Best Diversity Grants for Nonprofits in Puerto Rico

The Disability Inclusion Fund Grant, managed by Borealis Philanthropy, aims to support organizations advocating for disability inclusion, rights, and justice. As a partner in philanthropy, Borealis facilitates donor collaboratives to maximize impact across various communities and movements. Organizations interested in applying for this grant are encouraged to review the detailed FAQ for further information. This initiative is a vital step towards fostering inclusivity and promoting the rights of individuals with disabilities.

The Level 1 Fair Housing Grant, offered by the National Association of REALTORS®, supports initiatives aimed at educating REALTORS® on fair housing issues. Grants can fund classes, forums, or workshops, with a maximum award of $3,000. Starting in 2025, the grant will also support expenses related to the At Home With Diversity class to align with new training requirements. This initiative ensures REALTORS® have the resources to promote diversity and inclusion in their communities.

Puerto Rico diversity, equity, and inclusion researchers can access funding via the National Institutes of Health to support health-related research and DEIA activities. Eligible investigators must be conducting work within NIH institutes’ programmatic interests, advancing diversity in the biomedical research enterprise, and have no current NIH research project grant funding in the U.S. or territories.

Late-stage biomedical graduate students from diverse backgrounds conducting NIH-mission research, including those based in Puerto Rico, can receive support to complete their PhD and transition into mentored postdoctoral positions. Grants from the National Institutes of Health help advance research careers through a two-phase F99/K00 award with structured mentoring, networking, and professional development.

Graduate students conducting aging and gerontology research with a diversity, equity, and inclusion focus can seek dissertation funding through this NIH opportunity, available in Puerto Rico and other U.S. jurisdictions. With a mission to advance aging research, the National Institutes of Health provides up to US $142,312 to support dissertations aligned with NIA strategic priorities.

Academic and research institutions conducting health-related workforce diversity research in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories can apply for NIH R01 support for independent projects. US Dept. of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health prioritizes new and at-risk investigators from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds working in science, health, medicine, and medical education fields.

NCAA Division II member schools and multisport conference offices in Puerto Rico can apply for the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s internship grant, awarding US $30,000 to fund a full-time, entry-level athletics administrative position plus professional development support. Funding supports diversity, equity, and inclusion by increasing ethnic minority and women’s representation in athletics administration for one academic year.

Postdoctoral research scientists from nationally underrepresented backgrounds pursuing cancer-related biomedical careers can seek support to transition into independent faculty roles, including those based in Puerto Rico. Focused on career development, the National Institutes of Health provides three years of salary and research support to help launch tenure-track positions in cancer and health disparities research.

NCAA Division II colleges and multisport conference offices in Puerto Rico seeking to expand ethnic minority and gender representation in mid- to senior-level athletics administration can apply for this five-year Strategic Alliance Matching Grant. Funding supports full-time roles covering strategic planning, budgeting, fundraising, compliance, diversity initiatives, and student-athlete welfare, benefiting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in campus athletics.

NCAA Division II member colleges creating new assistant coaching positions to advance ethnic minority and gender representation, including those in Puerto Rico, can apply for the Coaching Enhancement Grant. With a mission to support inclusive athletics, the National Collegiate Athletic Association provides US $48,000 over three years toward salary, wages, and benefits for the hired coach.

Postdoctoral neuroscience researchers from diverse backgrounds in Puerto Rico can receive career transition funding to move from mentored positions into independent, tenure-track roles. The NIH BRAIN Initiative K99/R00 award from US Dept. of Health & Human Services: National Institutes of Health supports up to US $4,000,000 for independent research as scholars launch their own labs and programs.

The Limited Competition Small Grant Program under the NCATS CTSA aims to enhance the research capabilities of scholars transitioning to independent academic translational scientists. This program supports diverse clinical and translational science projects, including pilot studies and methodology development. The R03 grants are designed for short-term projects with limited resources that generate preliminary data for future R01 applications, thereby fostering innovation and advancing health research.

The Community Connect Grants Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants aiming to deliver broadband services in rural areas where access is limited. This initiative fosters economic growth and enhances educational, healthcare, and public safety benefits, improving the quality of life in underserved communities. By supporting projects that create better market opportunities and promote equitable access, the program plays a vital role in advancing rural development and addressing environmental justice.

The NIDCD invites R01 grant applications aimed at independent research projects related to the mission of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. This opportunity promotes workforce development by supporting Early Stage and New Investigators, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds in health sciences. Letters of Intent are encouraged 30 days before the proposal deadline, allowing diverse researchers to collaborate and contribute to vital health-related studies.

The AISES Indigenous Peoples Education Fund (IPEF) Scholarship offers $5,000 to support Indigenous students pursuing degrees in STEM fields. This scholarship is available to current AISES members who are full-time students and enrolled citizens or descendants of recognized Native American tribes. AISES aims to empower these students, fostering diversity in STEM while recognizing the importance of education as a tool for personal growth and community development.

The AISES RISE Scholarship offers $2,000 annually to support Indigenous students pursuing careers in STEM, particularly in the casino gaming industry. This initiative, powered by Aristocrat Gaming, aims to empower Indigenous talent through exposure, resources, and programming. Eligible applicants must be full-time students and current AISES members, demonstrating a commitment to their education and community. The scholarship seeks to enhance diversity in STEM fields by providing critical financial support to deserving students.

