As the federal grant funding landscape undergoes changes, it’s more important than ever to stay proactive in seeking funding opportunities. Cal Poly Humboldt Sponsored Programs Foundation will be sharing a regular round-up of non-federal grants for those looking to diversify their funding sources. As a reminder, SPF offers funding search assistance! Please visit our website to explore some of our funding resources, or contact Research Development Support & Marketing Coordinator Cara Peters at cara.peters@humboldt.edu 

Amazon Research Awards: Amazon - Awards vary by research area, please visit the link for details. Applications accepted through May 6, 2026. The spring 2026 call for proposals includes the following research areas: 

•     AI for Information Security

•     Agentic AI

•     Amazon 2030

•     Amazon Security

•     Build on Trainium: Accelerating Post-Training

•     Build on Trainium: Kernels for ML Acceleration

•     Robotics 

Exemplary Pathways to STEM Graduate Education: Sloan Foundation - Awards up to $500,000. Letters of inquiry accepted through June 1, 2026. This program seeks to fund new and existing partnerships between STEM undergraduate and graduate programs across institutions that identify and remove systemic barriers to STEM master’s and doctoral degrees.

Racial Equity Research Grants: Spencer Foundation - Awards up to $75,000. Intent to apply due May 4, 2026. Supports education research projects that will contribute to understanding and disrupting racial inequality in education and work to reimagine generative possibilities to advance educational equity. This program is “field-initiated” in that proposal submissions are not required to focus on a particular research topic, discipline, design, or method.

Digitizing Hidden Collections, Amplifying Unheard Voices: Council on Library and Information Resources - Awards between $50,000 and $300,000. Applications are due May 4, 2026. Aims to fund projects that propose to digitize materials that deepen public understanding of the histories of people of color and other communities and populations whose work, experiences, and perspectives have yet to be sufficiently recognized in digital collections. 

Humanities in Place: Mellon Foundation - Award amount unspecified, average award amount is $600k. Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Humanities in Place grants fund place keepers, artists, institutions, and storytellers who shine a spotlight on historically overlooked sites, and the communities and stories that surround them. In doing so, they help broaden our shared understanding and open new paths to discover what unites us, what makes us unique, and what we can learn from one another. University-based applicants must have established community partners, work, or funding centered primarily on direct public/community programs and projects.

NOTE: If you are interested in applying or have any questions, please contact our Pre-Award Specialists Pia Gabriel at pg12@humboldt.edu, Kaz Wegmuller at kaz.wegmuller@humboldt.edu, or Jocelyne Takatsuno at jt366@humboldt.edu 

While exploring alternative funding is valuable, continued engagement with federal grants remains critical, consistent applications help demonstrate the demand for these programs and ensure their ongoing availability. We’re here to help you navigate these funding opportunities and keep research thriving at Cal Poly Humboldt.