International Academic Engagement maintains a list of opportunities for external funding for international activities for general reference.
Advancing Science, Serving Society International Office
International fellowships are available for efforts in sustainable development, sustainability science, international cooperation, women’s collaboration, and science diplomacy.
American Councils for International Education
American Councils for International Education believes in the fundamental role of education in fostering positive change for individuals, institutions and societies. The organization has focused its expertise on academic exchange, professional training, distance learning, curriculum and test development, delivery of technical assistance, research, evaluation, and institution building.
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)
Formed a century ago, ACLS is a nonprofit federation of 75 scholarly organizations. As the preeminent representative of American scholarship in the humanities and related social sciences, ACLS holds a core belief that knowledge is a public good. As such, ACLS strives to promote the circulation of humanistic knowledge throughout society. In addition to stewarding and representing its member organizations, ACLS employs its $140 million endowment and $35 million annual operating budget to support scholarship in the humanities and social sciences and to advocate for the centrality of the humanities in the modern world.
ASIANetwork, a consortium of over 170 North American colleges, strives to strengthen the role of Asian Studies within the framework of liberal arts education to help prepare succeeding generations of undergraduates for a world in which Asian societies play prominent roles in an ever more interdependent world. Since its inception in 1998, through the generous support of the Freeman Foundation, the Student-Faculty Fellows Program (SFF) has awarded 234 grants to 1135 fellows from 113 member institutions.
ACLS supports scholarship in the humanities and humanities-related social sciences.
In the pursuit of their mission and to support the demand for high-quality products and new impactful therapies, Baxter has a research and development group that continually seeks to work with universities and institutes around the world. These partnerships are an opportunity for researchers to collaborate in creating life changing therapies and products.
Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC)
The CAORC Multi-Country Fellowship Program supports advanced regional or transregional research in the humanities, social sciences, or allied natural sciences. Scholars must carry out research in two or more countries outside the U.S., at least one of which hosts a participating American overseas research center.
Council on Foreign Relations – International Affairs Fellowships
The Council on Foreign Relations Fellowship Program offers unique opportunities for mid- and senior-career professionals focusing on international relations. Selected fellows have the opportunity to broaden their perspective of foreign affairs either by pursuing research or working in a policy-oriented setting.
CRDF Global is an independent nonprofit organization offering grants and funding opportunities to enable scientists and engineers to address critical societal needs.
The Office of Science’s (SC) mission is to deliver scientific discoveries and major scientific tools to transform our understanding of nature and advance the energy, economic and national security of the United States. SC is the nation’s largest federal sponsor of basic research in the physical sciences and the lead federal agency supporting fundamental scientific research for our nation’s energy future. Over the decades, SC investments and accomplishments in basic research and enabling research capabilities have provided the foundations for new technologies, businesses, and industries, making significant contributions to our nation’s economy, national security, and quality of life.
We support research projects that produce rigorous, relevant, and impactful science, address global change, and actively involve citizen-scientist participants. We distribute requests for proposals (RFPs) annually. We evaluate proposals based on scientific merit, appropriateness of citizen-scientist activities, expected project outcomes and impacts, safety, and logistics.
Earthwatch funding is intended to be supplemental to other sources of funding. Annual budgets for projects with long-duration teams range between US $20,000–$80,000, with most of that covering volunteer and staff expenses while in the field. Final grants are provided on a per-capita basis based on the number of participants. Research projects are tenable for three years, subject to annual performance review, and may be eligible for renewal beyond that period. We pride ourselves on our capacity for long-term support of research projects, averaging between 7-8 years of support across the projects available for public recruitment.
Echoing Green Public Service Fellowships
Funding to conduct public service projects anywhere in the world. The support is available for up to two years.
Environmental Protection Agency
Research Grant Areas
- Air Research Grants
- Climate Change Research Grants
- Ecosystems Research Grants
- Health Research Grants
- Safer Chemicals Research Grants
- Sustainability Research Grants
- Water Research Grants
FIPSE International Programs Grants
FIPSE’s four international programs represent a first-of-a-kind collaboration among the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education and foreign government agencies to fund and coordinate federal education grant programs.
