September 2016
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Unless otherwise noted, all proposals to funders outside of Harvard must be submitted to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) five business days prior to the sponsor deadline. We can help you navigate the routing process for your proposal.

Questions? Please contact Erin Cromack, Senior Research Development Officer: [email protected] 
or 617-496-5252
Click on the links below to see additional information
Internal Opportunities

For a more comprehensive list of Harvard internal funding opportunities, please see  here .
External Opportunities

Non-Federal Opportunities:
Federal Opportunities:
Additional Information:
Internal Funding Opportunities
chinafund
Deadline: October 31, 2016
Award Amount: Up to $60,000 for conference grants and $50,000 - $100,000 for research grants

The Harvard China Fund administers the Harvard China Faculty Grant Program  to advance the research goals of Harvard faculty in collaboration with Chinese partners.  Research proposals are welcome in any field and we especially encourage proposals in the areas of traditional Chinese arts and culture, environmental studies and education.  If proposing a conference, it should take place at the Harvard Center Shanghai, preferably before March 2018. Conference proposals are welcome in all research fields.   Preference will be given to proposed projects for which funding might not be otherwise available from traditional sources.

radcliffe
Deadline: October 24, 2016
Award Amount: Up to $18,000 
Eligible Applicants: Ladder faculty members or current or former Radcliffe Institute fellows
 
Exploratory seminars provide funding to bring together scholars, practitioners, and artists from Harvard University and around the world to develop ideas and research across the disciplines. Seminars are usually one or two days in length and are held at the Radcliffe Institute with all logistical arrangements handled by Radcliffe staff. Applications are welcome from all academic fields.

asia
Deadline: October 24, 2016
Award Amount: Up to $20,000 for research and travel; Up to $50,000 for conferences

Research and travel grants support Harvard faculty research and travel on any topic related to East, South, or Southeast Asia.  Preference is given to projects that involve more than one country or region of East, South, or Southeast Asia and/or that approach the topic from more than one discipline. Applications submitted by multiple faculty members are encouraged.  

Conference grants support conferences organized by Harvard faculty in pairs or small groups. Topics must involve more than one country or region of East, South, or Southeast Asia and must approach the topic from more than one discipline. Preference will be given to faculty who collaborate across more than one School. 

deansfund
Application portal is now open
Deadline: October 17, 2016
Award Amount: $50,000 maximum, though most awards will be for smaller amounts

The Dean's Competitive Fund for Promising Scholarship is a targeted program that provides funding in the following three categories:
  1. Bridge funding, to allow faculty to continue work on very promising research that does not currently have external funding or is between grant cycles;
  2. Seed funding, to encourage faculty to pursue exciting, original research directions that might not yet be ready to compete in traditional funding programs; and 
  3. Enabling subventions, to provide small funds in support of an external fellowship or to purchase (or upgrade) critical equipment.
middleeast
Deadline: October 7, 2016
Award Amount: Up to $80,000 for one year grants and up to $120,000 for multi-year grants

The Middle East Initiative offers funding each year to Harvard faculty for research proposals on major policy issues affecting the region. There are two grant opportunities: one funded by the  Kuwait Program at Harvard Kennedy School, and one funded by the  Emirates Leadership Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School. Harvard faculty are encouraged to collaborate with academics and educational institutions in the region.  These grants s upport research by Harvard University faculty members on issues of critical importance to Kuwait, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab World. Grants can be applied toward research assistance, travel, summer salary, workshops, and course buy-out.

climate
Deadline: October 1, 2016
Award Amount:  Up to $150,000 over one or two years
Target applicants: Full-time assistant, associate, or full professors from any Harvard School may apply for an award.  Students and postdoctoral scholars with an identified faculty mentor who will supervise their research are also eligible to apply.

The Harvard University Climate Change Solutions Fund supports research and policy initiatives intended to hasten the transition from carbon-based energy systems to those that rely on renewable energy sources, to develop methods for diminishing the impact of existing carbon-based energy systems on the climate, and to propel scientific, technological, legal, policy and artistic innovations needed to accelerate progress toward cleaner energy and a greener world.  Applications should propose research that will advance solutions to climate change. Solutions may include both preparedness and mitigation, and strong consideration will be given to projects that demonstrate a clear pathway to application, as well as riskier proposals with the potential to be transformative over time.

This year, because of generous donations from individual donors, additional funds will be dedicated to proposals that relate to climate change issues in China and in equatorial regions, broadly defined.  Proposals in these areas are especially encouraged to apply.

External Funding Opportunities
krok
Visiting Research Fellowships
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: December 12, 2016
Award Amount: Junior (untenured) fellows receive a stipend of $25,000 per semester; senior (tenured) fellows receive $30,000 per semester.

