How to find research funding opportunities as a research scientist

Learn how research scientists can prepare, search, compare and check research funding opportunities before applying.

By CDings · 2026-10-21

CDings is published by the makers of Raise Buddy and ProductCost, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Start by listing your research area, career stage, and location, then search several sources and read each call's rules before you apply.

Option	What it does	Cost
Raise Buddy Free plan ^[1]	Opens programs up to $1,000. ^[1]	Free. ^[1]
Raise Buddy Plus plan ^[1]	Opens programs up to $5,000. ^[1]	$14.99 a month. ^[1]
Raise Buddy Pro plan ^[1]	Opens every program, with advisors' review and AI connection. ^[1]	$199 a month. ^[1]

What you need before you start

Gather the basic facts a funder will ask for before you start searching. Keeping them in one place makes it quicker to judge whether a call fits.

Current role. Note your job title, your department or lab, and the institution or company that employs you.
Research area. Write a short description of your field and the question your work tries to answer.
Career stage. Record how long you have worked as a researcher and your highest degree, because some awards are limited to early-career or senior researchers.
Track record. Keep a list of recent papers, grants you have held, and projects you have led.
Funding need. Decide whether the money is for equipment, salary, travel, data collection, or another cost.
Location and citizenship. Many calls limit who can apply by country or place of residence.
Employer approval. Check early whether your institution must approve an application before it is sent.

A one-page summary of these facts helps keep applications consistent and saves time with each new call.

Step by step

Work through these steps in order so that each call is judged against the same facts.

Define the goal. Decide what the money would pay for and whether a research grant, fellowship, prize, or travel award fits that goal.
Set your search rules. Note your field, career stage, location, and institution type, since these decide who may apply.
Search several sources. Look at funder websites, your institution's research office, professional societies, and funding databases.
Read the call before anything else. Check eligibility, allowed costs, deadlines, and the documents requested.
Build a shortlist. Sort calls into ones that fit now, ones that need preparation, and ones that need more information.
Confirm unclear points. Contact the funder when rules, allowed costs, or eligibility are not clear.
Prepare each application. Adjust your answers to the call's own questions and attach the documents it asks for.
Track each application. Record the deadline, the submission date, and the next action for each one.
Review results and refresh the search. Calls change over time, so repeat the search on a regular schedule.

Start with a narrow list. A short list of well-matched calls usually takes less effort than a long list of calls you cannot apply for.

Tools that can do it

Different sources help with different parts of finding funding. Use more than one before you decide.

Raise Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. You paste your website or describe what you do, and it lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for. ^[1] Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. ^[1] It includes private foundations that take applications, using the yearly tax returns those foundations file (Form 990-PF). ^[1] Its program list includes the UK's Find a Grant, Australia's GrantConnect, France's Aides-territoires, Japan's jGrants, Spain's BDNS and Austria's Transparenzportal. ^[1] It keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. ^[1] On the Pro plan, ten AI personas read your organisation and matches and write what to do first; none of them is a real person. ^[1] On the Pro plan, you can connect an AI assistant such as Claude so it can search Raise Buddy, with ten tools to use. ^[1]

The Free plan opens programs up to $1,000, Plus is $14.99 a month and opens programs up to $5,000, and Pro is $199 a month with every program, advisors' review, and AI connection. ^[1] The first three matches in each section open on every plan. ^[1] For a guest, each search list stops after the first 5. ^[1] The app works on the web and on phones. ^[1] The web app needs nothing installed. ^[1] Only English is shown for now, even though five more languages are planned. ^[1]

Funder websites. Check the funder's own call page for rules, deadlines, and documents, because a summary elsewhere may be out of date.

Your institution's research office. Ask whether the office lists internal and external funding and whether it can explain your employer's rules for applying.

Professional societies. Check whether your field's societies list awards, fellowships, or travel support that match your career stage.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most problems with research funding come from small oversights made early in the search.

Applying without checking eligibility. A call only helps when your career stage, field, and location meet its stated rules.
Overlooking allowed costs. Some funding covers equipment but not salary, or travel but not publication fees, so check the allowed uses before you plan a budget.
Relying on a list without checking the source. Confirm deadlines and requirements on the funder's own page.
Mixing up grants and fellowships. They often have different purposes, terms, and conditions for the people who receive them.
Waiting until the last minute. Letters of support, budgets, and institutional sign-offs can take time to gather.
Using different descriptions in different applications. Keep your research summary and track record consistent across calls.
Missing follow-up requests. A request for more information left unanswered can end an otherwise strong application.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a research grant and a fellowship?

A research grant usually pays for a project and its costs, such as equipment, data collection, or travel. A fellowship usually supports a person's own training or time for research. The terms vary by funder, so read the call's own description and allowed costs before deciding which one fits your plans.

What documents do research scientists need to find funding?

Many calls ask for a summary of your research, a list of recent work, and your current employment details. Some calls also ask for letters of support, a budget, or proof of citizenship or residence. Check each call's own document list, because requirements differ between funders and can change over time.

Can Raise Buddy check whether a research scientist can apply?

Raise Buddy says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, using the funder's own words. ^[1] A verdict helps you sort calls, but it does not replace reading the funder's text yourself, especially around deadlines and allowed costs.

Does Raise Buddy apply for research funding on your behalf?

No. Raise Buddy keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. ^[1] You still write the answers, gather the documents, and send the application through the funder's process. Keeping your own copy of each submitted application makes follow-up requests easier to handle.

How much does Raise Buddy cost?

Free plan opens programs up to $1,000; Plus is $14.99 a month (up to $5,000); Pro is $199 a month (every program, advisors' review, AI connection). The first three matches in each section open on every plan. ^[1]

Try Raise Buddy

Sources

Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)