Summary
Federal investment in STEM education spans at least a dozen agencies and exceeds $3 billion annually, funding teacher development, undergraduate and graduate education, informal science learning, workforce development, and broadening participation in STEM fields. In 2026, NSF's Directorate for STEM Education leads the field, but DOE national laboratory programs, NASA Space Grant Consortia, NOAA education grants, and Department of Education formula and competitive programs each offer distinct and valuable funding pathways for schools, universities, nonprofits, and informal education organizations.
NSF Directorate for STEM Education
The National Science Foundation's Directorate for STEM Education (EDU, formerly EHR) is the single largest federal funder of STEM education research and development, with an annual budget exceeding $1 billion. EDU's programs span the full education pipeline from PreK through graduate school and support both formal classroom instruction and informal science learning. The Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) program funds the research and development of innovative STEM curriculum, assessments, and professional development for teachers and students in kindergarten through 12th grade. DRK-12 awards range from $450,000 (exploratory projects) to over $3 million (full research and development projects) over three to five years. Eligible applicants include universities, school districts, nonprofits, and museums.
The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (CFDA 47.076) is NSF's flagship program for increasing the number and quality of K-12 STEM teachers. Noyce awards go to institutions of higher education that provide scholarships, stipends, and induction support for STEM students and professionals who commit to teaching in high-need school districts. Phase I (Scholarships and Stipends) awards are approximately $1.5 million over five years; Phase II (Teaching Fellowships) awards reach $3 million or more. Institutions must partner with at least one high-need local education agency. NSF also funds the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program for curriculum and pedagogical innovation at the undergraduate level, and the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP, CFDA 47.076) for outstanding graduate students in all STEM fields — one of the most prestigious and sought-after federal fellowship programs with approximately 2,000 new awards per year at $37,000 annual stipend.
NSF Broadening Participation in STEM
Broadening participation of underrepresented groups — women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds — is a stated NSF strategic priority, and multiple dedicated programs fund this work. The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program provides multi-year grants to alliances of colleges and universities to increase the number of underrepresented minority students completing STEM baccalaureate degrees and entering graduate programs. LSAMP Alliance grants range from $700,000 to $3 million per year and require a lead institution coordinating a consortium of at least two institutions. New Alliance proposals and renewal applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
The NSF INCLUDES (Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science) program funds networks and alliances working on systemic change to broaden STEM participation. The Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program funds strategies to increase the diversity of the STEM professoriate by supporting underrepresented minority graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty. Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) funds research on and development of accessible STEM education environments and materials. The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) provides institutional capacity grants of $750,000–$2 million to tribal colleges and universities to strengthen their STEM programs and research capacity. All of these programs share the common thread of creating systemic and institutional change to make STEM more accessible and equitable.
Department of Energy STEM Workforce Development
The Department of Energy has a direct national security and economic interest in developing the next generation of energy scientists, engineers, and technicians. DOE's Office of Science administers the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program, placing undergraduate students at DOE national laboratories (Argonne, Brookhaven, Oak Ridge, Lawrence Berkeley, Fermilab, and others) for 10-week summer research experiences. The Community College Internship (CCI) program provides similar research experiences for community college students. Neither program requires a grant application from students — students apply directly through the DOE Office of Science website. However, universities and community colleges can seek formal partnerships with DOE labs through Community Partnership programs.
DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) funds workforce development through the Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) program and sector-specific education programs housed in the Solar, Wind, Vehicle, and Buildings Technology offices. The DOE Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP, CFDA 81.121) provides grants of $400,000–$800,000 to universities for nuclear engineering research and education, including fellowships for graduate students. EERE's National Community Solar Partnership and the American-Made Challenges series also offer prizes and grants to educators and organizations developing clean energy workforce pathways. Community colleges and technical schools developing clean energy curriculum should explore the DOE's Clean Energy Workforce Development grants, which align training programs with regional employer demand for solar installers, EV technicians, and building energy auditors.
NASA Space Grant and STEM Engagement
NASA's Office of STEM Engagement administers a portfolio of programs connecting students, educators, and institutions to NASA missions in space exploration, Earth science, aeronautics, and astrophysics. The NASA Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (CFDA 43.008) funds a network of 52 Space Grant Consortia — one per state plus D.C. and Puerto Rico — each anchored at a lead university and distributing fellowships, scholarships, and seed grants to students and faculty at member institutions. NASA provides approximately $1 million per year per consortium; lead institutions leverage this with state, institutional, and private matching funds. Community colleges, HBCUs, HSIs, and other institutions can join their state consortium as members to access these resources.
