Best Physics Grants in Alaska

The Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (AGS-PRF) support early career researchers conducting independent studies in diverse areas such as Atmospheric Chemistry and Space Weather Research. These fellowships, lasting up to 24 months, aim to enhance the research capabilities of promising individuals while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and leadership within the scientific community. AGS encourages applications from diverse backgrounds to promote inclusivity and equity in geoscience.

The Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership (SIGP) Scholarship Program, funded by the A.P. Sloan Foundation, aims to support Indigenous graduate students in STEM fields. This program, a collaboration among the Montana University System institutions, offers scholarships, professional development, and networking opportunities to enhance the academic journey of Indigenous students. With awards of $20,000 for M.S. and $40,000 for Ph.D. candidates, the SIGP seeks to increase the number of Indigenous scholars earning advanced degrees in science and engineering.

The M J Murdock Charitable Trust offers Strategic Projects: Equipment & Technology Grants to nonprofits in the Pacific Northwest. These grants focus on capacity-building projects and essential equipment, requiring recipients to cover at least 50% of costs. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) nonprofits and tribal entities. Priority is given to projects enhancing community services, education, and environmental stewardship, supporting initiatives that foster human flourishing and demonstrate diversified funding.

The National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) offers a Pre-doctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Ataxia Research, a competitive, non-renewable award aimed at enhancing the training of students in health professional programs. This fellowship provides partial funding of $50,000 over two years for research related to ataxia. Applicants must identify as underrepresented minorities and aim for careers in research or clinical science. The fellowship promotes diversity and supports innovative research in the field.

The Tree Campus Higher Education Program, initiated by the Arbor Day Foundation, empowers colleges and universities to enhance their community forests while achieving national recognition. By participating, institutions commit to comprehensive tree care and education, significantly benefiting both the environment and student well-being. This program not only promotes sustainability but also fosters a sense of pride within campus communities. Join us in cultivating greener campuses and nurturing the next generation's commitment to environmental stewardship.

Indian Health Service

The Indian Health Service, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services , is responsible for providing federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. The provision of health services to members of federally-recognized tribes grew out of the special government-to-government relationship between the federal government and Indian tribes. This relationship, established in 1787, is based on Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, and has been given form and substance by numerous treaties, laws, Supreme Court decisions, and Executive Orders. The IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for Indian people, and its goal is to raise their health status to the highest possible level. The IHS provides a comprehensive health service.

IHS Extern Program

Become an IHS Extern

The Indian Health Service (IHS) offers IHS scholarship recipients and other qualified students the opportunity to participate in a hands-on instructive experience that will complement the knowledge and skills developed in school. This experience will help to enhance pre-professional training, while also familiarizing yourself with Native communities that are of interest to you when you begin your health professions career.

IHS externs are employed for 30 to 120 workdays per calendar year during non-academic periods

Salary

Externs received a salary based on experience and years of academic training that is comparable to industry standards. IHS will waive your salary if the externship fulfills a required academic field placement or an internship.

Housing

Externs are responsible for securing their own housing arrangements. Host sites may be able to provide information or resources to assist in identifying housing options within the community. Externs are encouraged to maintain communication with their Extern Coordinator and host site to ensure all arrangements are confirmed prior to travel. This preparation supports a smooth transition into the externship experience and enables externs to focus on contributing to the Indian Health.

Eligible degree programs for Summer 2025 (must be accepted into program at time of application):

• Pre-Nursing (Sophomore Level, leading to a Bachelor Degree of Science)
• Pre- Medicine (Junior/Senior Level, leading to a Bachelor Degree of Science)
• Pre-Dentistry (Junior/Senior Level, leading to a Bachelor Degree of Science)

Must be enrolled in the Bachelor Degree program by January 1, 2025:

• Nursing
• Environmental Health
• Engineering (Civil or Environmental - Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)
• Clinical Laboratory Scientist
• Dental Hygiene
• Diagnostic Radiology

Must be enrolled in the Master Degree program by January 1, 2025:

• Nurse Midwife
• Social Work (LCSW)
• Nurse Practitioner
• Physician Assistant
• Occupational Therapy

