Photonics grants in the United States
Explore Photonics grants for companies in the United States. This list brings together funding for lasers, optics, integrated photonics, imaging and optical communications from US innovation agencies, research funders and foundations, international programs open to applicants in the United States, and competitions any company can enter, with the deadline, award size and eligibility on every listing. Grants aimed at Photonics in the United States come first.
Showing 1-24 of 262 grants
ECosystem for Leading Innovation in Plasma Science and Engineering (ECLIPSE)
🇺🇸NSF · United States
Funds plasma science aimed at real technological problems — manufacturing, microelectronics, agriculture, sensors, nanomaterials.
NRL Broad Agency Announcement
🇺🇸Navy · United States
Supports naval research collaborations with universities, firms, and consortia for practical outcomes.
R&D Tax Credit — Income Tax Credit (Section 41) — TY2025 / Filed
🇺🇸IRS · United States
Supports established United States companies with income tax credits tied to qualified innovation spending.
R&D Tax Credit — QSB Payroll Offset (Section 41) — TY2025 / Filed
🇺🇸IRS · United States
Supports United States small businesses through payroll tax offsets when they fund qualifying innovation activity.
AFRL/RX Functional Materials Open BAA
🇺🇸Air Force · United States
Supports advanced functional materials research in the United States through Air Force opportunities.
NSF Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs: A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation
🇺🇸NSF · United States
Funds startups building next-generation scientific instruments — up to $2 million per company, no equity taken.
Draper TIF
🇺🇸UW Entrepreneurship Hub + WiSys · United States
Funds WARF-disclosed UW Madison inventions through patent and licensing preparation for market-ready transfer.
MPS Astronomical Sciences Research Programs (MPS Astro)
🇺🇸NSF · United States
Funds astronomy research, instrumentation and new approaches through one door — a $100 million pool.
EMERGING FRONTIERS IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (EFRI-2026/27): Wave-Based Computing ( EFRI-WBC)
🇺🇸NSF · United States
Funds computing that runs on wave dynamics rather than switches — exploratory grants, or four-year projects up to $2 million.
ARO Core BAA — Single Investigator
🇺🇸ARO · United States
Offers core basic research grants across physical, engineering, and information science domains in the Army.
Molecular Imaging of Inflammation in Cancer
🇺🇸NIH · United States
Funds molecular imaging that shows how inflammation and cancer interact inside a living body, rather than in a dish or a slide.
AFRL/RD Tactical BAA
🇺🇸Air Force · United States
Funds directed energy development from early concept through advanced demonstration in defense applications.
AFRL/RD DETER ARA
🇺🇸Air Force · United States
Supports directed energy concept teams through AFRL DETER by backing proposals in an open pathway model.
Engineering (ENG): Electrical, Communications, and Computing Systems (ECCS)
🇺🇸NSF · United States
Funds foundational engineering research on devices, circuits and control — $110 million across roughly 300 awards, with no deadline.
Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for NSWC Crane
🇺🇸ONR · United States
Funds early-stage research and technology demonstrators across NSWC Crane's electronic warfare, sensors and power-systems missions.
Low-Cost Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (LC CSAC)
🇺🇸AMC · United States
Funds one or more for-profit teams building a low-cost, battery-powered chip-scale atomic clock for the Army.
Montana STEP Export Grant
🇺🇸MT Commerce · United States
Funds Montana small businesses exporting deep-tech products internationally through reimbursement of trade shows, compliance testing, IP filings, e-commerce, and market research costs.
MPS Materials Research Programs (MPS Materials)
🇺🇸NSF · United States
Funds eight NSF materials programmes through one door — ceramics, polymers, metals, biomaterials and more, across 300 awards.
MPS Physics Research Programs (MPS Physics)
🇺🇸NSF · United States
Funds every NSF physics programme through one door — quantum information, particle physics, plasma, gravity and more, from $180 million.
NEI SBIR Phase I — Feasibility
🇺🇸NEI · United States
Supports United States. small businesses testing vision concepts through feasibility-focused grants.
NEI SBIR Phase II — R&D
🇺🇸NEI · United States
Supports United States. small businesses scaling vision concepts into full development pathways.
NEI STTR Phase I — Feasibility
🇺🇸NEI · United States
Funds small business and research-partner teams on feasibility vision tools for future commercialization.
NEI STTR Phase II — R&D
🇺🇸NEI · United States
Funds collaborative small-business partnerships to mature vision innovation into market-ready healthcare technologies.
NEMC PROPEL Round 4
🇺🇸NEMC · United States
Funds microelectronics prototype development in the northeastern United States through staged support.