Grants for Minorities
Federal grants are considered financial assistance provided by a government agency to execute a public intention of aid or incentive that is authorized by a United States law. These grants are not classified as benefits, entitlements, federal loans, or loans to certain recipients. Federal grants are monetary awards that will be utilized as financial assistance intended to execute work for charitable purposes or those that will benefit the public. The grantee must adhere to certain requirements and fulfill the grant's obligations to the last detail.
The goal of United States government grants is to benefit the community and the society as a whole. In fact, there are grants given to minority populations in various fields, professions, businesses, and research groups. Grants for minorities are meant to make a difference in the living conditions of the recipients by providing them access to higher education and professional advancement. Once you meet eligibility requirements, you can have access to various minority grants. Who then qualifies for a minority grant? For the most part, U.S. citizens who identify themselves as African-American, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American can receive grants for minorities.
Minority Business Grants
Are you looking for small business grants for minorities? Members of a minority looking to start their own small business should look locally when searching for grant money. Examples of regional organizations offering small business grants for minorities include: Brotherhood Business Development & Capital Fund, Operation HOPE, FAME Renaissance, and Pacific Coast Regional. Also, your local Chamber of Commerce may know of funding opportunities in your area for minority businesses. Is your minority business already up and running? The National Minority Supply and Diversity Council can be a good first contact. Although not a grant issuer, they connect their larger member companies with minority businesses. These corporations are wanting to purchase goods and services directly from minority-owned small businesses. For a list of grants specifically for black women-owned businesses, visit Small Business Grants for Black Women.
Black Scholarships and Grants
In providing college grants to African-Americans, the following programs have benefited many students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities with grants: The United Negro College Fund, Frederick Douglass Scholars Program, Mordecai Wyatt Johnson Program, and The National Black Nurses Association, and American Psychological Association's Minority Fellowship Program to name a few.
Hispanic Grants
Hispanic minority grants are generally fewer in number when compared to other minority grants. However, the government does in fact provide funding for Hispanic colleges and universities. Some of the programs covering these grants are Hispanic Nurses Association grants and scholarships, March of Dimes Nursing Scholarship program, Jose Marti College Grant, and Silicon Valley Scholarship.
Asian-American Grants
The Asian minority is said to be the fastest growing minority group in the United States. The Association for Asian Studies, Asian American Journalists Association, Asian American Federation of New York, and Southeast Asian Studies Regional Exchange Program are examples of organizations that provide Asian minority grants. Furthermore, The Luisa Mallari Fellowship is known to be the largest Asian minority grant program which allows the students to learn about their home countries.
Grants for Native Americans
Native Americans also have their set of college grants. Prior to an approval of a grant, one must first present a proof of Certificate Indian Blood (CIB) and that he or she actually belongs to a recognized tribe. Once such proof is certified as true then one can have access to the following grants: US Fish & Wildlife Service: 2008 Tribal Wildlife Grants, Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants, Indian Adult Education, Minority Science and Engineering Improvement, and Special diabetes program for Indians: Diabetes Prevention & Treatment Projects.
Grants for Disabled People
People with disabilities, whether physical or mental, are likewise privileged of grants that would assist them in educational endeavor, may it be for preschool, college, or career training. Here are the list of the known group grants: Special Education Preschool Grants, Harry Truman Scholarship Program, Rehabilitation Training: Continuing Education, Tech-Prep Education, and Training Interpreters for Individuals who are Deaf & Individuals who are Deaf-Blind.
Grants for Low Income Students
Although not designed specifically for minorities, there are several popular grants that a prospective minority college student needs to know about. These grants are targeted toward helping mainly low income households. The Federal Pell Grant is the most important, because if you qualify for a Pell Grant you can then apply for the National SMART Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and the Academic Competitiveness Grant.
Are you a member of a minority looking for a grant? Start your search with the following list of grants currently available to minorities:
- EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII): EPSCoR Research Fellows
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Hispanic Serving Institutions: Equitable Transformation in STEM Education (ETSE)
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Expanding AI Innovation through Capacity Building and Partnerships
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Partnerships for Research Innovation in the Mathematical Sciences
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Computer and Information Science and Engineering Research Expansion Program
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Security, Privacy, and Trust in Cyberspace
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Build and Broaden: Enhancing Social, Behavioral and Economic Science Research and Capacity at Minority-Serving Institutions
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Racial Equity in STEM Education
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Faculty Development in geoSpace Science
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology Postdoctoral Research Program
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Build and Broaden: Enhancing Social, Behavioral and Economic Science Research and Capacity at Minority-Serving Institutions
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Security, Privacy, and Trust in Cyberspace
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Partnerships for Research Innovation in the Mathematical Sciences
Deadline: July 7th, 2025 - Applications for New Awards; Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program
Deadline: July 3rd, 2025 - FY26 Communications and Networking Applied Research
Deadline: September 26th, 2025 - Program Year 2025 Funding Allotments and Application Instructions for the WIOA Section 166 Indian and Native American Programs Grantees
Deadline: June 27th, 2025 - Quantum Characterization, Calibration, and Control (QC3)
Deadline: August 7th, 2025 - Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation
Deadline: November 21st, 2025 - Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology - Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering
Deadline: August 1st, 2025 - Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs
Deadline: October 1st, 2025 - Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadline: January 7th, 2027 - Improving Care and Outcomes for Cancer Survivors from Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Populations (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadline: January 7th, 2027 - Building Biomedical Engineering Education, Research, and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU eBETA) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: September 30th, 2025 - FY25 Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology
Deadline: September 30th, 2025 - Department of Defense Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI)
Deadline: July 31st, 2029 - Community Level Interventions to Improve Minority Health and Reduce Health Disparities (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadline: January 7th, 2027 - Technologies for Improving Minority Health and Eliminating Health Disparities (R41/R42- Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadline: December 9th, 2026 - Innovations for Healthy Living - Improving Minority Health and Eliminating Health Disparities (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadline: December 9th, 2026 - Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs
Deadline: March 5th, 2026 - Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (msipp) Consortia Grant Program (cgp)
Deadline: June 15th, 2026 - Addressing Health and Health Care Disparities among Sexual and Gender Minority Populations (R01 - Clinical Trials Optional)
Deadline: January 7th, 2027 - Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) Planning Grants (R34 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: July 8th, 2026 - Enhancing Biomedical Engineering, Imaging, and Technology Acceleration (BEITA) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Deadline: September 30th, 2025 - Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health (R34 Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadline: January 7th, 2027 - Improving Care and Outcomes for Cancer Survivors from Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Populations (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadline: January 7th, 2027 - Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) (S06 Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadline: August 7th, 2026 - Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional)
Deadline: January 7th, 2026