Environmental solutions on the horizon
Funding Opportunities
Meet our 2025 awardees
2025 Environmental Venture Projects and Realizing Environmental Innovation Program awards fund novel research addressing sustainability challenges around the globe. Projects will explore innovative solutions ranging from crowd sourcing air quality challenges in California’s San Joaquin Valley to improving livestock health by conserving predators.
Two Stanford assistant professors will lead interdisciplinary projects on environment and health with seed funding from the Center for Human and Planetary Health’s Early-Career Research Awards.
Featured Woods Opportunities
Special 2025 Mid-Year Request for Environmental Venture Projects (EVP) Proposals
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute
Eligibility: Academic Council
Deadline: The deadline has passed. Information about the next application cycle coming soon.
The Stanford Woods Institute 2025 Mid-year EVP seed grants support up to $100,000 over two years, for interdisciplinary research projects that seek to identify solutions to pressing problems of the environment and sustainability in light of changing U.S. federal priorities and policies. Research projects submitted in response to this call will be evaluated by a committee of reviewers based on timeliness, intellectual merit, potential for practical insights or solutions, the interdisciplinary strength of the investigator or team, and the project’s potential to secure subsequent funding.
NOTE: The purpose of this call is not to backfill projects that have lost funding. It is instead to enable a set of important new research projects that effectively explore the environmental dimensions and implications of the rapidly changing policy landscape.
Big Ideas for Oceans
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute
Eligibility: Academic Council
Expected: Opening November 2025 Deadline: January 2026
The new Stanford Oceans Department and the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment are pleased to announce a new funding opportunity “Big Ideas for Oceans”. "Big Ideas for Oceans" offers faculty grants up to $150,000 over two years.
Environmental Venture Projects (EVP)
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute
Eligibility: Academic Council
Expected: Opening November 2025 Deadline: January 2026
The Stanford Woods Institute EVP program provides seed grants from $10,000 to $250,000, for up to two years, for interdisciplinary research projects that seek to identify solutions to pressing problems of the environment and sustainability. Research projects are evaluated for their intellectual merit, potential to solve critical problems, the integration of the disciplinary strengths of the team and the project’s potential to secure additional funding.
Realizing Environmental Innovation Program (REIP)
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute
Eligibility: Academic Council
Expected: Opening November 2025 Deadline: January 2026
The Realizing Environmental Innovation Program (REIP) is intended to provide next stage funding to PIs to move existing interdisciplinary environmental research projects toward actual solutions implemented by public stakeholders and private market actors. To be considered, projects should demonstrate both significant progress in identifying solutions and strong potential by private market or public end users to adopt the discoveries and meaningfully address environmental problems.
Human and Planetary Health Early Career Awards (HPH-ECA)
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute
Eligibility: Early-Career Faculty from Academic Council and University Medical Lines
Expected: Opening November 2025 Deadline: January 2026
The new Center for Human and Planetary Health is pleased to offer Early Career Awards from $50,000 up to $200,000 over two years for research projects that seek solutions to pressing problems in human and planetary health. Proposals will be evaluated for intellectual merit, potential to address challenges in environmental health, an orientation around equity and justice, interdisciplinary approach, contribution to the PI’s career development, and the project’s potential to secure additional funding in the future.
Mentoring Undergraduates in Interdisciplinary Research (MUIR)
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute
Eligibility: Students - Undergrad
Deadline: February 12, 2026
MUIR provides stipends to Stanford undergraduate students to conduct interdisciplinary environmental research during the summer. Students work under the mentorship of a faculty member on faculty research projects. Faculty are welcome to apply for a MUIR grant on behalf of undergraduates at all levels and from all departments. Funding priority goes to Stanford Woods Institute fellows, affiliated faculty, and lecturers. Students wishing to initiate a project will need to...
