External Funding

Sponsors often limit applications for a grant or fellowship by instructing universities to nominate only one or a small number of candidates, effectively placing on them the task of pre-screening applicants. The eligibility and nomination rules of these programs, many of which are established annual competitions, vary widely. When a sponsor limits the number of applications that can be submitted by the university (i.e., across all schools), the Office of the Vice Provost for Research manages the internal competition.

*Faculty may not apply directly for LSOs without institutional endorsement*

As a first step, interested applicants should contact their respective Research Administration Office. Applicants who hold a primary appointment at HMS or Harvard-affiliated hospitals should adhere to the HMS Foundation Funds process and timelines, which differ from those listed below. 

The full list of Research Development Contacts by School is available here

There exist a larger number of external funding opportunities that are not limited or facilitated by the OVPR. A few such opportunities are highlighted here but for more information, please explore the links below and contact your respective Research Administration Office (see above). Additionally, more information on the award lifecycle can be found on the Harvard Office of Sponsored Programs website.

Additional funding opportunities can be found through COS PIVOT and Foundation Directory Online – two searchable databases that match faculty research interests with federal, state, and private sponsors. Note that you must be connected to Harvard network/VPN for both.

There is a wide range of funding opportunities for Harvard’s researchers with the US federal government. If you are seeking federal funding, please visit the Grants.gov, for a list of funding opportunities.