Must be enrolled in the Doctoral Degree program by January 1, 2025:

• Clinical Psychology
• Dentistry
• Nurse Anesthetist
• Nurse Practitioner (DNP)
• Optometry
• Pharmacy
• Physician, Allopathy
• Physician, Osteopathy
• Physical Therapy
• Podiatry

Duties include:

• Gain working knowledge and experience in your chosen health profession or field with Indian Health Service during non-academic periods for up to 120 workdays per calendar year.
• Assist preceptor in daily duties in their academic field.
• Assist and prepare reports on assigned projects.
• Assist on day-to-day administrative operations by performing tasks related to their department functions.

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) in Alaska supports nonprofit organizations at high risk of terrorist attacks by providing funding for physical security enhancements. With up to $1,650,000 available in 2025, individual awards may reach $200,000. This initiative aims to improve security posture, address capability gaps, and foster collaboration among community and government agencies, ensuring a comprehensive approach to emergency preparedness and resilience against evolving threats.

About Us

Driving Positive Change in Noble County!

At the Community Foundation of Noble County we are passionate about making Noble County an even better place to call home. Since 1991, area residents have been turning to the Community Foundation of Noble County to make their philanthropic giving as effective as possible, as we see it as our mission to serve as a catalyst for positive change. The Community Foundation of Noble County is a public charity 501 (c) 3 entity.

As a group of invested community members, we identify local current and emerging issues and stimulate resources to address those needs, helping our region prepare for the future. We then leverage gifts and bequests from generous donors like you to drive positive change through grants in such areas as arts and culture, education, health and human services, civic affairs and other charitable areas of interest.

Our Mission

To improve the quality of life in Noble County by serving as catalyst for positive change, enabling donors to carry out charitable intent, and making grants.

Donor Story – Joest, Brian H. Memorial Fund

Brian Henry Joest was born in Lagrange, Indiana in 1957. He grew up on the Atwood family farm that was settled by his ancestors in the mid-1800s. Now a historical Hoosier Homestead, the Atwood Farm provided him with all the outdoor activities possible for a farm boy in northern Indiana. Brian’s love of nature and the outdoors continued throughout his life. After high school, he attended Glen Oaks Community College and then Purdue University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics

For decades, Brian went on annual backcountry camping and canoeing trips across the US and Canada. He paddled some of the most beautiful rivers in North America. He took a road trip to remote northern Alaska. He camped out on an active volcano in Guatemala. He explored most of the US National Parks. In his later years, his travels were less rustic but still adventurous as he and his wife, Cindy, checked off many items on his bucket list. They traveled to Paris, Rome, Florence, the Amalfi Coast of Italy, Ireland, and all around the US and Canada.

Brian began his professional career with management positions at Many Glacier Hotel at Glacier National Park in Montana; the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan; the Mountain View Grand Resort in New Hampshire; and Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado. He also worked for Marriott Corporation where he opened new hotels across the Midwest.

Upon the birth of his first child, Brian moved his young family back to Lagrange County so his children could grow up on the Atwood Farm near their family. Brian worked for Life Care Center of Lagrange, was a substitute teacher for the Lakeland School District, and worked for fifteen years for East Noble School Corporation, most recently as an Instructional Assistant for high school students with special needs.

Brian enjoyed doing things for other people and took so much joy in their happiness. His career choices reflected his servant’s heart. He loved working in the hospitality industry and being able to make someone else’s vacation more memorable. He helped the patients and their families at Life Care Center. He spent years making a difference for students in our local schools.

Brian experienced first-hand the unique challenges faced by the families of individuals with special needs. He was a father, stepfather, and step-grandfather to children with different disabilities. He understood the difficulties of navigating support systems and knew there are gaps in these systems that result in unmet needs. At the end of his life, while he was fighting cancer, Brian dreamed of being able to return to the classroom to help special needs students. This was not to be. In 2022, his family created this fund in his honor with the intent of continuing his dream to help improve the lives of individuals with special needs.

