Adolescent and Youth Development
Healthy development, transitions, and well-being of adolescents and young adults.
131 opportunities · 72 traditional · 59 nontraditional
Traditional (72)
- Research grantsFoundation grantAmerican Foundation for Suicide PreventionA tiered ladder from pilot innovation grants through distinguished investigator awards, all focused on understanding and preventing suicide — including a dedicated postdoctoral track.$30k–$200k · Annual cycle · Oct, Nov
- Grants and research partnershipsFoundation grantThe Annie E. Casey FoundationChild welfare, juvenile justice, and family economic security, with a strong applied bent: the foundation funds work that changes what public systems do, and publishes the data behind it.Amount not published · By invitation
- Young Scholars ProgramEarly-career awardFoundation for Child DevelopmentEarly-career research on the development and wellbeing of children in immigrant and low-income families, with a standing emphasis on the early childhood workforce.$100k–$250k · Annual cycle
- Education Research GrantsFederal grantInstitute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of EducationThe main federal source for education research, structured around exploration, development, efficacy and replication. The natural home for school social work and school-based intervention work.$100k–$4M · Annual cycle · Aug
- Research Project Grant (R01)Federal grantNational Institutes of HealthThe NIH's core investigator-initiated research grant, and the mechanism most social work research careers are measured against. Supports a discrete, hypothesis-driven project over several years.up to $250k per year · Several times a year · Feb, Jun, Oct
- Research grants and the Graduate Research FellowshipFederal grantNational Institute of JusticeThe research arm of the Department of Justice: policing, courts, corrections, reentry, victimisation — plus a dedicated fellowship for doctoral students working on justice questions.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Mar, Apr, May
- Research and evaluation grantsFederal grantOffice of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and FamiliesFederal research on child care, child welfare, Head Start, TANF and family self-sufficiency, including the Child Care Research Scholars awards that fund dissertations with a state agency partner.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- Research grants on educationFoundation grantSpencer FoundationEducation research at several scales, from small grants through large field-initiated studies, with a standing willingness to fund qualitative and historical work that federal panels find hard to score.$50k–$500k · Several times a year
- Research Grants on Reducing Inequality and on Improving the Use of Research EvidenceFoundation grantWilliam T. Grant FoundationTwo standing programmes: studies that build knowledge on reducing inequality in youth outcomes, and studies of how research evidence actually gets used by the systems that serve young people.$100k–$1M · Several times a year · Jan, May, Aug
- William T. Grant Scholars ProgramEarly-career awardWilliam T. Grant FoundationA five-year award for early-career researchers built around a deliberate professional stretch: the plan must take you somewhere methodologically or substantively you cannot currently go.$350k · Annual cycle · Jul
- U.S. Department of Justice FY 2026 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS)Training & capacityBureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice (with COPS Office, OJJDP and OVC)A single application covering eight DOJ purpose areas for tribes. Purpose Area 2 (BJA/COPS/OJJDP/OVC) funds justice-system strategic planning with a comprehensive needs assessment and data gathering; other areas fund tribal youth justice, healing to wellness courts, and children's justice act partnerships.$100k–$900k · Annual cycle · Aug, Sep, Oct
- Addressing Health Outcomes for Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and/or Rare Diseases (RD) PCORI Funding Announcement — Cycle 3 2026Foundation grantPatient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)Funds patient-centered comparative effectiveness research on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities or rare diseases. Emphasis areas include access to person-centered care and health-system approaches to care transitions, including the pediatric-to-adult transition.up to $12M · Several times a year · Jan, May, Sep
- Transformation of Mental Health CareFoundation grantKlingenstein Third Generation FoundationUp to two awards of $200,000 over two years to test novel mental health care delivery or prevention models for children and adolescents, including adaptations for non-traditional settings and digital approaches. Implementation and service outcomes must be measured.$200k · Annual cycle · Aug, Nov
- NICHD Small Research Grant Program (R03 Clinical Trial Required)Pilot / seed fundingNational Institutes of Health — Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)NICHD-only small grant for discrete two-year projects that involve a clinical trial: pilot and feasibility trials, secondary analysis of trial data, and methodology development within the NICHD mission on child health, families, adolescence, pregnancy and disability.up to $50k per year · Several times a year · Feb, Jun, Oct
- Institutional Challenge GrantFoundation grantWilliam T. Grant FoundationFunds university-based research institutes, schools or centers to build a sustained research-practice partnership with a public agency or nonprofit, including child welfare agencies, on reducing inequality in outcomes for youth ages 5-25. Covers joint planning, a mid-career fellowship, partnership research and institutional change.$650k · Annual cycle · May, Sep
- Institutional Challenge GrantTraining & capacityWilliam T. Grant FoundationFunds a university research institute, school or center to build a long-term research-practice partnership with a public agency or nonprofit serving youth, including salary for mid-career fellows who lead the partnership research.$650k · Annual cycle · Sep
- Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation FellowshipFellowshipKlingenstein Third Generation FoundationTwo-year, $100,000 fellowship for postdoctoral or junior-faculty researchers studying the causes, prevention and treatment of ADHD or depression in children and adolescents, with emphasis on low-income and under-resourced communities.$100k · Annual cycle · Aug, Nov
- Research-Practice Partnerships: Collaborative Research for Educational ChangeFoundation grantSpencer FoundationFunds established researcher-practitioner partnerships doing collaborative education research with districts, agencies, or community organisations, with a stated priority on educational inequality.up to $400k · Annual cycle · Jul, Oct
