Two very different types of changes reshaped the research landscape this year. First came the planned reforms. Starting January 25, the NIH rolled out a streamlined peer review process, condensing five evaluation criteria into three core questions: Should this research be done? Can it be done well? And are the right people in place to do it? The goal was noble for it is meant to reduce bias, ease reviewer burden, and refocus attention on scientific impact rather than institutional prestige.

Researchers also adopted new application forms and updated fellowship processes designed to level the playing field for early-career scientists from diverse backgrounds. On paper, these administrative changes promised a fairer, more efficient system for discovering tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs.

But 2025 also delivered the unexpected. Throughout the year, the Trump administration froze or terminated over 5,000 NIH research grants that were already underway on everything from pediatric brain cancer to addiction recovery. While many were eventually restored, nearly $2 billion in medical research remains in limbo. Some researchers received four years of funding upfront rather than gradually, creating a short-term windfall that actually reduced the total number of available grants. Others faced proposed caps on infrastructure costs that threatened the very labs where discoveries happen.

For early-career scientists, the impact has been particularly devastating. Graduate students lost paid research positions. Postdocs postponed academic careers. One researcher described the current generation of young scientists as “the most demoralized early-career workforce” they’ve ever seen, not because of the science, but because funding that seemed secure vanished overnight.

Why should you care? Because medical research isn’t an abstract academic exercise. It is how we develop treatments for diseases that don’t yet have cures, understand emerging health threats, and improve quality of life for millions. When promising young researchers leave science because funding is too precarious, we all lose the discoveries they would have made.

The silver lining? Researchers are resilient. They’re finding alternative funding sources, advocating for stability, and continuing their work despite uncertainty. Universities are adapting to the new review framework, and some scientists report the simplified criteria actually help them focus on what matters most, which is the science itself.

As we move forward, the question isn’t just whether individual grants get funded. It’s whether we maintain a research ecosystem stable enough to attract brilliant minds and support the long-term projects that lead to genuine breakthroughs. The discoveries of 2035 will depend on the researchers we support or lose today.

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The erosion of informal relationships with federal agencies has fundamentally altered how universities assess risk. When routine questions go unanswered and faculty fear surveillance of their collaborations, innovation suffers as researchers retreat from proposals and international partnerships.

Faculty exhaustion has deepened beyond pandemic-era stress into permanent strain. At teaching-intensive institutions, even small seed grants require navigating weeks of bureaucratic obstacles. In the humanities, major NEH program cuts and shifting donor priorities toward immediate impact have left experienced scholars struggling to sustain long-term critical work.

Counter intuitively, the most stable research leaders practice restraint rather than bold transformation. By refusing to outpace federal guidance and clearly communicating realistic institutional capacity, they’ve maintained steadier operations. Many institutions have abandoned broad, small-scale bridge funding for targeted faculty cohorts receiving intensive support, while others invest in shared proposal development resources and grant-writing consultants. Yet leaders agree the critical factor isn’t funding, it is morale.

Research administrators increasingly spend time interpreting political signals and strategically reframing work. Some train faculty to avoid problematic keywords, while others align messaging with phrases like “Make America Healthy Again”. This strategic repositioning reflects a troubling reality: research is becoming a political act.

The shift toward industry partnerships to replace declining federal support raises fundamental questions about who determines research priorities and why. Leaders fear that political instability and funding volatility will force institutions to abandon long-term research strategies for short-term survival, undermining the patient cultivation necessary for transformative scholarship.

Despite these challenges, cautious optimism persists. Cross-institutional humanities collaborations are emerging, STEM fields are organizing around AI initiatives, and some leaders embrace moral clarity by honestly communicating what they cannot support. Many focus on strengthening internal collaboration rather than external competition.

