Updated October 16, 2026
Climate and Environmental Research Grants 2026
Open foundation grants for climate change, environmental, ocean, and energy research in 2026, for researchers looking beyond federal agencies. Updated daily.
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 database. Summaries are AI-generated.Energy and Environment Program
The Sloan Foundation's Energy and Environment Program funds interdisciplinary research to advance the U.S. transition to low-carbon energy systems through collaborative, evidence-based scholarship.
Climate & Global Change (C&GC) Postdoctoral Program
Climate & Global Change (C&GC) Postdoctoral Program supports postdoctoral researchers in independent climate science research to improve understanding of a changing Earth system and develop future research leaders.
Climate Program
The Erol Foundation’s Climate Program funds efforts that use science and community action to rapidly and equitably reduce greenhouse gas emissions and drive systemic climate solutions.
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.
Environment: National & International
Environment: National & International supports nonprofits tackling climate change, toxic pollution, and habitat connectivity to strengthen community resilience and environmental protection worldwide.
Research Funding - Earthwatch
Research Funding - Earthwatch supports scientists running field projects that involve public participants in data collection to address global change and advance biodiversity, marine conservation, and traditional knowledge.
Climate Impacts Awards: Unlocking urgent climate action by making the health effects of climate change visible
Climate Impacts Awards support transdisciplinary teams researching climate change’s health effects and economic costs, combining evidence and community engagement to drive targeted climate policy action.
Climate Solutions
The MacArthur Foundation's Climate Solutions grant funds research and innovative strategies to address climate change through policy, finance, and community-driven science.
Midwest Climate & Energy
Midwest Climate & Energy supports Midwest organizations with operating and project grants for climate solutions that cut greenhouse gas emissions and advance an equitable clean energy transition.
Our Work/Environment Reporting Grants
The Pulitzer Center's Our Work/Environment Reporting Grants fund global journalism on how climate change is transforming labor, jobs, and workplace practices.
Ocean and Fisheries Reporting Grant
Supports journalists globally in producing in-depth reporting on ocean and fisheries issues to promote awareness, transparency, and solutions for sustainable marine ecosystems.
Mark W. Schwiebert Fund for Environmental Studies Grant
Supports public education and applied research projects that address climate change and resource depletion through sustainable solutions.
Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Atmospheres
Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Atmospheres supports early-career scientists pursuing collaborative atmospheric research to build better models for understanding Earth and planetary evolution.
Ocean Reporting Network
Ocean Reporting Network supports freelance and staff journalists with collaborative, in-depth investigations into ocean threats and marine degradation to deepen public understanding and drive change.
The Ocean Futures Fellowship: Building Ocean Career Pathways
The Ocean Futures Fellowship: Building Ocean Career Pathways supports emerging ocean professionals through training, mentorship, and OceanX projects to build careers, ocean literacy, and leadership.
Open Ocean Research Grant Program
Open Ocean Research Grant Program supports researchers using open data on human activity at sea to strengthen technologies, expand datasets and advance ocean governance and marine sustainability.
Sustainable Communities: Environmental Resilience Grant Program
Supports organizations in NC’s Triangle region advancing environmental conservation, climate resilience, and community education—especially for vulnerable populations—through nature-based solutions and local advocacy.
Simons Centers of Excellence at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Simons Centers of Excellence at Historically Black Colleges and Universities supports HBCU research and training centers to advance basic science and mathematics and build students’ pathways into graduate STEM programs.
Environmental Action
The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Environmental Action grant funds community-driven science, research, and advocacy projects addressing chronic pollution and environmental health in Allegheny County and southwest Pennsylvania.
Sustainable Minerals, Metals, and Materials
Sustainable Minerals, Metals, and Materials supports early-career researchers’ collaborative basic science projects on sustainable mining, materials, and recycling to advance a low-carbon energy system.
Research Grants - Environmental Research and Education Foundation
EREF Research Grants fund innovative research on sustainable solid waste management, climate impacts, emerging contaminants, and recycling, with results made publicly available to advance the field.
Frequently asked questions
Active funders include the Sloan Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, Schmidt Sciences, Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the Wellcome Trust on climate and health, and conservation organizations such as the Wildlife Conservation Society. Many regional and community foundations also fund applied environmental research in their own areas.
Federal climate and environmental programs face budget cuts and uncertainty in 2026, while many foundations have held steady or expanded their giving. Foundation grants often have shorter applications, start with a letter of inquiry, and are more open to applied, policy-relevant, and interdisciplinary work than federal review panels.
No. This collection is limited to foundation and nonprofit funders. Federal opportunities from agencies like NSF, NOAA, and the Department of Energy are available in Atom's full grant search.
Yes. Climate-focused foundations fund a wide range of work, including oceanography and marine ecosystems, atmospheric science, conservation biology, and energy transition research. The list below ranks opportunities across all of these areas by relevance.