The Neuroscience Scholars Program, hosted by the Society for Neuroscience, is a prestigious two-year online training initiative designed for graduate and postdoctoral researchers. Participants gain access to live events, mentorship, and educational resources, promoting career advancement and community building. The program offers two categories: Fellows, who receive additional benefits such as travel awards and mentoring, and Associates, who can participate in an online diversity group. This opportunity aims to foster diversity and inclusion in neuroscience.

The Alaska Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant aims to enhance student learning beyond school hours. With approximately $3.7 million available annually, the program focuses on students from high-poverty schools, fostering academic achievement through community learning centers. These centers provide academic support and enrichment activities, such as STEM, arts, and counseling, while encouraging partnerships with local organizations to improve program quality and sustainability. Grants will be awarded for a five-year period, starting in 2025.

Creative West

Established in 1974 as a nonprofit U.S. Regional Arts Organization (USRAO), Creative West was founded on the belief that place matters to the creative process. Fifty years later, communities of place, practice, experience, and identity remain fundamental to our work, framing our understanding of how culture is creatively produced and collectively experienced.

Creative West empowers artists and culture-makers with direct, practical resources, delivered regionally.

We offer practical, equity-centered learning experiences and funding opportunities that connect and inspire artists, culture-bearers and communities to build a more inclusive sector, strengthen the arts field, and catalyze change.

Native Arts and Heritage Fund

The Native Arts + Heritage Fund (NAHF) is a community-rooted award program created to support Native American and Alaska Native artists, culture bearers, and cultural practitioners across the Creative West region.

Co-designed with Native-centered artists, advisors, and community leaders, NAHF centers care, cultural continuity, and self-determination. The fund honors Indigenous ways of knowing and values process over product, relationship over compliance, and well-being as a meaningful measure of impact. In addition to unrestricted funding, selected artists will participate in a three-month virtual cohort experience designed for connection, reflection, and shared learning.

NAHF is administered by Creative West, an organization that uplifts artists and culture bearers across the Creative West region by providing funding, mentorship, and culturally rooted support.

This is not a project-based grant.

This is an invitation into funding and relationships.

Applicants must provide a letter of support from an Alaska Native or Native American community member who can speak to their relationship to community and cultural work.

Unrestricted Funds May Be Used For:

• Taking time to create, reflect, or rest
• Purchasing tools, materials, or supplies
• Covering food, rent, childcare, or transportation
• Supporting wellness: physical, emotional, spiritual, or cultural
• Participating in cultural exchanges, mentorship, or learning
• Creating space to gather, teach, or share knowledge

The ASTRO-AAPM Physics Resident/Post-Doctoral Fellow Seed Grant supports early-career scientists in radiation oncology physics research. Jointly funded by AAPM and ASTRO, this grant aims to foster innovation in the field, with up to two awards of $50,000 each available. Eligible applicants include medical physics residents and post-doctoral fellows who are active members of ASTRO and AAPM. This initiative strives to enhance the next generation of researchers, ensuring a commitment to advancing radiation oncology.

The J.W. Couch Foundation Grant focuses on supporting Wildlife Conservation nonprofit organizations that align with their mission of community betterment and environmental protection. The foundation seeks partnerships with organizations that promote animal wellbeing, early childhood education, teacher support, and outdoor activities. Eligible applicants must be registered 501(c)3 nonprofits or for-profit entities aligned with their charitable programs. This grant emphasizes collaboration and community engagement to create lasting impacts.

The Municipality of Anchorage is launching the Beyond the Beige program, which offers up to $50,000 for collaborative projects enhancing public spaces through art. This initiative encourages partnerships among local organizations to spark community dialogue and beautify neighborhoods. Awardees are required to comply with local laws and secure liability insurance. The program aims to enrich cultural heritage and promote local artists while ensuring public access to the projects. Applications are due by the end of 2025.

The Alaska Airlines Foundation Grant supports youth in underserved areas of Alaska and Hawaii, focusing on empowering young people through career exploration, mentorship, and skill development. Grants range from $5,000 to $20,000, prioritizing organizations that demonstrate partnership and sustainability. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that do not discriminate based on protected categories. Funds should be utilized within a year, with grants not exceeding 10% of the organization's budget or 50% of the program budget.

