Rankings · Opportunities
Most Active Grant Programs
Grant programs ranked by number of opportunities posted, the programs with the most active funding notices.
- 316
- #1 · Engineering Grants
- 50
- entries ranked
The verdict
Engineering Grants leads with 316, ahead of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (212); Investments for Public Works and Economic Development at 5 is #50, the current cutoff to make this list.
- 316
- #1 · Engineering Grants
- 50
- entries ranked by opportunities
- 5
- #50 cutoff to make this list
- 1.5×
- the #1 vs #2 gap
What this ranking tells you
Active programs, those posting the most opportunities, are where the grant-seeking action is. Programs topping this list regularly post new funding notices, giving applicants multiple chances to apply throughout the year. High-volume programs often have standardized application processes, making subsequent applications easier once you understand the first one. For organizations building a sustainable funding strategy, targeting active programs with recurring deadlines is more effective than chasing one-time opportunities.
Top 10 by opportunities
The shape of the ranking at a glance.
The bar to make this list
This published top 50 has a current cutoff of 5: 49 entries sit above it and Investments for Public Works and Economic Development holds the final included place. These bands describe this ranking only, not every federal grant.
Opportunities distribution within this published ranking
Each band is measured against the #50 cutoff of 5
Entries grouped by multiples of the #50 opportunities cutoff
Each bar is a labelled band; taller bars hold more ranked entries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source SAM.gov + Grants.gov · 2026-08-10
| # | Name | Opportunities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering GrantsNational Science Foundation | 316 |
| 2 | Mathematical and Physical SciencesNational Science Foundation | 212 |
| 3 | Social, Behavioral, and Economic SciencesNational Science Foundation | 212 |
| 4 | GeosciencesNational Science Foundation | 211 |
| 5 | Mental Health Research GrantsNational Institutes of Health | 191 |
| 6 | Drug Abuse Research ProgramsNational Institutes of Health | 173 |
| 7 | Biological SciencesNational Science Foundation | 165 |
| 8 | Alcohol Research Center GrantsNational Institutes of Health | 154 |
| 9 | Computer and Information Science and EngineeringNational Science Foundation | 150 |
| 10 | STEM Education GrantsNational Science Foundation | 136 |
| 11 | Research on Healthcare Costs, Quality and OutcomesU.S. Department of Health and Human Services | 121 |
| 12 | Oral Health Prevention and EducationCenters for Disease Control and Prevention | 100 |
| 13 | Heart and Vascular Disease ResearchNational Institutes of Health | 97 |
| 14 | Nursing ResearchNational Institutes of Health | 90 |
| 15 | Biological Response to Environmental Health HazardsNational Institutes of Health | 87 |
| 16 | Research and Training in Sleep MedicineNational Institutes of Health | 86 |
| 17 | Cancer Research GrantsNational Institutes of Health | 83 |
| 18 | Discovery Research for Cancer DiagnosticsNational Institutes of Health | 77 |
| 19 | Lung Disease ResearchNational Institutes of Health | 76 |
| 20 | National Center on Sleep Disorders ResearchNational Institutes of Health | 67 |
| 21 | International Science and Engineering ResearchNational Science Foundation | 66 |
| 22 | Cancer ControlCenters for Disease Control and Prevention | 64 |
| 23 | Diabetes, Endocrine, and Metabolic Disease ResearchNational Institutes of Health | 59 |
| 24 | NSF Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)National Science Foundation | 50 |
| 25 | Allergy, Immunology, and Transplantation ResearchNational Institutes of Health | 50 |
| 26 | Cancer Treatment ResearchNational Institutes of Health | 45 |
| 27 | Minority Health and Health Disparities ResearchNational Institutes of Health | 44 |
| 28 | NSF Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)National Science Foundation | 43 |
| 29 | Medical Library AssistanceNational Institutes of Health | 41 |
| 30 | Food and Drug Administration ResearchU.S. Department of Health and Human Services | 37 |
| 31 | Antarctic Research GrantsNational Science Foundation | 31 |
| 32 | USAID International Development GrantsU.S. Department of State | 30 |
| 33 | Conservation Research and DevelopmentU.S. Department of Energy | 29 |
| 34 | Mental Health National Research Service AwardsNational Institutes of Health | 19 |
| 35 | Aerospace Education ServicesNational Aeronautics and Space Administration | 18 |
| 36 | Migratory Bird Conservation GrantU.S. Department of the Interior | 16 |
| 37 | Agriculture and Food Research InitiativeU.S. Department of Agriculture | 12 |
| 38 | Basic Energy SciencesU.S. Department of Energy | 10 |
| 39 | Energy Storage TechnologiesU.S. Department of Energy | 10 |
| 40 | Economic Adjustment AssistanceU.S. Department of Commerce | 9 |
| 41 | Wetlands Protection Development GrantsU.S. Environmental Protection Agency | 9 |
| 42 | Trade Adjustment Assistance for FirmsU.S. Department of Commerce | 8 |
| 43 | Health Care Facilities CooperationU.S. Department of Health and Human Services | 8 |
| 44 | Economic Development Technical Assistance ProgramU.S. Department of Commerce | 7 |
| 45 | Technology Transfer ResearchNational Aeronautics and Space Administration | 7 |
| 46 | Exploration Systems Research and DevelopmentNational Aeronautics and Space Administration | 7 |
| 47 | Aeronautics ResearchNational Aeronautics and Space Administration | 7 |
| 48 | Second Chance Act Reentry InitiativeU.S. Department of Justice | 6 |
| 49 | NASA University Research InitiativeNational Aeronautics and Space Administration | 6 |
| 50 | Investments for Public Works and Economic DevelopmentU.S. Department of Commerce | 5 |
Source: SAM.gov + Grants.gov. See our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some programs have so many opportunities?
Programs post separate opportunities for different funding rounds, geographic regions, or topic areas. NSF Engineering, for example, posts separate notices for each engineering subdiscipline. Each is a distinct competition with its own deadline, reviewers, and award criteria.
Is it easier to get funded by active programs?
Not necessarily easier, but you get more chances. Active programs provide regular application windows, so a rejection in one round does not mean waiting a year. You can refine your application and resubmit. Over time, applicants who persistently target active programs have higher cumulative success rates.
What to do next
Engineering Grants leads this opportunities ranking at 316 (1.5× #2).
- Open the #1 entry to see eligibility, deadlines, and source links before you compare the rest of the table. View #1
- #2 is Mathematical and Physical Sciences at 212 - compare both before you anchor on a single winner. View #2
- 504 Assistance Listings and 82,290 Grants.gov rows sit in this extract, filter before you apply. National snapshot
Rankings use SAM.gov + Grants.gov as of August 2026; verify live deadlines on Grants.gov before applying.
Explore More Rankings
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
According to the U.S. General Services Administration, the SAM.gov Assistance Listings catalog tracked 82,290 federal grant opportunities across 504 assistance programs and 24 federal agencies as of August 2026. See our methodology for how this data is sourced and verified.
Every figure on PlainGrants is rendered directly from SAM.gov Assistance Listings data, no number is typed in by an editor. This ranking draws directly on SAM.gov Assistance Listings data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data issue on this page.
| Publisher | PlainGrants |
| Sources | the SAM.gov Assistance Listings and Grants.gov |