- NIA Expanding Research in AD/ADRD (ERA) Summer Research Education Program (R25 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)Training & capacityNational Institute on Aging (NIA), NIHFunds institutions to run 8-14 week summer research experiences in Alzheimer's and related dementias research for high school students, undergraduates or science teachers, with the aim of widening the AD/ADRD research workforce.up to $200k per year · Annual cycle · May
- Prevention and Intervention Approaches for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)Pilot / seed fundingNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), NIHPlanning grant for pilot or feasibility work on preventing prenatal alcohol exposure and on interventions for people living with FASD across the lifespan. Pilot data are not required to apply.up to $450k · Several times a year · Feb, Jun, Oct
- NAEd/Spencer Dissertation FellowshipDissertation awardNational Academy of EducationSupports 35 doctoral candidates a year whose dissertation research focuses primarily on education, with funding plus two retreats and a senior-scholar mentor.$30k · Annual cycle · Oct
- NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral FellowshipEarly-career awardNational Academy of EducationNon-residential fellowship for early-career education researchers, providing a year of salary support plus mentorship from a senior scholar and three professional development retreats. About 20 fellows a year.$80k · Annual cycle · Oct
- FY 2026 Youth Homelessness NOFO (YHDP and YHSI Grants)Federal grantU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and DevelopmentFunds new Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program communities and Youth Homelessness System Improvement grants. Selected communities must assess youth needs, build a coordinated community plan, and may test new approaches.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Aug
- Accelerating Solutions to Improve Access and Quality of Empirically-Supported Practices for Youth Mental Health (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)Federal grantNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of HealthResearch on barriers to youth mental health care for people from birth to age 25, covering intervention optimisation, workforce development, system integration and service delivery strategies.Amount not published · Several times a year · Feb, Jun, Oct
- Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences — 84.305BTraining & capacityInstitute of Education Sciences (IES), National Center for Education Research (NCER), U.S. Department of EducationFunds programmes that prepare people to conduct rigorous education research. For FY 2027 two topics are competed: Early Career Development and Mentoring, and Methods Training for Education Research.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Aug, Sep, Oct
- Criminal Justice and Youth Justice grants (General Support, Program/Project Support, Special Opportunities)Foundation grantPublic Welfare FoundationGrants for structural criminal and youth justice reform, community-centred approaches to reducing harm and violence, leadership by people with lived system experience, and narrative and transparency work. General operating and project support, including research and evaluation components of reform work.$120k–$400k · Periodic calls · Sep, Oct, Nov
- AERA-NSF Research GrantsFoundation grantAmerican Educational Research AssociationNSF-supported AERA grants for rigorous quantitative studies of education policy and practice that analyze large-scale federal, international, or state longitudinal administrative datasets. Relevant to social work researchers studying schooling, youth outcomes, and education-linked inequality using NCES, NSF, or SLDS data. Institutions may not charge indirect costs, and grantees may not hold concurrent funding for the same project.$25k–$35k · Annual cycle · May
- Tourette Association of America Young Investigator AwardEarly-career awardTourette Association of AmericaA career-development award of up to $75,000 a year for two years for researchers moving into Tourette syndrome and tic disorders. Applications must pair an independent research project with an explicit career development component. TAA states the award supports biological understanding, clinical research aimed at improving patient care, and the development and testing of new therapies; the Association has historically seeded a behavioural sciences consortium alongside its genetics, neuroimaging and DBS consortia, so behavioural and psychosocial work has a place, though the emphasis on this pagup to $150k · Annual cycle · Nov
- SRA International Young Scholars Program (IYSP)Training & capacitySociety for Research on AdolescenceA mentored program bringing adolescence researchers based in low- and middle-income countries to the SRA biennial meeting, pairing them with senior mentors. Provides complimentary registration plus a travel stipend, building international research capacity and networks. Relevant to global social work researchers studying youth development outside high-income settings.$1k stipend · Periodic calls
- William T. Grant Scholars ProgramEarly-career awardWilliam T. Grant FoundationFive-year career development award funding a research and mentoring plan that expands an early-career researcher's expertise into new disciplines or methods. Two focus areas: reducing inequality in youth outcomes (ages 5-25), and improving the use of research evidence by decision-makers.$425k · Annual cycle
- AERA-NSF Dissertation GrantsDissertation awardAmerican Educational Research AssociationSupports advanced doctoral students at the dissertation stage whose research analyzes large-scale federal, federally supported, international, or state longitudinal administrative data on education. Award covers data analysis and writing, plus travel and lodging for required AERA conference participation. Open to students in education and related social science fields, including those studying youth, families, and schooling.$28k · Annual cycle · May
- SRCD SOGIE Caucus Dissertation Funding AwardDissertation awardSociety for Research in Child DevelopmentA dissertation funding award from SRCD's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Caucus for doctoral research on the development, health, and well-being of SOGIE populations, communities, and families. Recipients present their work at SOGIE caucus meetings and acknowledge the award in resulting publications. Directly relevant to social work doctoral students studying LGBTQ+ youth and families.$1k · Annual cycle · Dec
- NIJ Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) ProgramDissertation awardNational Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of JusticeGrants to accredited academic institutions supporting doctoral students whose dissertation research addresses crime prevention, victimization, victim services, or the fair administration of criminal and juvenile justice. Open to students from any discipline.up to $180k per year · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