Fogarty International Center for Advanced Study in the Health Sciences
The Fogarty International Center is dedicated to advancing the mission of the National Institutes of Health by supporting and facilitating global health research conducted by U.S. and international investigators.
Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health
Funding for research in global health, biomedical and behavioral sciences.
Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program
This program provides grants to support overseas projects in training, research, and curriculum development in modern foreign languages and area studies for teachers, students, and faculty engaged in a common endeavor. Projects may include short-term seminars, curriculum development, group research or study, or advanced intensive language programs.
This is a non-profit library of foundations that provide international grants
Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation
Funding for research from any of the natural and social sciences and the humanities that promise to increase understanding of the causes, manifestations, and control of violence and aggression.
Higher Education for Development
Higher Education for Development (HED) works in close partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and operates with the advice and counsel of the six major presidential higher education associations to support the engagement of higher education in development issues worldwide. HED manages innovative partnerships that join U.S. colleges and universities with institutions of higher learning in developing nations. In this way, we support and facilitate the engagement of U.S. higher education in global development.
The Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad, also known as IDEAS (Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students), is designed to increase and diversify American student mobility in support of U.S. foreign policy goals. It is imperative that our next generation of leaders – American students of all backgrounds – engage internationally to foster mutual understanding and develop critical skills in support of U.S. national security and economic competitiveness. The program expands the institutional capacity of higher education institutions (HEIs) to Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students through IDEAS Grants, IDEAS Incubator Workshops, and capacity building initiatives for the wider U.S. study abroad community.
The IDEAS (Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students) grant competition is open to accredited U.S. institutions of higher education physically based in the United States or its territories with a broad range of capacity to administer study abroad programs, including institutions that currently have limited or no experience administering study abroad programs as well as those with established programs.
Institute of International Education (IIE)
Founded in 1919, the Institute of International Education® (IIE) is a private nonprofit leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. In collaboration with governments, foundations and other sponsors, IIE creates programs of study and training for students, educators, and professionals from all sectors.
International Research and Exchanges Abroad (IREX)
IREX is an international nonprofit organization providing thought leadership and innovative programs to promote positive lasting change globally. To help ensure quality education, independent media, and strong communities, IREX’s program activities focus on conflict resolution, technology for development, women, and youth. Research funding opportunities and short term travel grants are available throughout the world. Search by Project, Region, or Programming Area.
The Max Kade Foundation takes pride in participating and sponsoring various programs which encourage the exchange of academic ideas among universities and colleges both here in the United States and in German-speaking countries.
NSF Funding for International Collaborations
The National Science Foundation offers several funding opportunities that support international collaboration in NSF-supported STEM disciplines (incl. social sciences). Includes fellowships, travel grants, summer institutes, workshops, research and education projects.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
The National Science Foundation funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. It does this through grants, and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations throughout the United States. The Foundation accounts for about one-fourth of federal support to academic institutions for basic research.
NSF Office of International Science and Engineering
OISE is the NSF focal point for international science and engineering activities both inside and outside NSF. OISE promote an integrated, Foundation-wide international engagement strategy and manage internationally-focused programs that are innovative and catalytic. OISE focuses on international activities to promote innovation among the U.S. research community through access to international knowledge, infrastructure, and capabilities.
OISE’s focuses on three activities: (1) promoting the development of a globally competent U.S. workforce, (2) facilitating and supporting international partnerships and networks to leverage NSF and foreign resources, and (3) providing opportunities for U.S. leadership to shape the global science and engineering agenda.
Marie Curie Actions Research Fellowship Programme
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions support researchers at all stages of their careers, regardless of age and nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines are eligible for funding. The MSCA also support cooperation between industry and academia and innovative training to enhance employability and career development.
