Frequent Questions
Resources
Questions on This Page
What is a grant?
Where can I go to find personal financial assistance?
Am I eligible to apply for a grant?
Is there a “one stop shop” for searching for federal grants?
Frequent Questions from Specific Federal Agencies
Grants are not Benefits or Entitlements. A federal Grant is an award of financial assistance from a federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States. Grants are not federal assistance or loans to individuals. A grant is not used to acquire property or services for the federal government's direct benefit. The twenty-six federal agencies offer over 1,000 grant programs annually in various categories. To read more, visit Grants.gov.
Where can I go to find personal financial assistance?
Govbenefits.gov is a resource for all citizens and includes information on a variety of benefit and assistance programs for veterans, seniors, students, teachers, children, people with disabilities, dependents, disaster victims, farmers, caregivers, job seekers, prospective homeowners, and more. Citizens are encouraged to visit the website regularly, particularly when life events - applying for college, seeking food/nutrition services, property damaged following a storm, retirement, starting a business, etc. - occur that could change their eligibility status. To learn more and to search for benefits programs, personal assistance, and determine whether you or your family are eligible visit Govbenefits.gov.
Am I eligible to apply for a grant?
There are many groups of organizations that are eligible to apply for government grants. Typically, most grantee organizations fall into the following categories; government organizations, education organizations, public housing organizations, non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, small businesses, and individuals. To see an expanded definition of these categories please visit “Who is Eligible for a Grant?” from Grants.gov, or to see what grants are available for a specific category please refer to the Grants.gov Advanced Search.
Is there a “one stop shop” for searching for federal grants?
Grants.gov is the central source to both find and apply for federal government grants. As the central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs and access to approximately $400 billion in annual awards, individuals and organizations can register and apply for grants from the 26 federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov is managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Frequent Questions from Specific Federal Agencies:
CDC Grants – Frequently Asked Questions (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Health and Human Services – Grants & Funding Questions (Health and Human Services)
NIAID Research Funding – Questions and Answers (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH)
National Institutes of Health - Office of Extramural Research – Frequent Questions (National Institutes of Health)
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration – Grants Questions (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, HHS)