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The Current State of Federal Grants

The recent changes have led to increased scrutiny of federal grants, potential termination of existing contracts, and a temporary freeze on new grants and contracts. This situation has understandably caused concern among grant recipients and applicants. However, it’s important to note that while challenges exist, federal funding has not disappeared entirely. Agencies are working to interpret and implement new guidance, and some funding streams are beginning to resume.

Diversifying Your Funding Portfolio

In these uncertain times, diversification is essential. Following are some alternative funding sources to consider:

1. Private Foundations: Many foundations offer grants for research and educational programs. Research organizations like the Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, or field-specific foundations relevant to your work.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Businesses often have corporate social responsibility programs that include funding for research and education. Look for companies aligned with your field of study.
3. Crowdfunding: Platforms like Experiment.com or GoFundMe can be effective for smaller, targeted projects.
4. State and Local Grants: Don’t overlook funding opportunities from your state or local government agencies.
5. International Funding Sources: For some research areas, international organizations or foreign government agencies may offer grants.
6. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs): These organizations focus on community-based projects and may offer attractive terms for certain types of research.
7. Partnerships with Industry: Collaborative projects with private sector companies can provide funding and real-world applications for your research.

Strategies for Securing Alternative Funding

1. Refine Your Proposal: Competition for alternative funding sources may be fierce. Ensure your proposals are well-crafted and clearly demonstrate the value and potential impact of your work.
2. Network Actively: Attend conferences, join professional associations, and engage with potential funders to build relationships and learn about opportunities.
3. Collaborate: Consider forming partnerships with other institutions or researchers to strengthen your applications and share resources.
4. Stay Informed: Regularly check funding databases and sign up for newsletters from potential funding sources to stay aware of new opportunities.
5. Adapt Your Approach: Be prepared to adjust your research focus or methodology to align with the priorities of different funding sources without compromising your core objectives.

While the current federal funding landscape presents its challenges, it also opens up opportunities to explore new avenues and diversify your funding sources. Instead of viewing this as a setback, now is the time to take a proactive, creative, and persistent approach to navigate these changes.

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• Increasing emphasis on grants that address pressing societal issues, such as climate change, public health, and social inequality. For example, there has been a surge in grants for renewable energy research, community health initiatives and programs aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion in various fields.
• Growing popularity of collaborative grant programs that encourage partnerships between multiple stakeholders. These initiatives recognize the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration across sectors to tackle complex challenges.
• Rising interest in supporting sustainability of projects that not only deliver immediate results but also have the potential for lasting positive effects on communities, ecosystems, and economies.
• Advances in data analytics and artificial intelligence that enable funding agencies to better assess the potential impact and feasibility of grant proposals, leading to more informed decision-making.
• Intense competition for funding, with many worthy projects vying for limited resources. Donors are placing an emphasis on funding projects that are innovative, have wide impact, address significant issues of relevance to them, and are well written.

In response to these challenges and opportunities, there is a growing emphasis on capacity building and support services to help applicants strengthen their grant-writing skills, develop robust project proposals, and navigate the intricacies of grant procurement. Organizations such as universities, non-profits, and government agencies are offering training programs, workshops, and mentorship opportunities to empower aspiring grant seekers and increase their chances of success. For example, we at the Grant Training Center have seen a threefold increase in the number of professionals we train in our Grant Development workshops, as well as in the requests we receive for the grant reviews and editing of grant proposals.

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Increased Competition:

As the demand for grant funding continues to rise, the competition among organizations and individuals seeking grants has become more intense. Currently, the funding levels for many federal grants is ranging around the 90^th percentile and above.

Evolving Donor Priorities:

Donor priorities may shift over time due to changes in political, economic, or social landscapes, which require grant writers to adapt their proposals accordingly. For example, as presidential administrations emphasize their research and educational priorities, funding also changes to reflect these interests.

Demonstrating Impact and Sustainability:

Funders increasingly expect grant applicants to demonstrate their projects’ potential impact and sustainability. Grant writers must develop strategies for effectively measuring and communicating the outcomes and institutionalization of their initiatives to secure funding and ensure long-term viability for their organizations.

