Updated July 7, 2026
Climate and Environmental Research Grants from Foundations
Foundation and nonprofit grants funding climate, environmental, ocean, and ecosystem research. A live list for researchers looking beyond federal agencies.
Federal support for climate and environmental science is under more pressure than any other field. The administration's budget request proposed eliminating NOAA's climate research funding outright, renewable energy research offices took deep cuts, and geoscience programs have been squeezed across agencies. For many climate, ocean, and atmospheric researchers, the question in 2026 is not which federal program to target but where to find funding that does not depend on the federal budget at all.
Featured grants
Updated automatically from Atom's grant databaseEnergy and Environment Program
Supports interdisciplinary research and training to advance the U.S. transition to low-carbon energy systems, prioritizing innovative, policy-relevant social science and engagement with underrepresented communities.
Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems
Supports interdisciplinary early-career teams researching how neural systems adapt to rapid, human-driven environmental changes through collaborative, high-impact science.
Climate Impacts Awards: Unlocking urgent climate action by making the health effects of climate change visible
Funds transdisciplinary research on the health and economic impacts of climate change to inform urgent, equitable climate policy through evidence generation and stakeholder engagement.
The answer, increasingly, is private philanthropy. Environmental and climate science has one of the strongest foundation ecosystems of any field, spanning large general-purpose funders, dedicated climate philanthropies, and conservation organizations that fund applied research. Several foundations have expanded their grantmaking in direct response to federal retrenchment, and private funders are often more open to policy-relevant, applied, and interdisciplinary work than traditional federal review panels.
This collection focuses specifically on foundation and nonprofit funding for climate, environmental, ocean, ecosystem, and energy transition research. It updates as funders open new cycles. Foundation deadlines do not follow the predictable federal calendar, so checking a live list beats keeping a spreadsheet that goes stale.
Climate Impacts Awards: Unlocking urgent climate action by making the health effects of climate change visible
Funds transdisciplinary research to reveal the health and economic impacts of climate change, aiming to inform urgent, evidence-based climate policy and action for vulnerable communities.
Environment National & International
Supports research and projects advancing climate resilience, clean energy, public health, and biodiversity across multiple U.S. states or internationally.
Midwest Climate & Energy Grants
The McKnight Foundation Midwest Climate & Energy program funds research and projects advancing equitable, innovative climate and energy solutions in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants
Seed grants for new, interdisciplinary collaborations exploring how climate change affects human health, supporting innovative research across science, public health, and related fields.
Implementation/Collaboration Grants
Supports collaborative, multidisciplinary research and implementation projects advancing renewable natural resources through science, community engagement, and real-world impact.