Small Health Care Grants

Small health care grants are awarded to organizations (hospitals, universities, etc.) from both federal and non-federal sources for purposes such as research, support of health care trainees, and community service programs. Federal grant opportunities can be located and applied for at Grants.gov, the federal grant storehouse. Grants from public and private foundations are best researched at the individual websites of each foundation.

Federal Agencies

• Several federal agencies award small grants related to health care. These agencies are: the Department of Health and Human Services, the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Food & Drug Administration, the Health Resources & Services Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.

NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award

• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award provides up to a maximum of $275,000 for a two-year period. According to NIH, it is "intended to encourage exploratory/developmental research." It provides funding for the conception stage of a research project.

NIH Small Grant Program

• The NIH Small Grant Program provides grants for up to $50,000 a year. This program targets small scale research projects that can be completed with both a small budget and a short time table. The NIH website states that target projects include "pilot or feasibility studies, collection of preliminary data, secondary analysis of existing data, small, self-contained research projects, and development of new research technology."

NIH Fellowships

• NIH fellowships, like the Pre-doctoral Individual National Research Service Award and the Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award, provide funding for pre- and post-doctoral candidates to pursue research training to help them obtain their degree or expand their research skills within their field.