Limited Resources and Capacity:

Many organizations that increasingly face internal budget cuts often reduce resources necessary for grant writing efforts, such as staff time and training. These cuts pose a significant challenge for grant writers, who must often juggle multiple responsibilities and priorities while pursuing funding opportunities.

Adapting to Digital Platforms

With the increasing digitization of grant application processes, grant writers need to adapt to numerous online platforms and technologies. This may require taking extra time to learn new software and digital communication strategies to effectively submit their project proposals to funders.

So, what must grant writers and organizations do in the face of these obstacles? First and foremost, institutions need to understand that internal cuts result in much larger consequences for external giving. Secondly, grant seekers must constantly stay current on evolving donor priorities, digital platforms and technologies. Thirdly, grant writers must ensure sustainability by institutionalizing their initial funding so that they become ongoing efforts, such as train the trainers programs, infusing student learning in existing courses, or creating focus groups that can continue to serve their communities after the donor’s funding ends.

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Advantages

The advantages and opportunities of collaboration across disciplines are numerous; however the following are key factors:

Broader scope:

Interdisciplinary proposals can address research questions from multiple perspectives, which can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the problem and potential solutions. For example, a team of researchers might include experts in biology, engineering, and social sciences to study the impacts of climate change on a particular ecosystem. Each researcher brings their own knowledge and expertise to the project, allowing the team to explore the problem from multiple angles.

Cross-pollination of ideas and techniques:

When researchers from different fields come together, they can learn from each other and apply techniques from one field to another. This can lead to new ways of approaching problems and new discoveries that might not have been possible otherwise. For example, a team of computer scientists and psychologists might collaborate on a project to develop new methods for analyzing large datasets of social media interactions. By combining their expertise, they might be able to develop new insights into human behavior and social networks.

Innovation:

Interdisciplinary grant research can also lead to the development of new technologies and innovations. By bringing together experts from multiple fields, researchers can leverage their collective knowledge to develop new tools and technologies that can benefit society. For example, a team of researchers from biology, engineering, and materials science might collaborate on the development of new materials for use in medical implants. By combining their expertise, they might be able to develop materials that are biocompatible, durable, and able to stimulate tissue regeneration.

Bridging the gap between academia and business:

Interdisciplinary grant research can help to bridge the gap between academia and industry. By working together on research projects, academic researchers and industry professionals can share knowledge and expertise, and develop new technologies that can be commercialized. This can lead to the development of new products and services that can benefit society and the economy. This is one of the major reasons that eleven of the federal funding agencies include and fund the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant competitions.

Challenges

Interdisciplinary proposals also have challenges that can make them more difficult to write and evaluate. For example, coordinating the research and collaboration among multiple disciplines can be complex and require careful planning and communication. Also, Integrating different methodologies and approaches from multiple disciplines can be challenging and require careful consideration, preparation, and coordination. In addition, when it comes to the review of these proposals, reviewers with expertise in a single discipline may find it difficult to evaluate the interdisciplinary nature of the proposal, which can lead to bias or misunderstandings.

In conclusion, interdisciplinary grant research is an important tool for addressing complex problems and developing innovative solutions. By bringing together experts from multiple fields, researchers can draw on a diverse range of perspectives and expertise, develop new technologies and innovations, and bridge the gap between academia and industry. Overall, while interdisciplinary proposals can be more competitive due to their potential for innovation and impact, they also require careful planning and coordination to be successful.

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Specifically:

• National Institutes of Health – 20% increase to spur innovation across the economy, renew America’s global leadership, build on efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and improve the public health infrastructure. Two-thirds of the $9 billion increase for NIH is to establish the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) in order to drive transformational innovation in health research.

• National Science Foundation – $1.7 billion increase is intended to fund research across NSF’s portfolio and improve equity in science and engineering, advance climate science and sustainability research, and augment research infrastructure.

• Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) – $3.45 billion increase, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and tribal colleges and universities to improve research and development infrastructure and the creation of a tuition assistance grant program, which would reduce tuition and fees for low-income students attending HBCU and MSI institutions during their first two years of college.

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) – $15 million increase is to be allocated equally for research on integrated treatment for opioid and multiple substance abuse disorders in ambulatory care settings and for its initiative to improve maternal health.

• National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) – $10 million increase for climate change research through the expansion of its existing geospatial program, informing the impact of extreme weather events and establishing baseline data for climate change tracking.

• Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) – $9 million increase to ensure the US Department of Commerce remains a leader across government in data innovation and implementation. The majority of the funds, $7 million, is to develop a federal data service.

• National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) – $6 million increase supports the creation of America’s DataHub, a research center to share and link existing data to solve complex problems and improve the informational infrastructure around understanding racial equity.

• Economic Research Service (ERS) – $5 million increase to expand the modeling, data, and analysis between climate change and the agriculture sector.

The FY 2022 Biden Administration Budget support for education is robust and has been applauded by educational institutions at all levels. For higher education, research and development in the sciences as well as equity takes a leading role. Minority Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities will see benefits for their organizations and students. Equally important is the reinstated increase of funds for climate change research and agricultural innovations.

Ultimately, these budget increases will benefit researchers and those in higher education at various levels through the grants, cooperative agreements and contracts for which they can apply.

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Of the eleven federal agencies participating in the SBIR program and the five participating in the STTR program, the major donors (approximately 70% of funding) are the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These agencies fund innovative research that meets their objectives. All have unique missions and should be viewed as distinct donors.

Generally speaking, there are two types of agencies that participate in SBIR/STTR. The first falls into the category of agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), which use their research budgets to improve human health or science, education and national welfare. These agencies will typically advance general topics of research and allow the principal investigator and the small business to present their ideas for how to help them achieve their missions. This type of research is investigator-initiated, and often the researcher or company can choose to apply for a grant under SBIR or STTR.

Other agencies, such as the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), fund companies and academic institutions to develop technologies to meet their own goals. These agencies have much more specific needs in mind when they solicit research, and their solicitations, which address much more specific topics, are typically awarded in the form of contracts. It is not uncommon for those solicitations to specify whether they will fall under SBIR or STTR.

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), the original charter of the SBIR/STTR program was to address four goals:

• Stimulate technological innovation
• Use small business to meet federal R/R&D needs
• Foster and encourage participation in technological innovation by socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses, and those that are 51 percent owned and controlled by women
• Increase private sector commercialization of innovation derived from federal R/R&D, thereby increasing competition, productivity, and economic growth

Since the SBIR/STTR program started in 1982, the charter has expanded to:

• Require evaluation of commercial potential in Phase I and Phase II applications
• Provide seed capital for early stage R&D with commercial potential

This source of funding is of importance to institutions of higher education that contract with small businesses (under 500 employees) to plan and deliver high risk technological and innovative programs that will eventually have a high probability to be commercialized. Thus, a small business will develop a partnership with a non-profit research institution, in most cases a university or a federal laboratory such as the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. The focus will be on the transfer of technology from the Research Institution (RI) to the small business.

There are three phases to the program, including:

• Phase I – Feasibility – approx. $50K-$250K
  • Proven and validated proof of concept
  • Confirmed value proposition
• Phase II – Prototype – approx. $500K- $1.6M
  • Working and testing the prototype
  • Commercialization partners identified
• Phase III – Commercialized – $0 for SBIR
  • Bringing the solution to market

Everyone wins when small businesses and academic institutions collaborate with each other under SBIR/STTR to achieve the goals of specific government agencies, and ultimately get innovative technology to market. This collaboration can assist universities transfer technology, help small companies access remarkable facilities, highly skilled people, intellectual property, and through both mechanisms, help everyone achieve collective goals.