The American Society of Biomechanics' B-Sure Program aims to foster diversity in biomechanics by providing summer research internships to undergraduate students from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Participants will receive grants of up to $6000 for living expenses and a complimentary ASB student membership. This initiative encourages engagement in scientific research and supports students who have faced educational disadvantages, thus enhancing diversity within the biomechanics community.

The Municipality of Anchorage is offering the Mayor's Art Grants to support local nonprofit organizations in the arts and culture sector. With a total funding of $175,000, these grants aim to foster public engagement through various projects, including performances and accessible art. Eligible organizations must have 501(c)(3) status, be locally recognized, and adhere to a nondiscrimination policy. This initiative enhances community wellness by promoting cultural heritage and artistic expression.

The O'Reilly Automotive Foundation Grant focuses on enhancing community welfare through philanthropic initiatives that support economic stability, workforce development, health services, and disaster relief. Established in 2020, the Foundation seeks to empower underrepresented individuals and organizations in the U.S. by addressing vital community needs. It particularly aims to provide assistance to nonprofits that foster positive change and improve quality of life for those in need, ensuring a lasting impact in local communities.

Newman’s Own Foundation is offering the Food Justice for Kids Prize, providing up to $100,000 in grant funding over two years for organizations promoting food justice for children in the U.S. This initiative focuses on Indigenous Food Justice and Nutrition Education, addressing the high rates of food insecurity among children, particularly in marginalized communities. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, public schools, and tribes that serve children under 18. The foundation aims to ensure all kids have access to nutritious food and education on sustainable food systems.

The Quality Schools Grant Program, funded by the Alaska Department of Education, aims to enhance student achievement by aligning educational practices with Alaska Standards. Schools may apply for $16 per adjusted Average Daily Membership to support various educational activities, including curriculum development and tutoring. The program prioritizes interventions that positively impact students struggling with core subjects like reading, writing, and mathematics, ensuring that all funded efforts contribute to measurable academic improvements.

The NWS Student Travel Award, offered by the American Physical Society, provides financial support of up to $400 for undergraduate students to attend the Annual Meeting. This initiative aims to enhance participation among students, especially those without other funding sources, who are presenting research. Established in 1998, the Northwest Section of APS fosters collaboration among physicists in the Pacific Northwest, promoting educational and research opportunities within the community.

National Geographic Society

For more than 130 years, the National Geographic Society has funded the best and brightest individuals dedicated to scientific discovery and understanding of our world.

Our historic commitment to dauntless exploration dates back to our founding in 1888 when 33 prominent scholars and scientists established an organization dedicated to the “increase and diffusion of knowledge.”

Today, National Geographic Explorers are continuing to push the boundaries of knowledge, uncovering new insights about the natural and cultural worlds, and strengthening our connection to them and one another.

Developing Future Ocean Stewards

How does the ocean shape your life? How do you shape the ocean?

The ocean functions as Earth’s primary life support system. It produces half the oxygen we breathe, regulates our global climate, and sustains the livelihoods of over 3 billion people. Yet, human activities are putting our ocean in serious danger. Pollution and unsustainable industrial practices are damaging ocean habitats that are crucial for climate regulation, sustaining marine biodiversity, and supporting the global blue economy.

To combat this, we need to promote “Ocean Literacy” – an understanding of the ocean’s influence on humanity and humanity’s influence on the ocean. The knowledge-deficit model of ocean literacy assumes that increasing public education and awareness about the marine environment will lead to pro-ocean actions. However, it has not sparked large-scale behavior change.

Education without emotional resonance does not move people to act. To save our ocean, we have to expand what it means to be ocean literate. We need to foster and support ocean stewards: people who feel connected to the ocean and take responsibility for enacting change in their communities.

