Evanston Entrepreneurship Support Grant

This Small Research Grant (R03) will support meritorious projects to provide needed scientific insight to improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and/or care for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD). Specifically, this NOFO will support projects covering a wide range of topics related to AD/ADRD. The overall goal of this NOFO is (i) to encourage the next generation of researchers to pursue research and academic careers in AD/ADRD research; and (ii) to stimulate established researchers who have not had a major award in AD/ADRD research to perform pilot studies to develop new, innovative AD/ADRD research programs that leverage and build upon their existing expertise.

The Rhode Island Lift Program is a strategic investment initiative designed to fuel the growth and successful capital raise of high-impact life sciences companies in Rhode Island. This competitive program provides a non-dilutive funding boost to companies that have finalized or recently closed a funding round. By offering this last infusion of capital, the program helps high-potential life sciences ventures scale their operations, drive innovation, and strengthen their impact on the state’s economy, industry growth, and patient outcomes. Through this support, Rhode Island continues to position itself as a leader in life sciences advancement and commercialization.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce provides the Relentless Challenge (RC) Grant Program. This is a statewide competitive scheme that plans to award approximately $1,000,000 for the 2026 funding cycle. The RC grant funds projects that foster a sustainable innovation ecosystem and that focus on high growth/high impact entrepreneurship, talent development, access to capital, and university/industry collaborations. Matching funds are available up to a maximum of $75,000.

The Rural and Agriculture Energy Assistance Program offers grants to farms, ranches, and rural small businesses to help cover the costs of energy audits. Audits are performed by approved assessors who review energy use, as well as buildings, processes, and equipment. The goal is to find ways to be more energy efficient. The grant program covers 75% of the audit expense, with applicants paying the remaining 25% of the costs. Energy assessment costs vary depending on size and scope but typically range between $4,000 and $8,500.

The Invention Incentive Program is part of Rhode Island Commerce’s Innovation Initiatives Portfolio created to support local small businesses and innovators in Rhode Island, offering reimbursable grants up to $5,000 for eligible expenses incurred when filing patents.