Research Development Office

Funding Landscape and New Limited Submission Opportunities for the Week of June 2, 2025

Please share this information with department heads and eligible faculty.

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Funding Landscape

Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) issues two funding opportunities to advance the fight against prostate cancer.

Clinical Consortium Award
This award is designed to create collaboration among leading investigators across multiple institutions. Its primary goal is to accelerate the clinical development of innovative therapeutic interventions, ultimately reducing the burden of prostate cancer.
Idea Development Award
This award supports groundbreaking research ideas that propose novel approaches to prostate cancer. Projects should aim to make significant contributions to one or more of the FY25 PCRP Overarching Challenges.

AHRQ is inviting applications for its Large Research Projects Program focused on preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs).

This program supports research that improves the detection, prevention, and reduction of HAIs occurrences. The announcement outlines areas where funding is available for Large HAI Research Projects.

Limited Submission Opportunities

Searle Scholars Program 2025-2026

Description: The Searle Scholars Program makes grants to selected universities and research centers to support the independent research of exceptional young faculty in the biomedical sciences and chemistry. Applicants for the 2026 competition (awards which will be activated on July 1, 2026) are expected to be pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences.

Eligibility: Assistant Professors
Limitation: one application per institution
Internal Submission Deadline: Thursday, July 31, 2025
Sponsor Application Deadline: Tuesday, September 30, 2025

NSF: EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement-Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program (RII-FEC)

Description: The RII-FEC program (formerly known as "EPSCoR Track-2 program") builds inter-jurisdictional collaborative teams of EPSCoR investigators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focus areas consistent with the current National Science Foundation Strategic Plan. Projects are investigator-driven and must include researchers from at least two EPSCoR eligible jurisdictions with complementary expertise and resources necessary to address challenges, which neither party could address as well or as rapidly independently.

Limitation: one application per institution
Internal Submission Deadline: Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Sponsor LOI Deadline: Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Sponsor Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Note: The internal submission deadline has been revised to October 7, 2025 from the previously advertised November 4, 2025 deadline.

Reminder: NSF: Research Traineeship Program (NRT)

Description: The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program seeks proposals that explore ways for graduate students in research-based master's and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas, through a comprehensive traineeship model that is innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs.

Limitation: two applications per institution
Internal Submission Deadline: Monday, July 14, 2025
Sponsor Application Deadline: Monday, September 8, 2025

About Limited Submissions

Funding Focus is a weekly email alerting faculty and staff researchers and scholars about limited submission funding opportunities available to the University of Iowa.

Please be aware that we make every effort to identify and post limited competitions. If you know about a funding opportunity with a limited submission requirement that is not listed, or if you are interested in applying for a limited submission grant but the internal deadline has passed, please email vpr-limsubs@uiowa.edu.