- Community Grants ProgramFoundation grantThe Denver FoundationResponsive grantmaking of roughly $5 million a year across two cycles to charitable organizations in the seven-county Metro Denver region, in economic opportunity, environment and climate, housing, and youth well-being (including youth mental health and K-12 school funding reform).$20k–$50k · Several times a year · Jan, Mar, Jun, Aug
- Research Grants on Reducing InequalityFoundation grantWilliam T. Grant FoundationSupports descriptive and intervention studies of programs, policies or practices that reduce inequality in academic, social, behavioral or economic outcomes for US youth ages 5-25 — a frame that covers child welfare and foster care system research.$25k–$600k · Several times a year
- Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)Federal grantSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Funds implementation of the SBIRT public health model for children, adolescents and adults in primary care, community health settings and schools, focused on underage drinking, opioid use and other substance use. Requires client-level SPARS reporting.up to $995k per year · Periodic calls · Jul
- Grawemeyer Award in PsychologyPrize or challengeUniversity of Louisville (Grawemeyer Awards)One of five annual Grawemeyer Awards, given for an outstanding idea in psychology; a companion award in Education runs on the same cycle. Both are relevant to behavioural-health and child-development scholarship.$100k · Annual cycle · Dec, Apr
- Tribal Behavioral Health: Suicide Prevention (TBH-SP)Federal grantSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Funds community-wide suicide prevention for American Indian and Alaska Native youth and young adults through age 24, incorporating Indigenous knowledge and healing methods. Requires quarterly reporting on outreach, screening and linkage.up to $350k per year · Periodic calls · Jul
- Small Grants Program for Early Career ScholarsEarly-career awardSociety for Research in Child Development (SRCD)Non-renewable grants of up to $7,500 for early career scholars conducting child development research. Covers equipment, software, participant incentives and data-collection travel; salary, conference travel and indirect costs are not allowed.up to $8k · Annual cycle · Jan
- Victoria S. Levin Award for Early Career Success in Young Children's Mental Health ResearchEarly-career awardSociety for Research in Child Development (SRCD)Up to $25,000 to buy an early career researcher release time to write and submit a major NIH application on early childhood mental health, plus travel to NIH meetings and a pre-review of the application by a senior scientist.up to $25k · Annual cycle · Jan
- SECC Dissertation Research Funding AwardsDissertation awardSociety for Research in Child Development (SRCD) — Student and Early Career CouncilAwards of up to $2,000 for doctoral students' dissertation research on populations under age 18. Funds participant incentives, standardized measures, equipment, consultant fees and methodological training.up to $2k · Annual cycle · May
- Behavioral Health and Community Safety Partnerships (BH-CSP)Federal grantSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Supports communities in reducing the behavioral health impacts of crime, violence and disorder and improving outcomes for affected youth and families. Formerly known as ReCAST. Requires quarterly indicator reporting through SPARS.up to $750k per year · Periodic calls · Jul
- Melville Charitable Trust grantmakingFoundation grantMelville Charitable TrustA foundation devoted entirely to ending homelessness, funding systems and policy change, narrative change, and work on the racial wealth gap. Grantees include national policy, fair housing and research-and-advocacy intermediaries.$50k–$1.6M · By invitation
- National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative — Category II Treatment and Service Adaptation (TSA) CentersFederal grantSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Funds centres that provide national expertise on specific childhood trauma types, populations or service systems, and that adapt, refine and support implementation of evidence-based trauma treatments. Includes a SAMHSA-directed evaluation.up to $600k per year · Periodic calls · Jul
- Small Research Grants on EducationFoundation grantSpencer FoundationField-initiated grants for education research projects broadly conceived, running one to five years. A common entry point for school-based studies by doctorally trained researchers.up to $50k · Several times a year
- Community Issues GrantsFoundation grantHorizons FoundationGeneral operating support for grassroots LGBTQ organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area across youth, advocacy and civil rights, arts and culture, community building and leadership, and health and human services.up to $20k · Annual cycle
- Developmental Sciences (DS)Federal grantU.S. National Science Foundation, Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic SciencesSupports research on the cognitive, linguistic, social, cultural and biological processes involved in human development across the life span — relevant to child, adolescent and family research.$100k–$200k per year · Varies by programme
- US Programs GrantsFoundation grantIslamic Relief USAGrants to small US nonprofits delivering food security, healthcare, livelihood and community development services. The community development category explicitly names domestic violence intervention, at-risk youth programmes, special-needs inclusivity, senior programming and nonprofit capacity building — a viable route for a community agency partnered with a social work researcher to fund service delivery and the capacity to evaluate it.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for ProfessionalsTraining & capacityHealth Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Health WorkforceFunds accredited graduate programmes, including master's and doctoral social work programmes, to establish or expand paid field placements and internships in behavioural health, with emphasis on children, adolescents and transitional-age youth, trauma-informed care, SUD treatment, interprofessional team-based care and clinical supervisor development.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Jan
- Health Fund Grant Programs (Healthy Aging, Healthy Kids, Behavioral Health, Capacity Building)Foundation grantMichigan Health Endowment FundThe Michigan Health Endowment Fund is a statewide fund created under Michigan law from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan restructuring, making grants to improve health and wellness across the state with a particular remit for children and seniors. Its 2026 grantmaking runs four programmes: Healthy Aging, Healthy Kids, Behavioral Health and Capacity Building. The Fund describes working with grantees to develop ideas and evaluate impact, so evaluation partnerships are within its normal way of working, and behavioural health is being folded into the Healthy Aging and Healthy Kids programmes Amount not published · Annual cycle
- Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program (OIFSP)Training & capacityHealth Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Health WorkforceFunds training programmes that expand the knowledge and expertise of behavioural health paraprofessionals, including peer support specialists and social services aides, who work on interprofessional teams serving families affected by opioid and other substance use disorder, with a focus on children and adolescents who have experienced trauma.Amount not published · Periodic calls · May
- Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for ParaprofessionalsTraining & capacityHealth Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Health WorkforceFunds community-based experiential training, field placements and internships for students becoming mental health workers, peer support specialists and other behavioural health paraprofessionals, with a focus on children and transitional-age youth who have experienced trauma. Optional second tier supports registered apprenticeships.Amount not published · Periodic calls · Jul
- Research for Future Skills, Education and Working LifeFoundation grantResearch Council of Norway (Forskningsrådet)Norway's national research council runs this call off its welfare-and-education portfolio plan, and the four themes — education and working life in transition, competence and skills development, learning and inclusion in education, and inclusive and well-functioning working life — read as a social work and social policy agenda. Grants are substantial and long: three to six years of funding for a full project team. Relevant for school social work, transitions out of care and into employment, labour-market inclusion of disabled and migrant populations, and workforce studies of the welfare servicAmount not published · Annual cycle · May
- Resilient Children and Families Request for ProposalsFoundation grantCambia Health FoundationAn RFP from the corporate foundation of Cambia Health Solutions supporting school-based health and wellness services, with explicit emphasis on centering student and parent or caregiver voice and leadership. School social work and youth behavioral health researchers working with districts in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West are squarely in scope.Amount not published · Periodic calls · Aug
- Strategic Focus Area GrantsFoundation grantBlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina FoundationStatewide grantmaking on three strategic focus areas: access to care, health through food, and youth mental health, connectedness and resilience. The Foundation states it values initiatives reflecting the voices, perspectives and lived experiences of North Carolinians facing barriers to good health, which opens room for community-based participatory work and evaluation partnerships.Amount not published · By invitation
- Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program evaluation and rigorous impact evaluation grantsFederal grantHHS Office of Population Affairs (OASH)OPA's national TPP program funds diverse organizations to prevent teen pregnancy and, alongside implementation grants, funds the development and evaluation of new approaches. Two distinct evaluation mechanisms ran in FY2026: rigorous impact evaluation of prevention programs (up to five-year projects) and shorter evaluation grants, both open to research organizations partnering with implementers.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Jul, Aug
- Humana Foundation grants (Connected Healthy Lives; Research)Foundation grantThe Humana FoundationCorporate foundation grantmaking on health equity and access, focused on seniors, veterans and school-aged children. The Connected Healthy Lives cycle takes open proposals; separate Research and Health Equity Innovation funds are invitation-only.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb, Mar
- Special Education Research Grants — 84.324AFederal grantInstitute of Education Sciences (IES), National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER), U.S. Department of EducationNCSER's main research grant programme, covering topics including autism spectrum disorders; early intervention and early learning; families of children with disabilities; social, emotional and behavioural competence; systems, policy and finance; and transition to postsecondary life.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Dec, Jan, Feb
- Adoption Opportunities Discretionary GrantsFederal grantHHS Administration for Children and Families, Children's BureauDiscretionary funds for projects removing barriers to adoption for children in foster care, including post-adoption services, kinship and pre-adoptive placement support, recruitment of families for older and minority children, and research on adoption outcomes.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- Education Research Grants — 84.305AFederal grantInstitute of Education Sciences (IES), National Center for Education Research (NCER), U.S. Department of EducationNCER's main research grant programme. Topic areas include early learning programmes and policies; social, emotional and behavioural context; English learners; postsecondary and adult education; improving education systems; and literacy.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Dec, Jan, Feb
- Research Grants for Preventing Interpersonal Violence and Suicide Among Youth and Young Adults (R01), CDC-RFA-CE-26-020Federal grantCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (Division of Violence Prevention)CDC Injury Center investigator-initiated R01 research grants to study prevention of interpersonal violence and suicide among youth and young adults. Recurring roughly annually under the CE-xx-020/021/030 numbering.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Jun, Jul, Dec
- Grants to Support New Investigators in Conducting Research Related to Preventing Interpersonal Violence Impacting Children and Youth (K01), CDC-RFA-CE-26-021Early-career awardCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and ControlCDC Injury Center mentored career development (K01) award for new investigators researching prevention of interpersonal violence affecting children and youth. Recurs most years under a new CE number.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Jun, Dec
- National Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention (Youth Violence Prevention Centers, YVPC)Training & capacityCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Violence PreventionCenter awards to academic institutions partnering with high-violence communities to build surveillance, strengthen community capacity and rigorously evaluate community-level youth violence prevention strategies. Five centers hold the 2021-2026 awards.Amount not published · Periodic calls · Apr