Partners of the Americas 100,000 Strong in the Americas
100,000 Strong in the Americas creates opportunities for students, educators and private sector investors to better connect and build partnerships throughout the Western Hemisphere through study abroad. The 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund is the public-private sector collaboration between the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassies, Partners of the Americas, NAFSA, corporations, and foundations working together to stimulate new higher education partnerships between the United States and the rest of the Western Hemisphere.
P.E.O. International promotes educational opportunities for women. The Sisterhood proudly sponsors no less than five international philanthropies, or projects, designed to assist women with their educational goals.
Through grantmaking, The Rockefeller Foundations works to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world. Use our database to explore active and past grants by commitment and grant amount within the past 5 years.
This database undergoes regularly scheduled updates—please refer to the Foundation’s 990-PF documents for the complete list of all individual grants.
The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The division, in conjunction with Rotarians, Rotary clubs, and Rotary districts, provides its assistance through scholarship, fellowship, and grant processes.
Sabbatical Homes provides an international resources for housing exchange for faculty going overseas on short-term projects. Just follow the guidelines outlined in UPP 1-18.
Social Science Research Council
Various funding opportunities for social science research in multiple countries.
The Stevens Initiative: Research in Virtual Exchange
The Stevens Initiative is an international effort to build global competence and career readiness skills for young people in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa by growing and enhancing the field of virtual exchange. Created in 2015 as a lasting tribute to Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, the Initiative is committed to helping to expand the virtual exchange field through three pillars of work: investing in promising programs, sharing knowledge and resources, and advocating for virtual exchange adoption. The Stevens Initiative has awarded 60 grants and, by summer 2022, will expand its reach to over 43,000 young people in 16 MENA countries and the Palestinian Territories, and in 45 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, one tribal community, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, D.C.
The Initiative helps lead the virtual exchange field in research and knowledge sharing, serving as a central place for collecting and sharing promising practices and other resources. The Initiative shares evaluation data and other information from its grantee programs through webinars, case studies, conference presentations, and other avenues. The Initiative also maintains an annotated bibliography and program design framework to establish common terms for describing program characteristics and conducts a survey of the field to track growth in the years ahead. With this call for proposals, the Initiative is beginning to support additional research projects to fill other gaps in knowledge.
More information about the Stevens Initiative can be found here: www.stevensinitiative.org
Title VIII Research Scholar Program
Support for policy-relevant research for 3-9 months in Central Asia, Russia, the South Caucasus, Ukraine, Southeast Europe and Moldova. Scholars in the social sciences and humanities are eligible.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
There are many different opportunities for funding at USAID. Be sure to review the latest business and grant opportunities and review our business forecast for Washington, DC and our Missions.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) provides leadership and funding for programs that advance agriculture-related sciences. We invest in and support initiatives that ensure the long-term viability of agriculture. NIFA applies an integrated approach to ensure that groundbreaking discoveries in agriculture-related sciences and technologies reach the people who can put them into practice.
Search engine for U.S. Department of State grants
Supports significant and innovative anthropological research into humanity’s biological and cultural origins, development, and variation.
Woodrow Wilson Center Fellowships in Humanities and Social Sciences
The Center awards approximately 20-25 residential fellowships annually to individuals with outstanding project proposals in a broad range of the social sciences and humanities on national and/or international issues. Topics and scholarship should relate to key public policy challenges or provide the historical and/or cultural framework to illuminate policy issues of contemporary importance.
The World Bank Group works in every major area of development. We provide a wide array of financial products and technical assistance, and we help countries share and apply innovative knowledge and solutions to the challenges they face. Since 1947, the World Bank has funded over 12,000 development projects, via traditional loans, interest-free credits, and grants.
Country Specific Resources:
Australia
International Visiting Research Fellowship
Provided by the University of Sydney in Australia. This program allows researchers from the US, and around the world, to spend a period of up to 12 weeks conducting collaborative research at the University of Sydney.
Austria
- Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research (OeAD)
Chile
National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT) | Major programs are open to foreigners and involve time spent in a Chilean regional public university. Each institution has its own particular lines of research available.
