation Lightbulb: Basic research for breakthrough innovations”
• Columbia Magazine: “A brief history of science funding”
• Harvard Medicine: “A brief history of federal funding for basic science”
• Science Philanthropy Alliance: “Science Philanthropy Indicators Report”
• UC Davis Magazine: “Why is federally funded research so important?”