- Essentials for Childhood: Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences through Data to ActionFederal grantCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Violence PreventionFunds 12 recipients to build adverse and positive childhood experience data infrastructure and to implement, sustain and evaluate population-level ACEs prevention strategies. Launched 2023.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- Child Welfare Grantmaking (Mobilize, Reimagine, Influence, Support)Foundation grantRedlich Horwitz FoundationNew York State child welfare funding across four categories, covering family court advocacy, keeping families together and youth success. Evaluation is built into awards: the foundation and grantee jointly develop evaluation procedures, objectives and metrics after award.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- Michigan Health Endowment Fund grantmaking (Healthy Aging, Healthy Kids, Behavioral Health, Capacity Building)Foundation grantMichigan Health Endowment FundPeriodic RFPs across four 2026 programme areas supporting innovative, evidence-based work to improve the health and wellness of Michigan residents, including behavioral health and healthy aging.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship ProgramFellowshipJacobs FoundationThree-year fellowship for early- and mid-career researchers working on the learning and development of children and youth, with funds paid to the fellow's institution and usable for salary, staff, equipment or travel.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Feb
- SRCD U.S. Policy Fellowship ProgramFederal fellowshipSociety for Research in Child Development (SRCD)Places postdoctoral child development researchers in U.S. state agencies or Congress for one to two years of full-time work on child and family policy design, implementation, program evaluation and analysis.Amount not published · Annual cycle
- Klaus J. Jacobs Research PrizePrize or challengeJacobs FoundationAn annual prize honouring a researcher whose work is key to progress in child and youth learning, development and living conditions. Open to any scholarly discipline, including social work and social policy research.Amount not published · Annual cycle
- Grantmaking (Housing, Early Childhood, Financial Stability, Emergency Response)Foundation grantSilicon Valley Community FoundationOne of the largest US community foundations by assets, making grants in housing policy, early childhood care and education, financial stability, and emergency response across the Silicon Valley region.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- Juvenile Drug Treatment Court ProgramFederal grantOffice of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U.S. Department of JusticeSupports states, courts, local governments and tribes to plan and implement new, or enhance existing, juvenile drug treatment courts that improve outcomes for youth with substance use or co-occurring mental health disorders.up to $1M · Annual cycle · Oct, Nov
- Navigator Emergency Department Diversion Models for Non-Urgent Mental Health Concerns (R01) — PAR-25-289Federal grantNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIHSupports research testing the effectiveness, implementation and optimisation of patient navigation models that divert youth with non-urgent mental health problems away from emergency departments. A companion R34 (PAR-25-288) funds pilot tests.Amount not published · Several times a year · Feb, Jun, Oct
Nontraditional (59)
- Restricted data access, summer program and data fellowshipsIn-kind resourceInter-university Consortium for Political and Social ResearchIn-kind rather than cash: access to restricted administrative and survey data, and methods training that would otherwise be a line item. For a secondary-data dissertation this substitutes for a grant.Not a cash award · Rolling / open · Jun, Jul, Aug
- Grants to prevent and end homelessnessFoundation grantMelville Charitable TrustThe largest US foundation devoted solely to homelessness, funding housing solutions, systems change, and the research and narrative work that supports them.$50k–$500k · By invitation
- Grantmaking for gender justice by and for young peopleParticipatory grantmakingThird Wave FundActivist-led funding for gender justice organising by young people of colour, including rapid-response money that moves in weeks rather than the eighteen months a federal grant takes.$5k–$50k · Rolling / open
- Giving Project GrantsParticipatory grantmakingHeadwaters Foundation for JusticeUnrestricted general operating support decided entirely by a volunteer Giving Project cohort that also raises the money through one-on-one community conversations. Grants go to BIPOC-led Minnesota groups that use community organizing to address root causes of injustice; the 2026-27 cycle is themed on youth organizing (ages 0-24). General operating dollars can underwrite participatory evaluation, documentation and research partnerships when the grantee chooses to use them that way.$50k · Annual cycle · Jul, Aug
- Disability Frontlines FundParticipatory grantmakingThird Wave FundMulti-year unrestricted grants to disability justice work, awarded through what the fund describes as a participatory grantmaking process. Funds organizations, fiscally sponsored projects and individuals with projects.$10k–$50k per year · Annual cycle · Jul, Aug
- Youth Fund for Social ChangeParticipatory grantmakingCrossroads FundGrants of $5,000-$15,000 to youth-led social change projects in the Chicago region, decided by a grantmaking committee that includes youth organizers and young people who conduct the site visits.$5k–$15k · Annual cycle · Aug, Sep
- Grow GrantsParticipatory grantmakingNew England Grassroots Environment FundGrants of $1,000-$4,000 to small volunteer-led New England groups deepening local environmental and climate work or expanding who participates in it. No tax status or fiscal sponsor is required, only a bank account in the group's name.$1k–$4k · Several times a year · Mar, Sep
- Youth Advisory Council Grants — Northeast MichiganParticipatory grantmakingCommunity Foundation for Northeast MichiganStudent members of county Youth Advisory Councils allocate grants of up to $2,500 by consensus, with no staff vote, to youth-serving programs in four northeast Michigan counties.up to $3k · Several times a year · Jan, Oct
- Youth Service Capacity-Building GrantsTraining & capacityWilliam T. Grant FoundationStrengthens the organisational infrastructure of small New York City youth-serving nonprofits, including evaluation systems, staff training, board development and strategic planning.$60k · Annual cycle · Sep
- Youth Participatory Grantmaking ProgramParticipatory grantmakingCarlson Family FoundationA cohort of 4-8 young people aged 13-24 is trained in philanthropy, then individually scores applications and decides by group discussion which Twin Cities youth-serving nonprofits receive microgrants, with staff facilitating rather than directing.up to $5k · Annual cycle · Apr
- CHPRD Community Grant ProgramsEvaluation contractNew Jersey Department of State, Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and DevelopmentA state office dedicated to Hispanic policy and research posts an annual slate of competitive awards to community agencies serving New Jersey's Latino communities, solicited and submitted through the state's SAGE system.$50k–$75k · Annual cycle · Jan, Mar
