Who funds forest research?

We count 309 funded forest projects, active between 2021 and 2036, from 8 funders. The most came from USDA (79 projects), EU · Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (52 projects) and EU · ERC (50 projects). The median award is $1M, across the 307 of 309 projects that list an amount.

Funded projects

309

Funders

8

Median award

$1M

Open calls now

13

Top funders of forest research

Projects whose title or summary mentions forest. Median award: of the projects that list an amount, in US dollars; “—” when fewer than 3 do.

Open forest funding calls

13 open calls mention forest today; the 12 most on-topic are listed.

• Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Great Lakes-Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)
  Geological Survey$1 – $150,000Deadline: November 14, 2026 ·
• Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Great Lakes-Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
  Geological Survey$1 – $485,000Deadline: November 14, 2026 ·
• FORESTPathways – Building Knowledge and Solutions for Resilient Forests and Sustainable Forest-Based Futures
  Research Council of FinlandNot specifiedDeadline: December 2, 2026 ·
• Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program
  Forest ServiceUp to $1,000,000Deadline: December 8, 2026 ·
• AI supporting informed advice for farmers and foresters to improve competitiveness and sustainability
  European Commission · Horizon Europe€5,000,000 – €6,000,000Deadline: May 11, 2027 ·
• Large-scale demonstration of protection, restoration and management of blue forest ecosystems in European sea basins
  European Commission · Horizon Europe · EU Missions€3,500,000 – €3,975,000Deadline: September 21, 2027 ·
• Strengthening forest research for the support of Ukraine
  European Commission · Horizon EuropeUp to €6,000,000Deadline: September 22, 2027 ·
• Strengthening evidence-based policies for the resilience of European agriculture and forestry and related supply chains against crises and systemic risks
  European Commission · Horizon EuropeUp to €6,000,000Deadline: September 23, 2027 ·
• Canadian Forest Sector Workforce Diversity supplement
  Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)Up to CAD 5,000Deadline: Not listed
• Cooperative Agreement for Affiliated Partner with the Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)
  Geological Survey$1 – $330,000Deadline: October 30, 2026 ·
• ADOPT Facilitator support grant: round 12
  Innovate UKUp to £2,500Deadline: November 11, 2026 ·
  Real odds: About 1 in 7 funded (14% · Innovate UK, all funding decisions, 2024-25)
• Full ADOPT grant: round 10
  Innovate UKUp to £5,000,000Deadline: December 2, 2026 ·
  Real odds: About 1 in 7 funded (14% · Innovate UK, all funding decisions, 2024-25)

Real odds

• About 1 in 7 funded · 14% · Innovate UK, all funding decisions, 2024-25 · UKRI investment and outputs data, table 2.1

Published success rates for the programs behind the open calls above: the share of applications the funder funded, program-wide, not for this topic.

Forecast: announced, not open yet

2 forecast calls on forest. Funders publish forecasts before a call opens; you can't apply to these yet, and dates can change.

• ForecastNIOSH Centers for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Safety and Health (U54)
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERAUp to $2,200,000Expected to open December 4, 2026
• ForecastNIOSH National Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood Agricultural Injury (U54)
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERAUp to $1,600,000Expected to open December 4, 2026

Funded forest projects

A sample, latest start first, at most three per program.

• Elucidating pathways of pathogen emergence and expansion within shifting landscapes in Africa
  Wellcome · £2,859,805 · ends 2034
• Demand for renewable energy is increasing, and the southeastern united states is expected to play a major role in supplying woody biomass…
  USDA · $649,977 · ends 2031
• LTREB Renewal: Legacy effects of compounding disturbances in the Amazon
  NSF · BIO · $599,447 · ends 2031
• FIRE-WUI: Emerging Wildfire Hazards in High-Biomass Forests and Community Adaptation
  NSF · GEO · $2,995,072 · ends 2031
• CTSA UM1 Program at Wake Forest
  NIH · NCATS · $4,030,000 · ends 2031
• Wake Forest University School of Medicine Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
  NIH · NIA · $4,510,117 · ends 2031
• LTER: Georgia Coastal Ecosystems V
  NSF · GEO · $7,542,000 · ends 2031
• CAREER: Asymmetric avian morphing for enhanced lateral maneuverability
  NSF · BIO · $835,828 · ends 2031
• LTREB: Disentangling mechanisms driving biomass decline in a temperate deciduous forest
  NSF · BIO · $600,000 · ends 2031
• Breaking Point? Understanding how changing wind patterns will shape the future of our forests
  UKRI · NERC · £921,196 · ends 2031

How we count

Funded projects come from public award records (NIH RePORTER, NSF, EU CORDIS, UKRI Gateway to Research, Wellcome, the Gates Foundation, DOE, NASA and USDA NIFA) whose title or summary matches “forest or forests or forestry”. NIH lists each budget year separately; one project counts once. Amounts are as the funder lists them; medians use only projects that list one, in US dollars. Open calls and forecasts are from our listings of October 28, 2026. A project can mention a topic without being mainly about it, so treat the counts as a guide to who funds the area.