The Foundation Grant
Supports UI interdisciplinary teams developing innovative, large-scale research proposals in education, social service, healthcare, civic/cultural, and environmental fields.
Funder: University of Iowa
Due Dates: June 24, 2026 (UI internal) | January 31, 2027 (Sponsor LOI) | March 1, 2027 (Sponsor full application)
Funding Amounts: Typical maximum: Phase 1 up to $10,000 (8 months), Phase 2 up to $250,000 (22 months), Phase 3 up to $10,000 (1 year); total up to $270,000 across all phases.
Summary: Supports interdisciplinary research teams at the University of Iowa seeking to develop and submit large-scale, innovative grant proposals in education, social service, healthcare, civic/cultural, or environmental fields.
Key Information: Limited submission: only one application per institution; internal campus competition required.
Description
This opportunity provides substantial support to University of Iowa research teams aiming to develop competitive, large-scale interdisciplinary grant proposals. Funding is available for projects that span education, social service, healthcare, civic and cultural, and environmental areas. The program is structured as a limited submission, meaning only one application is permitted per institution, with an internal selection process to determine which proposal advances to the sponsor.
Projects should demonstrate innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion, and should have a clear plan for positive societal impact. Funding is distributed in three phases (team/idea development, pilot research, and grant application development), and applications are encouraged from both new and established teams, including those seeking to renew or resubmit major grant applications.
