Who funds robotics research?

We count 418 funded robotics projects, active between 2019 and 2032, from 8 funders. The most came from EU · ERC (75 projects), EU · MSCA (64 projects) and EU · Digital, Industry and Space (47 projects). The median award is $1.6M, across the 412 of 418 projects that list an amount.

Funded projects

418

Funders

8

Median award

$1.6M

Open calls now

14

Top funders of robotics research

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

Open robotics funding calls

14 open calls mention robotics today; the 12 most on-topic are listed.

• Agile Autonomous Technical Data Package to Path Robotic Task Specification
  U.S. Department of Defense – Air Force (SBIR)Not specifiedDeadline: November 25, 2026 ·
• New approaches for Human/AI collaboration for the workforce of the future (RIA) (Made in Europe and AI, Data and Robotics partnerships)
  European Commission · Horizon Europe€4,000,000 – €6,000,000Deadline: February 2, 2027 ·
• Apply AI: Challenge-Driven AI Innovation Booster in Apply AI prioritised sectors (RIA) (Partnership in AI, Data and Robotics)
  European Commission · Horizon EuropeUp to €14,000,000Deadline: March 18, 2027 ·
• Apply AI: AI-Driven Robotics for Industry: Enabling System Integration and Adoption (IA) (Partnership in AI, Data and Robotics)
  European Commission · Horizon EuropeUp to €18,000,000Deadline: March 18, 2027 ·
• Human Assistive Technologies and Bio-related Robotics
  National Science Foundation (SBIR/STTR)Not specifiedDeadline: July 7, 2027 ·
• Robotic Applications
  National Science Foundation (SBIR/STTR)Not specifiedDeadline: July 7, 2027 ·
• Robotics in Agile Manufacturing, and Co-Robots
  National Science Foundation (SBIR/STTR)Not specifiedDeadline: July 7, 2027 ·
• Underground or Underwater Robotics for Low-Visibility, Poor-Connectivity or Hidden Topography
  National Science Foundation (SBIR/STTR)Not specifiedDeadline: July 7, 2027 ·
• Other Robotics Technologies
  National Science Foundation (SBIR/STTR)Not specifiedDeadline: July 7, 2027 ·
• Robotics
  National Science Foundation (SBIR/STTR)Not specifiedDeadline: July 7, 2027 ·
• On-site robotic and automated techniques for building renovation and new construction
  European Commission · Horizon EuropeUp to €6,750,000Deadline: September 15, 2027 ·
• Virtual Human Brain for the Development of Neurosurgical Robotics
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – ARPA-H (SBIR/STTR)Not specifiedDeadline: September 30, 2027 ·

Forecast: announced, not open yet

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

• ForecastNIOSH Robotics and Intelligent Mining Technology and Workplace Safety Research (U60)
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - ERAUp to $2,000,000Expected to open November 12, 2026

Funded robotics projects

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

• S-STEM: Future STEM Professionals in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Quantum Science, and Biotechnology
  NSF · EDU · $2,000,000 · ends 2032
• Research Infrastructure: MIP: Autonomous Robotic Metallurgist: An NSF Materials Innovation Platform (ARM-MIP)
  NSF · MPS · $24,900,000 · ends 2032
• S-STEM: Fostering Convergent Leaders in Human-Centered Intelligent Robotics, Smart Infrastructure, and Advanced Manufacturing
  NSF · EDU · $2,000,000 · ends 2032
• CAREER: Reliable and Communication-aware Ad-hoc Teaming and Collaborative Computing for Cloudless AI at the edge
  NSF · CISE · $490,204 · ends 2031
• CAREER: From sensing to action: Enabling robot speech, gestures, and touch to provide supportive responses for human emotional distress
  NSF · CISE · $699,961 · ends 2031
• CAREER: Modular Shared Robot Learning
  NSF · ENG · $655,580 · ends 2031
• National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (NCNGM)
  NSF · EDU · $7,500,000 · ends 2031
• EPSRC Manufacturing Research Hub in Robotics, Automation & Smart Machine Enabled Sustainable Circular Manufacturing & Materials (RESCu-M2)
  UKRI · EPSRC · £12,039,508 · ends 2031
• CAREER: Learning for Robot Motion Planning using Physics Priors
  NSF · CISE · $570,563 · ends 2031
• CAREER: Leveraging Toes for Energy-Efficient and Agile Humanoid Robot Locomotion
  NSF · ENG · $750,000 · 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 “robot or robots or robotics or robotic”. 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.