The Advancing Equity Through Oral Health Funds, initiated by CareQuest Institute, seeks to transform oral health systems by supporting projects that dismantle disparities faced by marginalized communities. The program encourages organizations to propose innovative solutions that enhance access to dental care, engage community voices, and promote policies that ensure equitable health outcomes for all. This initiative aims to create a more integrated and accessible healthcare system, particularly for historically underserved populations.

Junior and early-stage cancer researchers in Puerto Rico and other eligible U.S. territories can apply for National Institutes of Health exploratory grants supporting workforce diversity in basic cancer research, with awards up to US $275,000. Funding helps underrepresented investigators bridge from training to developing larger independent research project applications.

Local Data for Equitable Communities CFP

This call for proposals (CFP) invites eligible nonprofit organizations in the U.S. to apply for a grant to collect, analyze, and use data to address inequities in the physical, economic, and social conditions of a place. Improving these conditions is key to achieving health equity where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. Structural racism is one of the leading barriers that results in inequities in conditions within and across communities. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) expects to award up to 30 grants of $50,000 each, with a period of performance of nine months. The Urban Institute, as the national coordinating center for this program, is collaborating with RWJF on program design, grantee support, and communications.

Local data can be valuable tools to make progress on building places that offer everyone the chance to be as healthy as possible. Community organizations and residents can use data to understand challenges, set priorities, advocate for what is important to them, and hold others accountable for promised changes.

The goals of the Local Data for Equitable Communities grant program are to:

• Inform public policy and improve the physical, social, and economic conditions of places
• Build local capacity to use data for action
• Strengthen the use of equitable data practices
• Document successful practices for more communities to learn from and adapt

Funding

• Type of Award: Awards funded under this opportunity will be structured as grants.
• Number of Awards: Up to 30 awards will be funded.
• Amount of Award: Each award will be up to and including $50,000.
• Award Duration: Awards will be nine months.

Junior neuroscience faculty from underrepresented backgrounds in Puerto Rico and other eligible U.S. locations can receive up to US $225,000 to support research costs, protected research time, and mentoring. With a mission to expand diversity in neuroscience, National Institutes of Health provides career development funding for Ph.D.-level investigators not leading independent clinical trials.

Postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds conducting Alzheimer’s and dementia research in Puerto Rico can access funding through the National Institutes of Health to support their transition to independent faculty positions. Grants from NIH help advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in AD/ADRD research while providing mentored and independent research support without leading a clinical trial.

Postdoctoral scholars and early-career investigators conducting basic experimental studies with humans in NIH mission areas may be eligible for support in Puerto Rico and nationwide. US Dept. of Health & Human Services: National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports diversity, equity, and inclusion in scientific and academic careers by funding MOSAIC K99/R00 awards plus structured mentoring and professional development.

Early-career postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds conducting NIH-area biomedical or scientific research can access career transition funding through the National Institutes of Health in Puerto Rico and other eligible U.S. locations. This MOSAIC K99/R00 program supports diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic science by providing mentored postdoctoral support plus funding to launch independent, tenure-track research careers.

With a mission to advance diverse biomedical research careers, the National Institutes of Health provides Puerto Rico science and health organizations with support to host MOSAIC K99/R00 postdoctoral scholars. Eligible institutions can mentor early-career investigators from underrepresented backgrounds and help them transition into independent, tenure-track faculty roles while strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Early-career translational researchers focusing on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias can apply for approximately US $100,000 to support their transition to research independence, including in Puerto Rico. Focused on diversity, the National Institutes of Health invites investigators from underrepresented backgrounds to build skills across behavioral, social, and biomedical AD/ADRD research without leading independent clinical trials.

Rooted + Relational Community Micro-Grant Program

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College has announced that it is now accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Rooted + Relational Community Micro-Grant program. CENTRO will award up to 12 grants, each up to $5,000, to non-institutionally affiliated and non-academic community organizations, individuals, or projects for community-based programs. 

The 2026-2027 the Rooted + Relational theme is Black Cuerpas: Race, Body Politics & Culture. CENTRO seeks to fund projects that examine

• How do race, gender, sexuality, and body politics shape the everyday lives and histories of Boricuas across the archipelago and diaspora? 
• What happens when we center race and Blackness in a field of study that has too often championed color-blindness and the myth of racial democracy to avoid the hard questions about racism, anti-Blackness, complicity, and erasure?

During the 2026-2027 academic year, grantees will implement their funded projects within their chosen communities. They will also present their work at a CENTRO event, attend three virtual meetings, and have their work highlighted through CENTRO’s communications and media channels. We invite community organizers, artists, creatives, writers, agricultural workers, activists, and cultural workers who reside in Puerto Rico and/or the United States and its territories to apply. 

The Limited Competition Small Grant Program for the NCATS CTSA Program aims to empower KL2 scholars by funding diverse clinical and translational research projects. These grants support short-term studies, methodology development, and preliminary data collection, facilitating the transition to independent research careers. Applications will undergo NIH peer review, ensuring only high-quality proposals receive funding. This initiative fosters innovation in research methodologies and technology, ultimately enhancing the capabilities of emerging translational scientists.