What we aim to fund with this call

The National Geographic Society aims to invest in ocean literacy by funding projects that focus on community-based projects that help people form strong emotional bonds with the ocean and develop or deepen a sense of ocean identity through immersive learning experiences. These projects will address the socioeconomic, psychological, cultural, and physical barriers to developing or embodying an ocean connection. This call values a “one water system” perspective, which emphasizes the fundamental understanding that all water on Earth is interconnected. As such, we aim to reach populations who are often excluded from conservation dialogues. Through these projects, learners will gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to develop a reciprocal relationship with the ocean, becoming ocean stewards.

Projects funded through this RFP must:

• Be led by an individual with a strong connection to and/or an existing track record of work in the community(ies) where the project will take place, or by a member of the community themselves, and be designed with the community and/or reflective of the community’s needs
• Tailor ocean literacy to their specific cultural and geographic realities

We are particularly interested in projects that are transdisciplinary, mixing natural and social sciences. For example, projects that combine storytelling, local knowledge, and ocean-focused design

This RFP is also interested in projects in National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions destinations, including the Arctic, Asia, Baja California, Costa Rica and Panama, Europe and the Mediterranean, Patagonia, the Peruvian Amazon, the Pacific Northwest, Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, the South Pacific, and the United Kingdom and Ireland. For more detailed information on targeted areas within these regions, please refer to the targeted areas document.

Proposals may contain one or both elements of the following:

• Project: a pilot of a new learning solution, or scaling of a learning solution with some evidence of effectiveness, to a new geography or population of learners
• Research: Measurement of the effectiveness of educational innovations

Projects must pilot, scale, or measure the effectiveness of educational innovations that develop learners of all ages’ skills, attitudes, and knowledge needed to foster ocean stewardship

Candidate must demonstrate a strong connection to and/or an existing track of work in the community(ies) where the project will take place; the project should be designed in response to community needs and include ongoing collaboration or co-creation with the local community(ies) throughout the project.

Funding

• Grant recipients become members of the Explorer Community and eligible for future funding, learning and networking opportunities.
• All Ocean RFP grantees will become part of a cohort experience to include virtual gatherings intended to promote networking amongst grantees, relationship building, sharing of lessons learned, and impact communications

Funding may be awarded in either a Level I or Level II grant. (See the guidelines/details on Level I and Level II.)

Level I Grant

What is a Level I (LI) grant?

LI grants are designed for individuals who may be earlier in their career, those looking to establish themselves better in their field, or those who want to grow their network and enhance their impact by joining a global community of National Geographic Explorers.

LI grants are open to those who are not currently a National Geographic Explorer. Individuals in our network who are not yet Explorers, including team members on previous grants, Young Explorers awarded in 2019 or later, or recipients of discretionary funding opportunities such as the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists and the COVID-19 Remote Learning Emergency Fund, and grant recipients from the China Air & Water Fund may apply for a Level I opportunity.

National Geographic Society

For more than 130 years, the National Geographic Society has funded the best and brightest individuals dedicated to scientific discovery and understanding of our world.

Our historic commitment to dauntless exploration dates back to our founding in 1888 when 33 prominent scholars and scientists established an organization dedicated to the “increase and diffusion of knowledge.”

Today, National Geographic Explorers are continuing to push the boundaries of knowledge, uncovering new insights about the natural and cultural worlds, and strengthening our connection to them and one another.

Developing Future Ocean Stewards

How does the ocean shape your life? How do you shape the ocean?

The ocean functions as Earth’s primary life support system. It produces half the oxygen we breathe, regulates our global climate, and sustains the livelihoods of over 3 billion people. Yet, human activities are putting our ocean in serious danger. Pollution and unsustainable industrial practices are damaging ocean habitats that are crucial for climate regulation, sustaining marine biodiversity, and supporting the global blue economy.

To combat this, we need to promote “Ocean Literacy” – an understanding of the ocean’s influence on humanity and humanity’s influence on the ocean. The knowledge-deficit model of ocean literacy assumes that increasing public education and awareness about the marine environment will lead to pro-ocean actions. However, it has not sparked large-scale behavior change.

Education without emotional resonance does not move people to act. To save our ocean, we have to expand what it means to be ocean literate. We need to foster and support ocean stewards: people who feel connected to the ocean and take responsibility for enacting change in their communities.

