Three international research grants for 2025 are now open:
1. Nature Intelligence for Business Grand Challenge (Deadline: 15 Dec 2025)
2. Small Research Grants on Education Program (Deadline: 15 Dec 2025)
3. Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge (Deadline: 15 Dec 2025)
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1.Nature Intelligence for Business Grand Challenge
The Nature Intelligence for Business Grand Challenge is a global initiative designed to unlock nature-related assessments for small and medium enterprises worldwide. The Challenge seeks practical solutions that enable small and medium-sized enterprises around the world to access nature intelligence and better understand their nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities. Innovations should employ TNFD’s LEAP approach—Locate, Evaluate, Assess, and Prepare—to help SMEs integrate nature intelligence into their operations.
The Nature Intelligence for Business Grand Challenge is implemented by Conservation X Labs in conjunction with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with funding from the Government of Germany’s International Climate Initiative.
Eligibility
Eligible applications must meet the following minimum requirements:
• The innovation has reached at least an Application Readiness Level of 3 (Proof of Concept) by the application deadline and will be at Application Readiness Level of 4 (Prototype) by January 2026 in order to compete in the Feedback & Testing phase of the competition.
• The innovation will be ready to be tested by potential users and customers by January 2026.
• The application is submitted by an individual of at least 18 years of age, organization, business, university, association, and/or civil society group. Governments at any level are not eligible to apply.
Multiple organizations may collaborate to submit an application, but one organization or
individual must be named to assume the financial and administrative responsibility of the award. Organizations may submit more than one application for different, unique innovations.
Maximum Awards: Participating innovators may benefit from global recognition, press coverage, mentorship, technical and business assistance, access to a coalition of partners, preferred market access, and opportunities for collaboration. A total prize pool of USD 100,000 is available, including testing stipends and development grants for finalists and winners.
Application Process: All applications must be submitted online at https://www.conservationxlabs.com/natureintelligence
Application Deadline: 15 December 2025
Further information: https://www.conservationxlabs.com/natureintelligence
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2.Small Research Grants on Education Program
The Small Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education.
Funding Organization: Spencer Foundation
Scope: Education improvement
Eligibility: Eligible proposals must focus on research in education. Principal Investigators (PIs) and Co-PIs applying for a Small Research Grant on Education must have an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field. The PI must be affiliated with a non-profit organization or public/governmental institution that is willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded. Examples include non-profit or public colleges, universities, school districts, and research facilities, as well as other non-profit organizations. Proposals are accepted from the U.S. and internationally.
Maximum Award: Up to $50,000 for projects ranging from one to five years.
Application Process: All applications must be submitted online at https://spencer.smartsimple.us/s_Login.jsp
Application Deadline: 15 December 2025
Further information: https://www.spencer.org/grant_types/small-research-grant
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3.Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge
The Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge hosted by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and funded by the Seeding The Future Foundation, recognizes and supports breakthrough innovations that can spark transformations of our food systems, with a particular focus on addressing critical challenges in the Global South. The Challenge aims to inspire impactful and transforming innovations that reside at the INNOVATION FOCUS AREA in which three domains intersect:
• Innovations leading to safe and nutritious food for a healthy diet
• Innovations leading to sustainable or regenerative practices that enable food systems to stay within planetary boundaries, including food waste and food loss reduction
• Innovations leading to equitable access to food that is affordable, appealing and trusted
Eligibility: The following organizations are eligible to compete in the Challenge:
• Non-profits or non-governmental organizations located in any country
• Academic or research institutions located in any country
• Early-stage or emerging for-profit companies or social enterprises located in any country
Individuals are not eligible to apply. Please note, however, that teams of students or researchers may participate as part of an organization’s submission. Organizations are encouraged to form teams to compete in the Challenge.
Award Types:
The Challenge provides three levels of awards according to the food system’s different stages of development.
• Seed Grants ($25,000 each) will be awarded to organizations that are planting and nurturing high-potential, innovative ideas and have developed a prototype and/or initial proof of concept demonstrating feasibility.
• Growth Grants ($100,000 each) will be awarded to organizations that have demonstrated that their innovation is doable and have projected both economic feasibility at scale and high-impact potential to transform the food system.
• Seeding The Future Grand Prizes ($250,000 each) will be awarded to organizations that have created innovations that are scalable, economically feasible at scale, trusted, and compelling to consumers, and have demonstrated major impact potential to transform the food system.
Application Process: All applications must be submitted online at https://www.welthungerhilfe.org/global-food-system-challenge
Application Deadline: 15 December 2025
Further information: https://www.welthungerhilfe.org/global-food-system-challenge
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For more information, please contact
Ms. Panida Suwannatheerak and Ms. Mananchaya Pissaparn
Tel: 02 470 9654
Email: researchfollowup@kmutt.ac.th
