Funding Opportunities

Scripps Oceanography's International Relations works to identify which countries are investing in ocean, earth, atmospheric, and planetary research and encouraging collaboration with U.S. institutions. The programs highlighted below are either funded entirely by a foreign nation or are jointly funded by the U.S. and other countries. While this list is updated regularly, it is not exhaustive and eligibility and deadlines may change without notice. If you are seeking funding for an international collaboration that is not represented on our list, please contact scrippsinternational@ucsd.edu

Egypt

The U.S.-Egypt Science and Technology Joint Fund
The Joint Fund was established under an agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt to strengthen scientific and technological capabilities between both countries. To support activities of the Joint Fund, each country jointly matches funds provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Scientific Research (MOSR). The program is implemented in the U.S. by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and in Egypt by the Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF). 
 

​Germany

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) 
The BMBF funds projects on a wide variety of topics in which researchers from Germany and the U.S. work together. In addition, the division responsible for cooperation with the U.S. provides resources for workshops and scientific exchange programs to support young researchers and prepare projects. Measures to promote Germany as a location for study and research are becoming increasingly important.

Global 

Belmont Forum
The Belmont Forum is a partnership of funding organizations, international science councils, and regional consortia committed to the advancement of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary science. Each proposal submitted must consist of a project co-developed by natural scientists, social scientists, and stakeholders that hail from at least three countries. 

The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) 
IODP is an international marine research collaboration that explores Earth's history and dynamics using ocean-going research platforms to recover data recorded in seafloor sediments and rocks and to monitor subseafloor environments. IODP depends on facilities funded by three platform providers with financial contributions from five additional partner agencies. Proposal deadlines are April 1 and October 1.

National Center of Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS)
NCEAS periodically solicits scientists to submit research proposals for collaborative, synthesis projects in both basic and applied environmental science. If selected, research teams meet one to two times per year at the headquarters in Santa Barbara, CA to focus on their projects. Successful proposals present research questions that could benefit specifically from the synthesis of existing data and analysis by an interdisciplinary team. International proposals welcome.

Ireland

The US‐Ireland Research and Development Partnership
The Partnership is a unique initiative involving funding agencies across three jurisdictions: United States of America, Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland. The overall goal of the Partnership is to increase the level of collaborative R&D among researchers and industry across the three jurisdictions. Under the US-Ireland R&D Partnership program, a ‘single-proposal, single-review’ mechanism is facilitated by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) who accept submissions from tri-jurisdictional (USA, NI and RoI) teams to a number of their existing funding program. Supports research in the fields of sensors and sensor networks, nanoscale science and engineering, telecommunications, energy and sustainability, health, and agriculture.

Israel

The U.S.- Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF)
BSF promotes scientific relations between the U.S. and Israel by supporting collaborative research projects in a wide area of basic and applied scientific fields, for peaceful and non-profit purposes. Funding for research derives from the annual interest on an endowment contributed in equal parts by the two countries. Grants are made on a competitive, peer reviewed basis, juried by leading scientists from the U.S., Israel and around the world. Eligible projects must demonstrate outstanding scientific merit and clear collaboration between Israeli and American researchers from institutions throughout the two countries. 

France

The Chateaubriand Fellowship
The Chateaubriand Fellowship is a grant offered by the Embassy of France in the United States. It supports outstanding Ph.D. students from American universities who wish to conduct research in France for a period ranging from 4 to 9 months. Chateaubriand fellows are selected through a merit-based competition, through a collaborative process involving expert evaluators in both countries. Open annually October- January.

Make Our Planet Great Again
It is a call to researchers and students, entrepreneurs, associations and NGOs, and all civil society to mobilize and join France to lead the fight against global warming. Three main topics of research are prioritized: Earth system sciences, Climate change and sustainability sciences, Energy transition.

United Kingdom 

Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BBSRC)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the BBSRC have signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) on Research Cooperation. The MOU provides an overarching framework to encourage collaboration between U.S. and U.K. research communities and sets out the principles by which jointly supported activities might be developed. The MOU provides for a lead agency arrangement whereby proposals may be submitted to either NSF or BBSRC. Outcomes will be subject to both success in peer review and the availability of funds from both BBSRC and NSF.

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
NSF and ESRC have entered into a Lead Agency Agreement. The goal of this agreement is to reduce some of the barriers to working internationally that researchers currently encounter by allowing U.S. and U.K. researchers to submit a single collaborative proposal that will undergo a single review process. Proposers should review the programs supported through NSF and through ESRC for further information on what areas of research are eligible for support. The lead agency should be decided on the basis of where the largest proportion of research lies (financially). 

NOTE: The MOU expired on June 18, 2018 but NSF and ESRC are working to extend and revise the MOU to reflect the changes following the creation of U.K. Research and Innovation (UKRI). Expressions of interest and full proposals continue to be accepted as normal.

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
EPSRC works in partnership with NSF, to encourage and support proposals that involve international collaborative teams. Researchers submit a single joint proposal to EPSRC from eligible applicants in both countries​. Funding by EPSRC and NSF is decided by the appropriate EPSRC Theme Lead in consultation with NSF following the recommendation of the ESPRC panel.

Science and Technology
The U.S.-U.K. Science and Technology Agreement was signed on September 20, 2017, in Washington, D.C. This marks the first-ever umbrella agreement between the United States and United Kingdom outlining a commitment to collaborate on world-class science and innovation. There are currently no calls for proposals, but there are opportunities and funding to get involved with the first joint-venture, Fermilab.