Mel Lane Student Grants Program
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute
Eligibility: Students - Undergrad and Graduate
Deadline: November 30, 2025
In honor of environmental leader Mel Lane, the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment invites Stanford students to submit proposals for student-driven-and-managed environmental projects that make a measurable impact on an issue through action or applied academic research. Preference is given to projects that focus on environmental sustainability within one of the following topic areas: climate, ecosystem services and conservation, environmental health, environmental justice and equity, food security, freshwater, oceans, and sustainable development generally. We will also consider other areas within climate and sustainability.
Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship (SIGF)
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute
Eligibility: Students - Grad
Deadline: February 2026
The Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship (SIGF) Program is a competitive university-wide program that awards three-year fellowships to outstanding doctoral students engaged in interdisciplinary research. The program, sponsored by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, is administered jointly by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Precourt Institute for Energy. Since 2008, 396 students have received a SIGF. SIGF fellowships allow Stanford...
Environment and Policy Internship Program (EPIC)
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute
Eligibility: Students - Undergrad
Deadline: February 2, 2026
The Stanford Woods Institute, in collaboration with the Haas Center for Public Service, Stanford in Government, and the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, offers undergraduates paid summer fellowships that provide a hands-on introduction to environmental policy work. The fellowships are full-time (35-40 hours/week) for 10 consecutive weeks. Students who are selected will receive mentoring from environmental professionals and directly contribute to solving important sustainability challenges that are facing the public.
Funding Opportunities
Mentoring Undergraduates in Interdisciplinary Research (MUIR)
MUIR provides stipends to full- and part-time Stanford undergraduate students to conduct interdisciplinary environmental research during the summer. Students work under the mentorship of a faculty member on faculty research projects. Faculty are welcome to apply for a MUIR grant on behalf of...
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute
Eligibility: Students - Undergrad
Deadline: February 12, 2026
Applications NOW OPEN for the Stanford African Scholars in Global Health program
The Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the first two cohorts of the Stanford African Scholars in Global Health (SASH) program.
Sponsor: Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health
Eligibility: Academic Council
Deadline: February 25, 2024
NSF SAI: Strengthening America's Infrastructure (NSF 24-519)
Supports research that incorporates scientific insights about human behavior and social dynamics to better design, develop, rehabilitate, and maintain strong and effective infrastructure. Projects should represent a convergence of expertise in one or more social, behavioral, or economic sciences, deeply integrated with other disciplines.
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Eligibility: Academic Council
Deadline: March 12, 2024
Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship (SIGF)
The Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship (SIGF) Program is a competitive university-wide program that awards three-year fellowships to outstanding doctoral students engaged in interdisciplinary research. The program, sponsored by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, is administered...
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute
Eligibility: Students - Grad
Deadline: February 2026
NSF ReDDDoT: Responsible Design, Development, and Deployment of Technologies (NSF 24-524)
The ReDDDoT program invites proposals from multidisciplinary, multi-sector teams that examine and demonstrate the principles, methodologies, implementations, and impacts associated with responsible design, development, and deployment of technologies, focusing especially on key technologies. In FY 2024, proposals should focus on one or more of the following three priority areas: artificial intelligence, biotechnology, or natural and anthropogenic disaster prevention or mitigation including, but not limited to, climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability.
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Eligibility: Academic Council
Deadline: Due April 8, 2024 for all tracks except project proposals which are due April 22, 2024
NSF DCL: Net-Zero Climate Goals by 2050(NSF 24-045)
Dear Colleague Letter encouraging submission of research and education proposals related to Net-Zero Climate Goals, including innovations to create a circular economy; a comprehensive summary of topics of interest and core ENG Directorate programs to consider applying to
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Eligibility: Academic Council
Deadline: Due dates will vary by core program
Emerging Environmental Scholar Research Awards The Stanford Woods Institute is pleased to make available funds for direct costs to PhD dissertation research by Stanford students. Requests for an award to offest up to $5,000 in direct expenses for doctoral dissertation reasearch will be considered from qualified students at any Stanford department.
Sponsor: Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
Eligibility: Students – Grad
Deadline: April 25, 2025