- The David PrizePrize or challengeThe David Prize (Walentas Family Foundation)An unrestricted prize to individual New Yorkers with an ambitious plan to improve New York City, across fields including homelessness, youth development, workforce development, immigrant rights and civic engagement.$200k · Annual cycle · Sep, Oct, Nov
- DrivenData Open CompetitionsPrize or challengeDrivenData (competitions sponsored by mission-driven organisations and agencies)A standing venue where social-sector sponsors post machine learning and data science challenges with cash purses. Entrants compete on a held-out benchmark; there is no proposal, budget or institutional paperwork.$20k–$50k · Rolling / open
- With Youth For Youth (WYFY) — Western New YorkParticipatory grantmakingCommunity Foundation for Greater BuffaloA 24-member youth advisory board aged 13-17 directly awards over $2 million in grants of $25,000-$150,000 to out-of-school-time and youth sports programs across nine Western New York counties.$25k–$150k · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb
- Envision Equity GrantsPilot / seed fundingNEA FoundationSmall practitioner-led grants for school staff to design and try equity and anti-racism projects with students over 12 months. Specialized instructional support personnel, which includes school social workers, are explicitly eligible.up to $5k · Annual cycle · Sep
- Youth Leadership GrantsParticipatory grantmakingCommunity Foundation for Southeast MichiganTwice-yearly grants of $2,500-$20,000 for youth-led projects in seven southeast Michigan counties, reviewed and recommended by a Youth Advisory Committee of young people.$3k–$20k · Several times a year
- Youth Climate Justice Fund — Annual Open CallParticipatory grantmakingYouth Climate Justice FundFlexible grants of up to $40,000 to youth-led climate justice and socio-environmental groups worldwide, with regional youth committees reviewing and deciding awards.up to $40k · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb, Mar
- Pontiac Funders Collaborative GrantsFoundation grantCommunity Foundation for Southeast MichiganA place-based funder collaborative for Pontiac in the Detroit metro area, focused on economic stability for youth and families, thriving neighborhoods, and community resilience. Concept papers are reviewed by three separate bodies — a Funder Advisory Committee, a Community Advisory Committee, and a City-County Advisory Committee — so residents and local government sit inside the decision process alongside funders. Awarded projects have included data mapping and cash-assistance implementation, both of which carry evaluation and research partnership potential.Amount not published · By invitation
- Community-Reviewed Grant Programs (Seed Fund, Community Resilience Fund, Youth Fund for Social Change)Participatory grantmakingCrossroads FundA Chicago-area public foundation that funds small, community-based groups working for racial, social and economic justice through several funds — a Seed Fund for emerging initiatives, a Community Resilience Fund, and a Youth Fund for Social Change — plus pooled collaboratives including the Chicago Racial Justice Pooled Fund. The very small budget ceiling makes this a route for grassroots partners of social work researchers rather than institutions, supporting organizing, community documentation and locally driven evaluation.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- Boston Children's Hospital Collaboration for Community HealthParticipatory grantmakingBoston Children's HospitalA multi-year community investment stream tied to the Massachusetts Determination of Need / Community Health Initiative, funding partner-led work on mental and behavioral health workforce, youth engagement, food access and housing, with published evaluation reports on each area.Amount not published · By invitation
- Yidan Prize (Education Research and Education Development)Prize or challengeYidan Prize FoundationTwo annual prizes — one for Education Research, recognising researchers whose work strengthens teaching and learning, and one for Education Development, recognising leaders advancing practice through innovative interventions. Each laureate receives a gold medal, a cash prize of HK$15 million (shared equally for teams) and a project fund of HK$15 million. The project-fund half is the reason this belongs in a research funding database: it is money to be spent extending the winning work, so it functions as a large unsolicited research and implementation grant rather than a purely honorific award.Amount not published · Annual cycle
- External Research Partner RosterEvaluation contractColorado Evaluation and Action LabColorado's state-facing evaluation lab keeps a standing pool of outside researchers it draws on for paid project work, rather than running open grant competitions. You join by questionnaire and are contacted when a fitting project appears.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- The Way Home CoC Funding OpportunitiesEvaluation contractCoalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County (CoC lead agency)The Houston/Harris County CoC lead agency's funding page, carrying local HUD competitions (CoC NOFO, YHDP, CoC Builds), its own intervention funding, and regional HOPWA and HOME-ARP solicitations that rarely circulate outside the local system.Amount not published · Several times a year
- KCRHA Funding OpportunitiesEvaluation contractKing County Regional Homelessness AuthorityThe Seattle/King County CoC lead agency's competitive funding portal, listing open and anticipated procurements — CoC NOFO local competitions, youth homelessness demonstration funds, and re-procurements of rapid re-housing and supportive housing.Amount not published · Several times a year
- Office of Innovation, Alignment, and Accountability (Evaluation and Research)In-kind resourceWashington State Department of Children, Youth, and FamiliesWashington's child welfare agency runs an internal evaluation and research office covering performance improvement, evaluation and research, and data and reporting. It is the agency door for researchers seeking a state partner, data, or an evaluation role.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- National Leadership Circle FellowshipTraining & capacityFoster AmericaA yearlong fellowship for people with lived experience of the child welfare system who now hold professional roles at agencies, universities and advocacy organizations, supporting them to develop and pursue system-change strategies together.Not a cash award · Annual cycle
- Community Empowerment GrantmakingParticipatory grantmakingNotah Begay III (NB3) FoundationNational grantmaking from a Native-led foundation that also runs its own evaluation and research arm, funding Native-led work on physical activity, nutrition, youth leadership, and cultural connection for Native children's health.Amount not published · By invitation
