Nutrition, food systems, diet-related chronic disease, and community health. Strong fit for behavioral, implementation, and intervention science. Key programs include the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) for both foundational research and workforce development. Universities engage primarily through competitive grants and as research or evaluation partners. FY 2026 funding was stable; similar expected in FY 2027.

IPV, elder abuse, human trafficking, violence against women, substance use and crime, school safety. Solicitations are actively releasing after more than a year of silence — NIJ is using FY 2025 dollars in FY 2026. Note: topics like community violence interventions, alternative first responder models, and racial/ethnic disparities in criminal justice are likely deprioritized under this Administration.

PTSD, mental health, substance use disorder, infectious disease, and toxic exposures — framed around warfighter health. Key mechanism is the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), which releases annual solicitations. Success requires explicitly tailoring work to the warfighter context. Most program managers are not public-facing; Lewis-Burke can help facilitate introductions.

Behavioral health prevention and treatment services. Congress restored billions in grants after the Administration terminated them — a sign of strong Congressional commitment. Important: SAMHSA does not fund behavioral health research directly; that sits with NIH/NIMH. The university pathway is through state/local health department partnerships and evaluation subcontracts.

Microplastics, PFAS, environmental contaminants, and exposure science. Interagency coordination is increasing — the STOMP initiative (EPA + ARPA-H) is advancing microplastics and human health research. Environmental justice programs have been cut at EPA. Direct EPA research grants remain limited, but interdisciplinary work through NIEHS remains a viable path.

The 2026 Annual Program Statement "Advancing Global Health" has $4.5B in funding across four windows through February 2027. Current open topics include Child Development Care and Protection, and Rapid Outbreak Response. Relevant for faculty with international portfolios — but increased federal scrutiny of foreign components means any international project should be reviewed early by SPA or your RASU contact before submission.

One Health, climate and health, harmful algal blooms (HABs), and vector-borne disease. Congress has maintained funding, but the Climate Program Office has not released a solicitation since 2024. Don't abandon pursuit — plan for longer timelines and consider advocating through professional associations.

Workforce training, maternal and child health, rural health, Ryan White HIV/AIDS program. HRSA does not fund clinical or biomedical research — the university pathway is through workforce training grants and behavioral health education programs. Political appointees are increasingly involved in shaping program priorities.

Disability and aging research through the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. Programs remain active and consistent. Niche fit — relevant for faculty working on disability, aging, rehabilitation, or assistive technology. Key programs include DRRP and RRTC grants, plus the Switzer Fellowship for trainees.

IES made no awards in 2025 and is undergoing restructuring. Worth monitoring for faculty working on education-health intersections, school-based mental health, or workforce pipelines. Most ED dollars flow through service providers or state systems, not directly to universities for research.

BARDA primarily engages through public-private partnerships rather than direct university awards. NEA offers small grants ($10–25K) through the Creative Forces initiative for arts and health projects. NEH can support humanities-public health intersections through the Collaborative Research program. USGS is ecologically focused and stops short of human disease — limited public health fit.