GrantSift for researchers: search research funding across the US and Canada
GrantSift is live for researchers. Search research funding from NIH, NSF, CIHR and other official sources across the US and Canada, with deadlines.
GrantSift is now live, and researchers are a core audience. Whether you are a faculty member, a postdoc, a research administrator or a scientist at a company, finding the right funding opportunity on time is half the battle. GrantSift is built to help.
Why research funding is hard to track
Research funding is spread across many agencies, each with its own systems:
- In the US, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation are the best-known funders, but many other agencies fund research, including NASA, the Department of Energy, USDA and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Opportunities appear on Grants.gov and agency sites.
- In Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the other federal granting councils fund academic research, while NRC IRAP and SR&ED support research and development in companies.
- Foundations and charities fund research in specific diseases and fields.
- Small business research programs such as SBIR and STTR fund R&D in US companies.
Each funder has its own cycles, eligibility, page limits and submission systems. Missing a funding notice can cost a year.
What GrantSift does for researchers
Cross-agency search. GrantSift brings opportunities from official sources into one place so you can browse research funding across agencies and countries.
Filters for fit. Narrow by sector, such as health, energy, environment or technology, and by funder type and award size.
Deadlines by month. See what is due when, and plan proposal development backwards from deadlines with your research office. Browse grants by deadline month.
Links to the source. Every listing links to the official notice, where you will find the full instructions, review criteria and contacts.
Funder insight. The funder directory helps you see which organizations fund your area.
Working with your research office
At universities and hospitals, applications typically go through an institutional research office that reviews budgets, approves submissions and manages awards. Researchers who involve their research office early avoid last-minute problems. GrantSift is designed to complement, not replace, your institution's processes and internal funding lists.
Key things to clarify early:
- Internal deadlines, which are usually earlier than the funder's.
- Indirect costs, set by your institution's negotiated rate or the funder's policy. See indirect cost rates explained.
- Registrations, such as institutional SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations for US federal applications and agency accounts.
- Compliance requirements, such as research ethics and data management plans.
Practical tips for winning research funding
- Read the notice twice. Funding announcements spell out the scope, eligibility, review criteria and format. See how to read a funding notice.
- Talk to the program officer. A short email with a one-paragraph summary can tell you if your idea fits.
- Address the review criteria directly. Use headings that map to the criteria.
- Build a realistic budget. See how to write a grant budget.
- Get internal review. Ask colleagues who have served on review panels to read your draft.
- Learn from feedback. See what to do after a grant rejection.
Guides for researchers
- Health research grants: CIHR and NIH
- SBIR and STTR explained
- SR&ED vs grants
- How to apply on Grants.gov
- Grant reporting after the award
Frequently asked questions
Does GrantSift replace my institution's funding database? No. GrantSift is a complementary search across official sources in the US and Canada. Use it alongside your research office's resources.
Can graduate students use GrantSift? Yes. Students can browse research and scholarship funding. See our student funding pages.
Does GrantSift submit applications? No. Applications are submitted through the funder's official systems.
Research is hard enough without hunting for funding across dozens of sites. GrantSift is live to help you find the right opportunity sooner.
How we keep GrantSift trustworthy
A funding database is only useful if you can trust it, so we hold ourselves to a few simple rules.
- Every listing points to its source. We link to the official funder page so you can check eligibility, amounts and deadlines yourself before you apply.
- Official sources first. We build from public sources such as Grants.gov and Government of Canada open data rather than copying third-party lists.
- No promises we cannot keep. We never guarantee that you will receive funding, and we never charge a fee to receive a grant. Funders make their own decisions.
- Plain language. Our guides explain programs in everyday words and link to the official rules for the details.
- Your search stays yours. Searching GrantSift does not send your details to funders.
If you ever spot an outdated detail or a broken link, tell us and we will fix it. Program terms change often, and the official page is always the final word.
Your first 20 minutes on GrantSift
- Write one sentence about your project: what you will do, where, and roughly what it costs.
- Pick your country and region, then the sector that best describes the work.
- Scan eligibility first. Skip anything your organization type cannot apply to.
- Save three to five programs that fit closely, and open each official page.
- Note the deadlines and any registrations you will need, then add them to your calendar.
- Contact one program officer with a short, specific question.
That short routine turns a vague search into a working shortlist you can act on this week.
Come back each month, because new opportunities open and old ones close throughout the year. A regular check, even fifteen minutes, keeps your pipeline full and stops a good deadline from slipping past unnoticed.
Keep exploring on GrantSift
Find the programs that fit you
Official program pages are the source of truth, but finding them is the slow part. GrantSift pulls grants and funders from official sources such as Grants.gov and Government of Canada open data into one searchable database covering the US and Canada across every sector. Each listing links back to the official page, and paid plans unlock funder contacts, deadlines you can track, and filters that match programs to your business or organization. Search grants on GrantSift or see plans and pricing.