What we aim to fund with this call

The National Geographic Society aims to invest in ocean literacy by funding projects that focus on community-based projects that help people form strong emotional bonds with the ocean and develop or deepen a sense of ocean identity through immersive learning experiences. These projects will address the socioeconomic, psychological, cultural, and physical barriers to developing or embodying an ocean connection. This call values a “one water system” perspective, which emphasizes the fundamental understanding that all water on Earth is interconnected. As such, we aim to reach populations who are often excluded from conservation dialogues. Through these projects, learners will gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to develop a reciprocal relationship with the ocean, becoming ocean stewards.

Projects funded through this RFP must:

• Be led by an individual with a strong connection to and/or an existing track record of work in the community(ies) where the project will take place, or by a member of the community themselves, and be designed with the community and/or reflective of the community’s needs
• Tailor ocean literacy to their specific cultural and geographic realities

We are particularly interested in projects that are transdisciplinary, mixing natural and social sciences. For example, projects that combine storytelling, local knowledge, and ocean-focused design

This RFP is also interested in projects in National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions destinations, including the Arctic, Asia, Baja California, Costa Rica and Panama, Europe and the Mediterranean, Patagonia, the Peruvian Amazon, the Pacific Northwest, Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, the South Pacific, and the United Kingdom and Ireland. For more detailed information on targeted areas within these regions, please refer to the targeted areas document.

Proposals may contain one or both elements of the following:

• Project: a pilot of a new learning solution, or scaling of a learning solution with some evidence of effectiveness, to a new geography or population of learners
• Research: Measurement of the effectiveness of educational innovations

Projects must pilot, scale, or measure the effectiveness of educational innovations that develop learners of all ages’ skills, attitudes, and knowledge needed to foster ocean stewardship

Candidate must demonstrate a strong connection to and/or an existing track of work in the community(ies) where the project will take place; the project should be designed in response to community needs and include ongoing collaboration or co-creation with the local community(ies) throughout the project.

Funding

• Grant recipients become members of the Explorer Community and eligible for future funding, learning and networking opportunities.
• All Ocean RFP grantees will become part of a cohort experience to include virtual gatherings intended to promote networking amongst grantees, relationship building, sharing of lessons learned, and impact communications

Funding may be awarded in either a Level I or Level II grant. (See the guidelines/details on Level I and Level II.)

Level II Grant

What is a Level II (LII) grant?

LII grants are designed for individuals who are more established in their field, have previously received a grant from the National Geographic Society, or are seeking a higher level of funding. You are not required to have previously received a grant from the National Geographic Society to apply for this opportunity.

Projects at this level should push the boundaries of the applicant’s field or discipline and be designed to achieve significant and tangible impacts. LII grants are open to those who are already National Geographic Explorers, as well as those who are not Explorers.

The Murdock College Research Program supports innovative natural sciences research at private undergraduate colleges in the Pacific Northwest. It emphasizes faculty-student collaboration, enhancing educational methods through inquiry-based teaching. Proposals are assessed on scientific merit and the investigator's qualifications, with a focus on projects that significantly contribute to fundamental knowledge in the field. This program encourages active participation from undergraduate students as research associates, fostering their development and engagement in scientific inquiry.

The Ketchikan Community Foundation Grant Program, part of The Alaska Community Foundation, invites applications from 501(c)(3) organizations and equivalents to support community projects in Ketchikan. The new IMPACT GRANT aims to address diverse needs, including health, education, and arts, with funding up to $50,000. Eligible organizations include local nonprofits, faith-based groups, and tribal entities, fostering sustainable community development and lasting impacts.

The National Park Service (NPS) invites applications for Master Cooperative Agreements from participants in the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) network across various regions. This initiative fosters collaboration among federal agencies, tribes, academic institutions, and conservation organizations to enhance resource stewardship. With 390 non-federal partners and 15 federal agencies, the CESU network supports interdisciplinary projects addressing diverse environmental and cultural heritage issues. Applications are continually accepted until the announcement's closing date.