Exploring Grant Opportunities:
Potential Technology Funding Sources for Education, Healthcare and Food Service Sectors that may be leveraged to invest in temperature and environmental monitoring

When you’re a school, a nonprofit, or an organization working in areas such as health, food security, and education, securing a grant can be a game-changer.

Whether you're upgrading kitchen equipment in a school or improving environmental monitoring systems in a healthcare of life science facility, the right grant can help fund essential technology that improves services.

For those working in education, healthcare, or food-related sectors, there are several grant opportunities available.

In this article, we’ll explore some valuable grants you may want to consider, both for yourself and the schools or organizations you work with. While nearly all of these grants will require some administrative work, they can be transformative by filling budget shortfalls or even making aspirational upgrades feasible. 

Not all of these can be applied to temperature or environmental monitoring, although Sonicu hopes readers will consider making monitoring an important part of a commercial kitchen enhancement funded by grants. 

However, our goal is to consolidate grant information in one place to make it easy for anyone interested in taking advantage of these opportunities to find the actionable information required.

We plan to update this webpage regularly and share widely on our social media channels, so we hope you will bookmark this page and visit regularly to stay aware of new funding opportunities.

1. NIH Small Business Technology Transfer Grant (STTR)

The PHS 2024-2 Omnibus Solicitation of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42] Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a prime opportunity if you are involved in developing innovative technology or research in the healthcare field.

The grant encourages small businesses to partner with research institutions to promote the commercialization of innovative technologies. 

The application deadline is April 2025, offering sufficient time for businesses to align their research with grant criteria.

While not immediately applicable to student nutrition, this grant is ideal for businesses in healthcare and life sciences, as it fosters collaboration between institutions and small companies, helping push innovative solutions forward.

Sonicu was founded to serve healthcare organizations and evolved to deploy our trusted monitoring technologies to student nutrition cafeterias across North America, so we're always interested in helping both industries source funding to support their operations. 

If your project focuses on long-term technological advances in healthcare, especially in clinical settings, this might be worth considering. 

More Information on NIH STTR Grant

The NIH is one of the country’s largest and most respected funding sources for organizations public and private pursuing new ways to extend and improve health. 

2. EPA Healthy Schools Research Grant

For those focusing on improving the health and safety of school environments, the Healthy Schools Research Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency EPA is a worthwhile option to pursue

If your technology can help create healthier school environments—perhaps by monitoring air quality, reducing allergens, or ensuring better food safety practices—this grant might be for you. 

While it's not clear when the next deadline is, the grant remains active and provides valuable resources for making a difference in school health.

By collaborating with a school or nonprofit, you can enhance the school’s health outcomes and your chances of securing this funding. This grant is particularly beneficial for organizations looking to contribute to long-term public health improvements.

More Information on EPA Healthy Schools Research Grant

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, more schools are investing in Indoor Air Quality monitoring technology to better understand the quality of the air students and staff breathe. There was substantial investment from federal authorities to improve air circulation and now schools and other public agencies are striving to ensure they’re reaping the benefits of these significant infrastructure upgrades. 

3. USDA Equipment Assistance Subgrants for School Food Authorities

If you work with school food services, this USDA grant could be a crucial resource.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture already plays an instrumental role in how schools source their food, helping keep costs down for districts nationwide while connecting producers with consumers. 

The Equipment Assistance Subgrants are aimed at schools and local education agencies to help them acquire kitchen and food service equipment.

This program helps schools purchase better food storage and preparation equipment, ensuring safer and healthier meals for students.

The grant is typically awarded at the state level, so it’s important to collaborate with state education departments or regional school districts.

Schools in Iowa have taken advantage of this grant, and while it’s too late for 2024, keeping this on your radar for future opportunities is essential, especially if your focus is on food safety and nutrition in schools.

More Information on USDA Equipment Assistance Grants

The Project SCALES supports people working to improve the school meal system.

With funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Project SCALES is led by Boise State University, in partnership with LunchAssist. Over the next five years, we will be issuing more than $10 million in funding. 

The program funds projects that aim to build capacity and increase the resilience of food systems by supporting partnerships between school food authorities and growers, producers, distributors, and processors, as well as other industry partners.