- Add Health Restricted-Use Data ContractsIn-kind resourceCarolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillContractual access to the restricted-use files of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, covering four decades of one cohort's development, available either through a secure research workspace or a home-institution contract.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- DESE Research Partnership and Confidential Data Access for External ResearchersIn-kind resourceMassachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Planning and ResearchMassachusetts DESE accepts external research proposals through a research portal and can share confidential student-level data under FERPA research exemptions in limited circumstances. This is data and partnership access, not cash.Not a cash award · Several times a year · Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
- CDE Funding Opportunities Portal (Available and Projected Funding)Evaluation contractCalifornia Department of EducationCalifornia's education agency runs a searchable funding portal listing programs currently accepting applications, programs projected to open, and past funding results. Useful for tracking state-level education solicitations before they circulate widely.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- NYSED Funding Opportunities and Competitive Service Contract ProcurementsEvaluation contractNew York State Education DepartmentNYSED's single portal for both grants it administers and competitive service contract procurements — RFPs, RFQs and other bidding opportunities. The procurement side is where evaluation and technical-assistance contracts appear.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- LISC Community Development Lending, Grants and Capacity BuildingTraining & capacityLocal Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)One of the largest U.S. community development intermediaries, combining flexible lending to under-resourced borrowers with grantmaking, capacity-building services, a public resource library and its own policy research and impact assessment through the LISC Institute for Community Power. The dual role matters here — LISC both capitalizes community organizations and publishes research on them, so it is a plausible funder, data partner and dissemination route for social work research on housing, safety and justice, health, and income and wealth building.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- Lawson Foundation grantsFoundation grantThe Lawson FoundationA Canadian family foundation funding the healthy development and wellbeing of children and youth across five impact areas: early child development, child and youth diabetes, youth climate and nature leadership, sector infrastructure, and the place-based Miggsie Fund. Grantmaking explicitly names research and advocacy, prevention and early intervention, and evaluation and knowledge sharing among its priorities, and funds can cover research, capacity enhancement and training rather than only service delivery. Grants are flexible in size and length by design.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- ISBE Funding Opportunities and Notices of Funding OpportunityEvaluation contractIllinois State Board of EducationIllinois's state education agency posts its Notices of Funding Opportunity here, ordered by proposal due date, under a merit-based review policy with a published appeals window. It also recruits volunteer grant evaluators.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- Youth Grants (Youth Advisory Council)Participatory grantmakingCapital Region Community FoundationA council of high school students runs its own triennial youth needs assessment, sets the funding priorities from it, and reviews applications from programs serving teens in Michigan's tri-county capital region.Not a cash award · Annual cycle
- Indigenous Tomorrows FundParticipatory grantmakingNative Americans in PhilanthropyA youth-led participatory fund where Native people aged 14-24 set priorities, review proposals, and make the final award decisions, funding food justice, community health, and food-culture-healing work in Indigenous communities.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Jul
- Disability Justice Funds (participatory grant-making)Participatory grantmakingADD InternationalFunds designed and awarded by panels of disabled women and young disabled people themselves, resourcing grassroots disabled people's organisations in Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Cambodia and Bangladesh.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- FRIDA Young Feminist Fund — Call for ApplicationsParticipatory grantmakingFRIDA | The Young Feminist FundA fund run by young feminists where the applicants themselves are the panel: every group that applies votes for the top proposals in its regional voting group, and non-voting groups are disqualified.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- Global Resilience FundRapid-response fundPurposeful (Global Resilience Fund)A pooled crisis-response fund that moves flexible money to girls and young feminists responding to acute and protracted emergencies, steered by local young advisors and an Activist Stewarding Circle.Amount not published · By invitation
- TEA Grant Opportunities (Requests for Application)Evaluation contractTexas Education AgencyTexas's state education agency posts discretionary and formula Requests for Application on a standing portal. Each RFA carries its own program guidelines, eligibility, due dates and application forms.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- DESE Grant Funding Opportunities (RFP postings)Evaluation contractMassachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationMassachusetts DESE posts current and previous grant RFPs in a listing searchable by fund code, program name, posting date, or deadline, with awards administered through the EdGrants and GEM$ systems.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- NJDOE Discretionary Grants (Notice of Grant Opportunity)Evaluation contractNew Jersey Department of EducationNew Jersey awards discretionary grants to selected agencies to address specific education initiatives, publishing guidelines as a Notice of Grant Opportunity that walks applicants through the competition.Amount not published · Annual cycle
- Business Women's Giving CircleParticipatory grantmakingCommunity Foundation for Northern VirginiaA donor giving circle at a community foundation whose members pool funds and choose grantees supporting business innovation, entrepreneurship and inventive opportunities for women and girls in Northern Virginia.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Sep
