Who funds virtual reality research?

We count 63 funded virtual reality projects, active between 2021 and 2031, from 7 funders. The most came from EU · ERC (13 projects), EU · MSCA (12 projects) and NSF · CISE (9 projects). The median award is $644K, across the 60 of 63 projects that list an amount.

Funded projects

63

Funders

7

Median award

$644K

Open calls now

1

Top funders of virtual reality research

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

Open virtual reality funding calls

1 open call mentions virtual reality today.

• ONR Open Topic for Low-Cost Heads Up Displays (HUDs) for Virtual & Augmented Reality (VR/AR)
  U.S. Department of Defense – Navy (SBIR)Not specifiedDeadline: November 25, 2026 ·

Funded virtual reality projects

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

• HCC: Foundations of Automated Evaluation and Monitoring of AR Guidance in Pervasive AR and Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) Applications
  NSF · CISE · $500,000 · ends 2030
• Smart materials, processes and optical devices for immersive technologies
  UKRI · EPSRC · £1,332,239 · ends 2029
• Astrophysics at Scale: Transforming and Evaluating Undergraduate Education through Virtual and Desktop Environments
  NSF · EDU · $1,858,739 · ends 2029
• VINES: Track 1: Al-driven Design, Control, and Management of NextG Optical Networks
  NSF · CISE · $600,000 · ends 2029
• VINES: Track 1: Enabling Low-Latency Applications Over a Best Effort Internet
  NSF · CISE · $1,000,000 · ends 2029
• Collaborative Research: Generative Artificial Intelligence Integrated with Role-Responsive Virtual Reality for Construction Education
  NSF · EDU · $250,000 · ends 2029
• Pushing the Multiplexing Limit in Metasurfaces via Physics-Informed and Data-Driven Approaches
  NSF · ENG · $448,318 · ends 2029
• Enhancing Learning and Engagement in Online STEM Courses Through Immersive Virtual Reality
  NSF · EDU · $399,999 · ends 2029
• The meat industry faces persistent labor shortage, with increased absenteeism and jobs being perceived as undesirable, physically demanding…
  USDA · $750,000 · ends 2029
• ERI: Rewiring Student Attention: Adaptive and Intelligent VR STEM Labs
  NSF · ENG · $198,486 · ends 2028

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 “virtual reality or augmented reality”. 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.