NASA's Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) dedicates competitive grant funding specifically to Minority-Serving Institutions, with awards of $200,000–$1 million for research and education programs aligned with NASA mission priorities. The MUREP Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO) element funds three-year faculty research projects at $500,000–$1 million per year. The EPSCoR program at NASA funds research capacity-building at institutions in 27 jurisdictions that have historically received less federal R&D — awards of $750,000–$1.5 million per year over three years. All NASA education and research proposals are submitted through the NSPIRES portal (nspires.nasaprs.com), and institutions must be registered in SAM.gov. CFDA 43.008 covers NASA's education programs.
NOAA and Other Federal Agency STEM Programs
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funds STEM education through several programs focused on ocean, coastal, atmospheric, and climate science. The Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program (CFDA 11.463) provides grants of $50,000–$250,000 to organizations providing meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEEs) to K-12 students. B-WET operates in seven regions: Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico, California, Great Lakes, Hawai'i, New England, and the Pacific Islands. NOAA's Environmental Literacy Program funds K-12 education projects building students' understanding of the relationship between human communities and the natural environment. NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 university-based programs, distributes research, education, and extension grants at the regional level.
Beyond NOAA, multiple federal agencies contribute to the federal STEM education landscape. NIH funds the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA, CFDA 93.859) for innovative K-12 STEM education programs with ties to biomedical or behavioral research. USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) funds Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education at land-grant universities through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI, CFDA 10.310) and funds 4-H youth development at Cooperative Extension offices nationwide. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funds informal STEM learning at museums and libraries through the Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301). Organizations and educators seeking federal STEM education funding should monitor grants.gov using CFDA codes for their relevant agency and program, and sign up for email alerts on relevant program offices' websites.
Department of Education STEM Funding Pathways
The Department of Education funds STEM education primarily through formula grants administered by states and localities rather than through large direct competitive grants. Title II-A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) funds teacher and principal development, which local education agencies can direct toward STEM-specific professional development, coding curricula, and science lab improvements. Title IV-A Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grants are explicitly designed to support a well-rounded education including STEM; school districts have used Title IV-A for robotics programs, STEM equipment, computer science instruction, and makerspace development. These formula funds flow to every school district in the country, making them the most broadly accessible federal STEM funding source.
The Department of Education's Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program (CFDA 84.411) funds the development and evaluation of innovative STEM and other educational practices at three tiers: Early-phase grants (up to $3 million over three years), Mid-phase grants (up to $10 million over four years), and Expansion grants (up to $20 million over five years). Applicants must demonstrate evidence of effectiveness increasing with each tier. TRIO programs — Talent Search, Upward Bound, McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement, and Student Support Services — funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (CFDA 84.044, 84.047, 84.217, 84.042) provide comprehensive support services that increase persistence of first-generation and low-income students through STEM pathways. Grantmaking institutions should note that the Department of Education's Magnet Schools Assistance Program (CFDA 84.165) funds the development of STEM magnet schools in districts implementing voluntary desegregation plans.
Key Takeaways
- NSF's Directorate for STEM Education (CFDA 47.076) is the largest single federal STEM education funder; key programs include DRK-12 ($450K–$3M+), Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarships ($1.5M–$3M), and Graduate Research Fellowships ($37,000/year stipend).
- NSF's broadening participation portfolio — LSAMP ($700K–$3M/year), AGEP, INCLUDES, TCUP ($750K–$2M), and RDE — provides dedicated funding for increasing diversity in STEM at all education levels.
- DOE NEUP grants (CFDA 81.121) provide $400K–$800K for university nuclear engineering education; EERE's clean energy workforce development grants are increasingly important for community colleges building technical training programs.
- NASA Space Grant ($1M/year per state consortium, CFDA 43.008) and MUREP ($200K–$1M) are strong targets for universities and MSIs — all proposals submitted through NSPIRES (nspires.nasaprs.com).
- Department of Education formula funds (Title II-A, Title IV-A SSAE) reach every school district and are the most broadly accessible STEM education funding — districts should review their state's ESSA consolidated plan to understand local flexibility and priorities.