- Fondo Lunaria Convocatorias (open calls for young women and trans youth collectives)Participatory grantmakingFondo Lunaria Mujer (Colombia)A Colombian feminist fund whose recurring calls resource collective processes led by young women and trans people, including groups with no legal registration and groups far from Bogota.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- MEAF National GrantsPilot / seed fundingMitsubishi Electric America FoundationSupports innovative model projects of national scope that increase employment for youth with disabilities. Model-project framing means demonstration and replication work rather than routine direct service.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- NYS OASAS Funding Opportunities (RFPs and RFAs)Training & capacityNew York State Office of Addiction Services and SupportsRolling list of OASAS requests for proposals and applications covering substance use disorder services, gambling harm prevention, youth services, recovery residences and mobile medication units across New York State.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- Global Resilience FundParticipatory grantmakingPurposefulA pooled, participatory fund that moves money directly to girls' and young feminist-led groups responding to acute and protracted crises, covering safe housing, legal support, psychosocial care, and accompaniment and learning work.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- Klaus J. Jacobs Awards (Research Prize and Best Practice Prize)Prize or challengeJacobs FoundationTwo annual prizes endowed with a combined 1.2 million Swiss francs for exceptional achievement in research and in practice on child and youth development. Entry is by nomination.Amount not published · Annual cycle
- DonorsChoose Classroom Project RequestsCrowdfundingDonorsChoosePublic-school educators post itemised requests for classroom resources and donors fund them; when a request is fully funded DonorsChoose buys the items and ships them to the requester.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- NCES Restricted-Use Data LicenseIn-kind resourceNational Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of EducationA license under which IES loans confidential NCES survey data — far more detailed than the public-use files — to a qualified U.S. organization for a defined research project.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- TikTok Research API and Research ToolsIn-kind resourceTikTokAccess for qualified non-commercial researchers to public TikTok data on accounts, videos and engagement, usable for public-interest research on youth online experience, help-seeking, health information, harassment or community formation; requires a defined proposal and evidence of ethical review.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- Meta Content Library and API (researcher access)In-kind resourceMeta PlatformsFree researcher access to public content from Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp Channels, searchable across more than 100 data fields with up to 100,000 results per query, for scientific or public-interest research such as studies of online communities, help-seeking, misinformation or youth social media use.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- ERDC P20W Data RequestsIn-kind resourceWashington State Education Research and Data Center (ERDC), Office of Financial ManagementResearchers can request redacted aggregate, unredacted aggregate or individual-level data from Washington's P20W data system, spanning early learning, K-12, higher education and workforce, through ERDC's web-based data request form.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- NLSY Restricted Geocode Data AccessIn-kind resourceU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Longitudinal Surveys programRestricted state, county, MSA and college codes for the NLSY79, NLSY79 Young Adult and NLSY97 cohorts, used from approved locations on the physical premises of the researcher's institution, enabling place-based research on employment, family, poverty and youth transitions.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- NSCAW Restricted Release Data Licence (NSCAW I, II and III)In-kind resourceNational Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN), Duke University and Cornell University, a service of the Children's Bureau, U.S. Department of HealthA three-year licence to the restricted releases of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW I, II and III), the national longitudinal study of the well-being, service needs and service use of children in contact with child welfare.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- Research Training Institute on Cluster-Randomized TrialsTraining & capacityInstitute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Research, with Northwestern University (STEPP Center / IPR)An intensive in-person summer institute that trains education researchers to plan, design, conduct and interpret cluster-randomized trials; Northwestern pays lodging, instruction and course materials, with limited travel support in special cases.Not a cash award · Annual cycle · Apr
- Texas Education Research Center (P-20/Workforce Data Repository) AccessIn-kind resourceTexas Education Research Center, The University of Texas at AustinProposal-based researcher access to the Texas Education Research Center data repository at The University of Texas at Austin, with a full data inventory and a searchable data dictionary created by THECB.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- Community Partnerships in Research ProgramParticipatory grantmakingPolicyLab, Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaSeed funding for community-academic research partnerships focused on children and families in Greater Philadelphia, building capacity at CHOP for community-engaged research: Partnership Development Awards for new or emerging partnerships, and Joint Pilot Project Awards for established partnerships with a well-defined research project that may produce preliminary data for future grant applications.up to $40k · Varies by programme
- YouTube Researcher ProgramIn-kind resourceYouTube (Google)Scaled access to YouTube's public data corpus, with as much quota as the research requires, global data, and technical support from YouTube staff, for academic researchers with a clear research goal who intend to publish. The researcher applies to use the data in their own study.Not a cash award · Varies by programme
Other clusters
- Aging Services and Gerontology
- American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Global Indigenous Populations (Indigenous Cluster)
- Asian and Asian-Pacific Islander Focused-Research
- Black and African Diaspora Focused-Research
- Child Welfare
- Communities and Neighborhoods
- Crime and Criminal Justice
- Disability
- Gender
- Gender-Based Violence
- Health
- History
- Inequality, Poverty, and Social Welfare Policy
- International Social Work and Global Issues
- Immigrants and Refugees
- LatinX Focused-Research
- Mental Health
- Military Service Members, Veterans and Their Families
- Organizations and Management
- Race and Ethnicity
- Research Design and Measurement
- Research on Social Work Education
- School Social Work
- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
- Social Work Practice
- Substance Misuse and Addictive Behaviors
- Sustainable Development, Environmental and Climate Justice
- Work and Work-Life Policies and Programs