China and Taiwan
Provides support for specific research and projects, mostly in designated academic areas of the humanities and social sciences in China.
Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange
Research, conference, and publication grants for researchers focusing on the social, cultural, economic or political development of Taiwan.
Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD)
TFD’s international grants program is designed to assist organizations based outside of Taiwan to carry out projects to promote democracy and human rights. Funding is provided for conferences, advocacy projects, research, publications, and educational programs.
Taiwan Fellowship (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Funding for experts and scholars interested in research related to Taiwan, cross-Strait relations, mainland China, Asia-Pacific region, and Chinese studies as well as the “New South Bound Policy”.
The China Studies Institute (CSI) is a three week program held in China. CSI allows AASCU faculty members without prior experience in Chinese studies to learn from scholars, business leaders, and education administrators about Chinese civilization, history, language, business and education in Beijing, Xian and Shanghai.
European Union
European Commission’s Erasmus Mundus Scholarships
Scholarships are available for students to attend graduate courses as well as study/research in partner institutions in the European Union. There is also funding for academic researchers and faculty.
European Research Council Funding and Grants
Single Researcher (Starting, Consolidator, and Advanced), Synergy, and Proof of Concept Grants are available.
European Commission
Search by topic or go to the Participant Portal for detailed search options.
Funding for post-doc researchers and faculty to conduct research in one or more countries in the European Union.
Erasmus Plus Staff Mobility
Teaching periods: this activity allows HEI teaching staff or staff from enterprises to teach at a partner HEI abroad. Staff mobility for teaching can be in any subject area/academic discipline.
Training periods: this activity supports the professional development of HEI teaching and non-teaching staff as well as the development of involved institutions. It may take the form of training events abroad (excluding conferences) and job shadowing/observation periods/training at a partner HEI, or at another relevant organization abroad.
A period abroad can combine teaching and training activities.
In the grant allocation for mobility of staff between Erasmus Program countries, emphasis is on training periods for HEI teaching staff that allow them to develop pedagogical and curriculum design skills.
Applicants for mobility projects between Program and Partner countries should take into account the available budget for mobility with different regions of the world and the stated priorities. For further information see https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/programme-guide/part-b/three-key-actions/key-action-1/mobility-higher-education-students-staff_en
EURAXESS Researchers in Motion
Search more than 800 websites for various international funding opportunities from grants to fellowships presented by the European Commission. Opportunities are aimed at the EU, but include some options for non-EU citizens.
Germany
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
DAAD is the German national agency for the support of international academic cooperation. It promotes international academic relations and cooperation by offering “mobility programs” for students, faculty, and administrators in higher education. It also represents the German higher education system internationally, promotes Germany as an academic and research destination, and helps build collaborations between institutions globally.
Database for Ph.D. Positions and Research Opportunities in Germany
Kisswin.de | Funding Opportunities for Young Researchers
Humboldt Research Fellowship Program
The foundation promotes academic cooperation between scientists and scholars from Germany and abroad. The research fellowships and awards allow researchers to come to Germany to work on a project, they have chosen themselves, in cooperation with a German host and collaborative partner.
Grants to Support the Initiation of International Collaboration (funded by DFG: German Research Foundation)
Supports international collaboration by enabling eligible German and foreign researchers and academics to plan partner visits and/or joint workshops with their partners.
Dr. Richard M. Hunt Fellowship for the Study of German Politics, Society, and Culture
Supports American academics whose research contributes to the scholarly discourse on contemporary German society and the political, cultural, and social history of Germany.
India
Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF)
IUSSTF is an autonomous, not for profit, grant making organization focusing on collaborations in science, technology, engineering, and biomedical science. Research is not directly funded, but supplemental funds are available for early stage collaboration, ongoing programs already funded within India, students, and training/collaboration workshops.
American Institute of Indian Studies Senior Fellowships
Research for scholars who specialize in South Asia to pursue further research in India and to establish formal affiliation with an Indian institution. Awards are available for up to 4 months or for 6-9 months.
