Innovation Partnerships Grant Program
ORAU’s FY 2025 Innovation Partnerships Grant Program is no longer accepting applications. The FY 2026 Call for Applications will be released in September 2025.
These grants are structured to build stronger relationships between university members and ORAU collaborators by focusing on research and education topics that align well with ORAU’s expertise and current priorities.
Program updates
- ORAU will accept applications until the limit of two awards per fiscal year is reached.
- Applications will be accepted until resources are depleted.
- Applications must be focused on one or more of the FY 2025 ORAU core focus areas.
- An ORAU collaborator will be assigned to the university PI for each award.
- Each event must be a minimum of four hours in length.
FY 2025 Innovation Partnerships Grant Program focus areas and example topics
- Improving Our Behavioral Health - health equity, social determinants of health, stress, loneliness, cultural approaches to healthcare, stigma, substance use disorders, and population health
- The Post-Pandemic World - remote working and learning, worker vulnerability, organizational and workforce resilience, disease surveillance, health communication, healthcare surge, and telehealth
- Implementing Innovative Technologies - data safety and cybersecurity, privacy, the digital economy, the digital divide, cross-border data sharing, and ethics
- Our Changing Planet - sustainability, environmental justice, clean energy, renewable energy, extreme weather events, water and air quality, ecosystems, urbanization and the built environment, and community resilience
Each member university is limited to two awards per fiscal year. Up to $4,000 may be requested to support an in-person or virtual event that involves participants from more than one ORAU member institution, including students. Innovation Partnerships Grant applications should focus on focused workshops/conferences that highlight your university’s strategic STEM research and education growth areas, and where collaborations with other member universities would add value. We are specifically interested in events that can bring more thought leadership in building a national strategy for STEM education and workforce capacity building. Member universities are encouraged to collaborate around this topic in anticipation of federal funding initiatives.
Funding and restrictions
- Funding is provided exclusively from non-federal monies by ORAU.
- ORAU does not allow overhead charges or indirect costs on the award.
- Funding for FY 2025 awards is available from date of award through September 30, 2025.
Frequently asked questions
Any ORAU member institution in good standing may submit an Innovation Partnerships Grants application through their ORAU Councilor. Only applications endorsed by an institution’s ORAU Councilor will be considered. An institution is considered in good standing when membership fees are up-to-date and required reports for existing award programs are current.
Innovation Partnerships Grants will be considered for events that meet the following criteria:
- Participation by more than one ORAU institution is required. One ORAU member university will submit the proposal and manage the grant funds.
- Potential impact of the event, including the number of institutions or participants will be a big factor in our decision.
- Participation by students is considered a positive factor.
- New events are preferred over ongoing or annual events with established financial models.
- Preference will be given to events in STEM disciplines.
- A representative from ORAU must be invited to the event and will attend, if possible.
- The event must be a minimum of four hours in length.
A report documenting participation and outcomes using this template (.PDF, 192 KB) must be submitted within 30 days following the event. Reports should be submitted to university.partnerships@orau.org.
If, for some unforeseen reason, the event cannot occur as stated in the grant request, please contact the University Partnerships Office to inform us of the revised date. If the awarded event is cancelled, the grant funds need to be returned to ORAU. Contact university.partnerships@orau.org to receive further guidance.
Funding is provided exclusively from non-federal monies by ORAU, and overhead charges or indirect costs are not allowed on the award.
ORAU is home to a diverse group of professionals, each with unique experiences and specialized knowledge in various research fields. These individuals, as the forefront of ORAU's innovative thinking, are ideally positioned to evaluate the potential benefits of an Innovation Partnerships collaboration, ensuring a broad array of insights and expertise are leveraged.
Member university personnel with active relationships with ORAU staff are encouraged to reach out directly to discuss the potential for an Innovation Partnerships Grant collaboration.
Ready to apply?
In addition, an email from your ORAU Councilor endorsing your request is required and should be attached at the bottom of the application.
