Which federal agency was the first to fund research grants?

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) holds the distinction of being the first federal agency to establish a formal program for funding research grants. Created in 1946, the ONR was established to foster and promote scientific research in the United States for the Navy and the Department of Defense. This initiative was part of a broader recognition of the important role that research could play in national defense and military capabilities, particularly in the context of the post-World War II era.

This early move by the ONR set a precedent for other agencies that followed, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Energy, all of which developed their own grant programs later on. These agencies emerged to support research in their specific domains—health, general scientific research, and energy, respectively—but it was the ONR that pioneered the concept of federal research grants as we know them today. This historical context underscores why the ONR is recognized as the first federal agency dedicated to research grant funding.