Italy
Bellagio Residency Program: Academic Writing
2-4 week writing residency for researchers in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and other academic disciplines. The Center has a strong interest in proposals that align with the Foundation’s work to expand opportunities and to strengthen resilience for poor or vulnerable people.
Japan
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
The JSPS provides support for available research opportunities on specifically identified initiatives, research fellowships, international collaborations, university research and education, and university-industry research cooperation. This support ranges from funding students to funding top world-level research centers.
Funds international, multidisciplinary research. The goal of the program is to promote collaboration between Japan and the United States.
The Japan-United States Friendship Commission
The Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission is the chief instrument of the United States Government for maintaining expertise on Japan throughout U.S. academic and professional institutions. Grants offered in four areas: Exchanges and Scholarship; Global Challenges; Arts and Culture; and Education and Public Affairs.
Mexico
The 2020 Mexico-United States Innovation Fund Contest
The 2020 Mexico-United States Innovation Fund Competition is designed to support dynamic partnerships between Mexican and United States higher education institutions to work in teams to provide new models of academic training programs for students in multiple academic areas.
The intent of the 2020 Mexico-U.S. Innovation Fund Competition is to award up to eleven (11) Innovation Fund Grants of up to $25,000 each to selected proposals developed by teams of higher education institutions in Mexico and in the United States, pending the proposal evaluation and selection process.
RFP 100K MX-US Flyer (English) | RFP 100K MX-US Flyer (Spanish)
Norway
Norwegian Center for International Cooperation in Education (SIU)
Opportunities exist for partnership collaborations between particular USF departments and their counterparts in Norwegian institutions.
South Africa
National Research Foundation (NRF)
As an independent government agency, the NRF promotes and supports research in all fields of knowledge. Funding is available for next generation researchers, emerging researchers, established researchers, and strategic investments.
Turkey
Sabbatical research grants and grants for the publication of scholarly books and journals in the field of Turkish Studies
The United Kingdom
British Embassy, Washington, D.C.
- Joint Funding Calls | Opportunities are provided by the British Embassy in Washington to strengthen existing partnerships in research, science, innovation, and travel between the United States and the United Kingdom.
- The Newton Fund | Aims to promote the economic development and social welfare of either the partner countries or, through working with the partner country, to address the well being of communities. It will do so through strengthening partner country science and innovation capacity and unlocking further funding to support this work. It is part of the UK’s official development assistance (ODA). All new funding opportunities are posted on their Twitter account when they are announced.
Research Councils in the UK
UK Research and Innovation is a new body which works in partnership with universities, research organizations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. Operating across the whole of the UK with a combined budget of more than £7 billion, UK Research and Innovation brings together the Arts and Humanities Research Council; Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; Economic and Social Research Council; Innovate UK; Medical Research Council; Natural Environment Research Council; Research England; and Science and Technology Facilities Council.
UK Research and Innovation’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) is a £1.5 billion fund announced by the UK Government to support cutting-edge research that addresses the challenges faced by developing countries.
There are 9 Research Councils:
ESRC’s New Investigator Grants
The call is open to high-quality candidates from anywhere in the world who have a maximum of four years’ postdoctoral experience and the support of an eligible UK research organization. Grants ranging from £100,000 to £300,000 full Economic Cost (fEC) can be awarded. Proposals are welcomed across the full disciplinary range of the social sciences and at the interface with the wider sciences, however the social sciences must represent at least 50 per cent of the research focus and effort. The call will operate alongside ESRC’s Research Grants (only open to UK universities/research institutes) open call and you can submit proposals at any time – there are no fixed closing dates. Please see more of ESRC’s funding opportunities on Twitter.
APS/British Academy Fellowship for Research in London
Grants by the American Philosophical Society (APS) that support the cost of research leading to publication in all areas of knowledge for a minimum of 1-2 months’ research in the archives and libraries of London.
APS/Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities Fellowship for Research in Edinburgh
In collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh, APS offers a visiting fellowship of between 2-4 months for research in Edinburgh in any aspect of the humanities and social sciences.