Who funds laser research?

We count 248 funded laser projects, active between 2020 and 2036, from 6 funders. The most came from EU · ERC (70 projects), EU · MSCA (37 projects) and EU · Digital, Industry and Space (25 projects). The median award is $1.6M, across the 244 of 248 projects that list an amount.

Funded projects

248

Funders

6

Median award

$1.6M

Open calls now

4

Top funders of laser research

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

Open laser funding calls

4 open calls mention laser today.

• Resilient Ultra Short Pulsed Laser Sources - RFI
  DARPANot specifiedDeadline: November 20, 2026 ·
• Optimally Packaged Assembly for Laser Systems (OPALS)
  U.S. Department of Defense – Air Force (SBIR)Not specifiedDeadline: November 25, 2026 ·
• ERIS Shopping Notice: High Duty Cycle High Energy Lasers (HEL) for SWaP-Constrained Systems
  DARPANot specifiedDeadline: November 30, 2026 ·
• Low SWaP, 2-micron Fiber Amplifiers
  U.S. Department of Defense – Air Force (SBIR)Not specifiedDeadline: November 25, 2026 ·

Funded laser projects

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

• NSF STELLAR Engine in the Rochester/Finger Lakes Region of New York
  NSF · TIP · $15,000,000 · ends 2036
• CAREER: Ultrafast Laser Manufacturing of Polymer-Derived Ceramics for High-Performance Ceramic Composite Materials
  NSF · ENG · $550,000 · ends 2031
• The NSF ZEUS Multi-Petawatt User Facility: Operations
  NSF · MPS · $32,883,696 · ends 2031
• CAREER: Enabling Single-Step Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics via Laser-Triggered Flash Sintering and Scientific Artificial Intelligence-based Multiscale Modeling
  NSF · ENG · $550,000 · ends 2031
• Quantum Cyclotron Tests of the Standard Model and Beyond using Electron and Positron Magnetic Moments
  NSF · MPS · $1,800,000 · ends 2031
• CAREER: Quantum Control of Trapped Ion Qubits with Electro-Optic Integrated Photonic Circuits
  NSF · MPS · $665,195 · ends 2031
• Clarifying the Optimal Application of SLT Therapy (COAST) Trial
  NIH · NEI · $3,334,327 · ends 2031
• Quantum networking at telecom wavelengths with Yb qubits
  UKRI · EPSRC · £1,746,802 · ends 2030
• Lidar Investigation of Geospace-Atmosphere Temperature, Composition, Chemistry, and Dynamics at McMurdo, Antarctica
  NSF · Office of the Director · $1,800,000 · ends 2030
• GOALI: Machine Learning Enabled Multiscale Modeling Platform and Virtual Sensing Digital Twin for Fatigue in Metals Additive Manufacturing (MAM)
  NSF · ENG · $900,000 · ends 2030

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 “laser or lasers”. 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.