Rutgers logo
Scarlet First
Rutgers logo
Scarlet First
Rutgers logo
Scarlet First
Rutgers logo
Scarlet First

Award & Funding Opportunities

Discover recognition and funding opportunities available to Rutgers faculty, staff, and our K–12 and community partners committed to advancing access and success for first-generation students. Whether you're designing new initiatives, enhancing existing programs, or conducting research, these awards and grants can support your work and highlight your efforts to create meaningful impact.

Current

The Urban Innovation Fund

The Urban Innovation Fund fosters collaboration among Rutgers University–Camden faculty, staff, and community partners to address critical issues impacting the City of Camden. By leveraging resources from programs, courses, and research projects, the fund supports initiatives that benefit both students and the local community.

Since its inception, the Urban Innovation Fund has invested over $400,000 in community-engaged research projects, creating meaningful impact across Camden. This partnership between Rutgers–Camden researchers and community organizations exemplifies our commitment to scholarship that drives positive change.

Deadline: Letter of intent due by Friday, January 9, 2026

Open and Affordable Textbooks (OAT) Program

Through OAT, the Libraries award research funds to Rutgers faculty who redesign their courses to use free or low-cost materials or who create a new open textbook. Our goal is to support course material affordability at Rutgers, promote the use of open and affordable educational resources, and empower faculty to innovate their teaching through the use of open, free, or library-licensed materials and teaching aids.

Deadline: Check with your CLU

 

Upcoming

RDL Faculty and Staff Associates Program

The RDL Faculty and Staff Associates Program will support the creation of innovative multi-and cross-disciplinary ideas to address complex, democratic problems. The theme for 2025-2026 is Inspiring Democratic Engagement.Open to Faculty (non-tenured faculty and lecturers are eligible to apply) and staff from any/all units at Rutgers-New Brunswick, Rutgers-Camden, Rutgers-Newark, and Rutgers Health.

Next Application Cycle will open in Spring 2026

Current

NEW JERSEY ASSET ACTIVATION PLANNING GRANT

The New Jersey Asset Activation Planning Grant will award grants of up to $100,000 to public, private, or non-profit entities, for early-stage planning and analysis that will demonstrate viability of projects that activate under-utilized public assets that benefit their communities and the regional economy.

Deadline: Applications will be accepted during a 12-month period beginning from the date of application opening, or until program funding is exhausted.

Campus250

Campus Philly and PHENND have teamed up to launch Campus250, a special grant program supporting innovative programming in celebration of America’s 250th birthday in 2026. Their second round of funding is now open through January 30, 2026.

Deadline: January 30, 2026

TIAA Innovation Awards

Institutions may now apply for up to $10,000 in unrestricted funds to support campus-wide first-gen student success efforts!

Deadline: February 20, 2026

Past

NASPA Awards – October 1, 2025

Foot Locker Foundation Community Empowerment Program – September 30, 2025 

The Les Paul Foundation Grants – September 15, 2025

#CelebrateFirstGen Grant – July 17, 2025

Research to Reduce Inequality – Letters of Inquiry May 7, 2025

Teacher STEM Grants (6-12) – May 1, 2025

Global Philanthropy Fellowship – April 30, 2025

Economic Self-Sufficiency and Education – Apr 30, 2025

Office for Research

Office of Research

Supporting the research, scholarship, and creative endeavors of all Rutgers faculty.

Pivot

Pivot is a searchable database of available funding opportunities from federal, corporate, and private foundation sponsors in all disciplines, accessible for free using your NetID.

The Office for Research and Rutgers University Foundation teams curate lists of funding opportunities in Pivot every day based on the broad categories below.

Research2Practice Virtual Library

The Research2Practice virtual library is an extension of the Research2Practice Program. Here you will find curated scholarship on topics identified by the Research2Practice fellows. You can also access the educational tools developed by the R2P fellows. We hope that both, nascent scholars who are looking to advance knowledge on diversity-related topics and community members who want to continue to grow their capacity, will take advantage of the one-of-a-kind resource.