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The development of a competitive and winning bid takes time, proper planning, the identification of the right resources at the right time and place, and implementation of both art and science practices. Win strategies are devised, value propositions are offered, the science case is conceptualized, solutions are engineered, graphical depictions of funder visions are created, and win themes and discriminators are sprinkled throughout the proposal – all carefully developed from the issues surrounding the procurement. This is how the proposal becomes funder-focused, not just where the program office is now, but where they are going in the future.

Ultimately, a winning bid tells a story: “Michelangelo said that he did not sculpt marble; he discovered it in the sculpture that was already hidden in the stone that released it. In winning proposals, we discover the solution already hidden in the Request for Proposal (RFP) that released it, and finding a cost-effective way to create a larger market that may have discovered us, as we look to our projects to signal us of events to come. To win, we must invite the audience to reflect on what the future might look like in their eyes. There will be those who are persuaded by art, and those who are moved by pure science. The challenge is to offer both, affordably, and then to let those who released the RFP think they discovered it…”

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Once, when I worked for a small, under-resourced organization, we created a project that perfectly fit a community need, was structured for efficiency, and had a large return on investment from donors. I approached an eager donor who was familiar with our efforts, our successes, and our available resources. I asked him for $1.3M. He told me he loved the project, was thrilled with our design, and really wanted to give us the gift. Then, he said, “unfortunately, your organization doesn’t have the ability to receive a gift as large as $1.3M.” I was dumbfounded. We had done everything right in evaluating, justifying, and planning a strategy to meet an essential need in our community. Yet, as an organization, we didn’t have the operational structure to receive a large donation. In that instant of excitement and disappointment, I realized that all fundraising efforts should only start after a close examination of an organization’s situation, their board, their staff, their infrastructure and their standing in the community. Each of these will influence an organization’s potential for raising funds.

The key steps in the process of assessing your fundraising capacity are: understanding how your organization is perceived internally and externally, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and prioritizing your efforts and resources. Likewise, a solid market analysis is essential in developing a diversified and successful fundraising strategy.

After these initial strategic considerations, the next level of capacity building is to determine the size of your potential donor database. Once you identify these donors, begin making the match between you and them and solicit funds to develop projects of mutual interest.

Specifically, the steps to build your organization into a financial success are:

1. Know your organization by creating:
   1. Strategic plan
   2. Market analysis
   3. Needs assessment
   4. Current assessment of potential donors
2. Build a successful board consisting of:
   1. Community leaders
   2. Business leaders
   3. Political leaders
   4. Philanthropic leaders
3. First level fundraising strategies consist of:
   1. Classic and contemporary media presence, from local news to social media
   2. Regularly scheduled newsletters and updates
   3. Direct solicitations to the donors you already know
   4. Building member databases
      1. Collect emails at public events
      2. Provide free membership while sharing emails
      3. Use current members to introduce new members
   5. Annual appeal letters to donors
      1. Tell a story
      2. Explain how the potential donor can help
      3. Ask for the money
   6. Exploring area philanthropies & corporate donors from
      1. Community foundations
      2. Local businesses
4. Second level fundraising strategies consist of:
   1. Grants
   2. Small to medium-sized special events
   3. Planned giving programs
5. Top level fundraising strategies consist of:
   1. Capital campaigns
   2. Large scale events

Fundraising strategies vary from one type of organization to another. If the organization is small, it is best to employ a strategy that builds your supporter database and directly solicits them for cash donations. In contrast, a large, established organization may be in the perfect position to host a sizable gala.

When your organization has a track record of successes, strategic efforts should be made to attract the most powerful and influential board members. These board members will bring credibility to your organization as you begin to seek larger donations. As your board stature grows, so will your options in fundraising.

An honest assessment of your organization and your place in the community will help you understand the best approach to take to effectively secure funds. Thus, with broad community recognition, a strong track record of success, financial efficiency, and influential board members, you’ll be able to employ a large diversity of effective fundraising strategies.

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