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Research Grant Information

Welcome, Researchers!

Founded in 1933, the non-profit National Lubricating Grease Institute (www.nlgi.org) has long supported the global lubricating grease industry with a variety of programs: annual meetings, technical publications, reference books, standards and manuals, education courses, professional and product certifications, and more. With that history in mind, the Institute has established a grants program to fund original scientific research into any aspect of lubricating grease technology. The Institute is committed to an open and fair process for soliciting, evaluating and awarding the yearly grants, as outlined below. We invite and encourage your participation.

Size of Grant Available: $1,000 to $50,000 plus/minus per year, in part or whole, and potentially extendable to a second or third year, upon application and with NLGI Board of Directors approval. *The research grants are not capped at $50,000, and have the potential for increased funding depending on research and criteria*

Types of Research to be considered include fundamental grease chemistry; thickener systems; improved test methods; advances in processing technologies; and sustainability of grease production, materials or use. Pre-competitive research of interest to the wider grease community will be favored, and Researchers and NLGI Members are invited to bring desired research topics to the attention of the Research Grant Review Committee.

Schedule for Applications and Awards: 

  • Applications will be accepted on-line (October 2023 – January 2024)
  • The Research Grant Review Committee will make its recommendation to the NLGI Board of Directors meeting in March.
  • Recipient of the Grant will be notified shortly thereafter, and pre-Milestone 1 funds disbursed by August 1 of 2024 (assuming corresponding documents have been signed by both parties), for research work to commence.

Main Criteria on which proposals will be judged:

  1. The research must be related to lubricating greases.
  2. The research should contribute to the scientific understanding of grease in a unique and novel way.
  3. The research should be of impactful benefit to industry.

Conditions for Receiving a Grant and NLGI ‘s Expectations

Researcher Qualifications:

  • Any University or Nonprofit Research Institute worldwide may apply
  • The research should be post-graduate level (master’s or doctoral) work
  • Applicants should download and complete the Research Grant Form, University Letter and Memorandum of Understanding. Submit them to NLGI Headquarters, along with the lead researcher’s qualifications and references, a summary of the research work proposed and how it meets NLGI’s Main Criteria for research grants and who will conduct it. In five to 10 pages, this summary should detail how the researcher plans to complete the proposed work. It should include a brief, clear description and timeline of required tasks, the budget for researcher support, equipment and consumables and the research tools and in-kind contributions that the applicant may have available to successfully support his or her work. Also list any previous publications that support the proposed project and its feasibility
  • Only one application per lead researcher or group will be considered each year
  • NLGI being a non-profit technical institute, not more than 10 percent of the overall grant may be used by the selected institution for indirect, overhead and/or administrative costs
NLGI Expectations:
  • NLGI will appoint a liaison as principal contact to work with the researcher and facilitate communication
  • Regular progress reports (one-page) should be submitted to NLGI Headquarters within 30 days of each Milestone contained in the MOU Appendix
  • A Final Research Report is due not more than six (6) months after completion of the contracted research, including all findings, both successes and failures. Final Reports are to be made available to the membership on NLGI’s website
  • If a Master’s or PhD. thesis is written, an electronic copy of the final thesis should be provided to NLGI Headquarters and made available to the NLGI Membership.
  • Any publications that result from this grant should name NLGI and its support in the publication’s acknowledgement section
  • It is expected that the research findings will be presented the next NLGI Annual Meeting following the conclusion of the research. At its discretion, NLGI’s Board may consider granting a separate travel stipend to assist the researcher to attend the NLGI Annual Meeting to present his or her findings
  • Intellectual property developed under the grant is to be freely available to the public at no cost in order to expand the understanding of lubricating grease technology

Questions? Contact NLGI at 816-524-2500 or [email protected]