The program awarded our first round of grants in May 2024 and is now accepting applications for a second round of grants. Applications are due December 13, 2024.

If your state does not participate in this program, you should work with your state-level Student Nutrition Association to lobby state officials to take advantage of these unique opportunities to leverage federal funding to improve local schools' food outcomes. 

Learn more about Project SCALES

4. Walmart Foundation Community Grant Program

Schools, cities, and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to apply for the Walmart Foundation Community Grant Program, which provides up to $5,000 in funding.

While this grant may not cover major purchases on its own, it can help offset the costs of equipment upgrades or other projects that enhance community health and safety.

Pairing this grant with other funding opportunities could make it a solid option for schools seeking to update kitchen equipment or implement new technologies like environmental monitoring.

The flexibility of this grant makes it a valuable asset for schools looking to improve safety and health initiatives.

More Information on Walmart Community Grants

Walmart is respected nationwide for its community support and this is another lesser-known example of how the world’s largest retailer is supporting local communities with grant opportunities. 

5. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Pioneering Ideas Brief Proposals

This grant offers long-term funding (from one to three years) and focuses on pioneering solutions that address pressing health challenges.

While primarily aimed at non-profits, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) occasionally provides grants to for-profit entities.

If your technology or project can impact public health in innovative ways—such as using IoT for temperature monitoring or environmental health monitoring in schools—this might be a great option.

Grants awarded by RWJF have previously averaged over $300,000, making this a highly attractive funding source for large-scale projects that have the potential to impact entire regions or states.

More Information on RWJF Pioneering Ideas Grant

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is among the most respected philanthropies in the United States, and this grant opportunity is another example of how the organization is empowering non-profits to improve how they operate with lucrative grant funding. 

6. American Electric Power Foundation Grants

The American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation provides grants for education, health, and hunger-related initiatives.

Schools and nonprofits looking to integrate STEM education or health programs could find this grant helpful. 

AEP focuses on projects that serve the community, and if your technology includes an educational component—such as teaching students how to use environmental monitoring equipment—it could align well with AEP's mission.

Grants begin at $15,000, making this a substantial funding opportunity for schools or nonprofits aiming to integrate advanced technology into their operations.

More Information on AEP Foundation Grants

7. Dogwood Health Trust Impact Grants

The Dogwood Health Trust offers impact grants with a focus on health and education, making it a solid option for schools or nonprofits focused on improving student health and wellness.

This grant is geographically limited, but if your project can demonstrate measurable outcomes—such as improving air quality in classrooms or providing more reliable (and healthier)meal options—this grant could be a good fit.

Because Dogwood has a strong focus on combining health and education, projects that bring these two together—such as using technology to monitor both food safety and air quality—are more likely to succeed.

More Information on Dogwood Health Trust

While it may not be a household name like Walmart and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, organizations like the Dogwood Health Trust can serve as instrumental funding sources for schools and other non-profits interested in locating cash to enhance their operations. 

8. No Kid Hungry

If you’re working with schools to improve meal services or ensure food security, the No Kid Hungry grant is an excellent option.

These grants help schools acquire the necessary equipment—such as refrigerators, cooler bags, and carts—to serve meals effectively, particularly in underserved communities.

The program disbursed over $25 million in grant funding in 2023 alone, making it a powerful resource for schools looking to improve food service operations.

This grant is highly relevant if your focus is on improving food safety or helping schools manage healthier meal programs for students.

More Information on No Kid Hungry

Other Grant Opportunities to Consider:

• 1988 Irrevocable Cochrane Memorial Trust: A food and hunger-focused grant primarily targeting Catholic schools.
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Supports early childhood education and food security with grants averaging around $75,000.
• Rural Tech Fund: Focuses on sparking student interest in technology education, with grants available for 501(c)(3) organizations.

These grants represent a wealth of opportunities for schools, nonprofits, and organizations to secure funding for technology and equipment upgrades that enhance health, safety, and education outcomes.

Whether you’re in food safety, environmental monitoring, or health technology, aligning your project with one of these funding sources could be a crucial step toward advancing your goals. 

Keep an eye on deadlines, collaborate with schools and nonprofits when possible, and leverage these grants to drive positive change in your community.