Each year, the Kroc Institute's Visiting Research Fellows Program brings outstanding scholars focused on peace research to the University of Notre Dame for a semester or a full academic year. The Institute particularly seeks scholars who will actively integrate their research with ongoing Kroc research initiatives. The Kroc Institute seeks applications for Visiting Research Fellows for 2017- 18 in the following areas:
  • Gender and Conflict/Peacebuilding
  • Diaspora Communities, Conflict & Peacebuilding
  • Peace Studies (open)
smithsonian
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: December 2, 2016
Award Amount: $7000 for 10 weeks for graduate students; $32,700 annually and a research allowance of up to $4,000 for postdoctoral students; and $48,000 annually and a research allowance of up to $4,000 for postdoctoral research fellowships and senior research fellowships

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program supports independent research and study related to Smithsonian facilities, experts, or collection for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.   Applicants must propose research that is conducted at the Smithsonian in an area of research outlined in the publication,  Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study (SORS) . Applicants should contact staff members to help identify potential advisers, determine the feasibility of the proposed research being conducted at the Smithsonian Institution, and the availability of relevant resources such as staff, collections, archives and library materials during the proposed tenure dates. Current Smithsonian research staff members can be found  here .

shomburg
Scholars-in-Residence Program
Sponsor Deadline: December 1, 2016
Award Amount: Up to $30,000 for six months

The Schomburg Center Scholars-in-Residence Program assists those scholars and professionals whose research in the black experience can benefit from extended access to the Center's resources. Fellowships funded by the Center will allow recipients to spend six months in residence with access to resources at the Schomburg Center and other centers of The New York Public Library. The program encourages research and writing on black history and culture, facilitates interaction among participating scholars, and provides widespread dissemination of findings through lectures, publications, and colloquia and seminars. It encompasses projects in African, Afro-American, and Afro-Caribbean history and culture.

rsj_computational
Computational Social Science Program
Sponsor Letter of Inquiry Deadline: November 30, 2016 (OSP review not required for letters of inquiry)
OSP Deadline: February 17, 2017
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline (by invitation): February 27, 2017

The Russell Sage Foundation's initiative on  Computational Social Science  (CSS) supports innovative social science research that brings new data and methods to bear on questions of interest in its core programs in  Behavioral Economics Future of Work Race, Ethnicity and Immigration , and  Social Inequality . Limited consideration will be given to questions that pertain to core methodologies, such as causal inference and innovations in data collection. 

princeton_democratic
Fellowships
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: November 30, 2016

Princeton University's Center for the Study of Democratic Politics (CSDP) seeks visiting scholars and/or post-doctoral or more senior research associates for the 2017-2018 academic year. The Center supports empirical research on democratic political processes and institutions. Applications are welcome from political scientists and scholars in related social science disciplines at any career stage, but any applicant who has yet to complete the PhD must have turned in a final draft of the dissertation by July 1, 2017.  Each scholar will pursue research and contribute to the intellectual life of the Center, the Department of Politics, and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. 

ghs
Special Programme Security, Society and the State
Harvard OSP Deadline: November 23, 2016
Sponsor Deadline: December 2, 2016
Award Amount: No specified limit for research projects

The "Security, Society and the State" research programme targets new security-related issues that are prime examples of the post-Cold-War era but have been largely neglected in mainstream research. The programme is intended to encourage junior scholars to pursue unconventional research agendas that are nonetheless crucial, while providing senior scholars with the opportunity to focus intensively on work in progress for a limited period. Moreover, the objective is to combine basic theoretical research with concepts that are applicable to present-day political issues of security policy. Types of funding include grants for research scholarships and research projects. PhD scholarships are only granted in connection with a research project. Research projects should be closely related to one or more of the five fields of research:
  1. Challenges of New Technologies
  2. Public Administration and Human Security
  3. Patterns of Conflict Resolution Between the State and Traditional Actors
  4. Non-Governmental Actors as Partners and Contenders of the State
  5. Security Strategies Between Doctrine Formation and Implementation 
aauw
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: November 15, 2016
Award Amount: $30,000
 
American Fellowships support women scholars who are completing dissertations, planning research leave from accredited institutions, or preparing research for publication. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.  Candidates are evaluated on the basis of scholarly excellence; quality and originality of project design; and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.

princeton
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: November 14, 2016
Award Amount: Fellows receive a research salary of one-half their ten (10) month salary at their home institution, up to a maximum set each year before awards are announced

The Program in Law and Public Affairs (LAPA) at Princeton University invites outstanding faculty members of any discipline, independent scholars, lawyers, and judges to apply for visiting, residential appointments for the academic year 2017-2018.  LAPA Fellows devote the major portion of their time to their own research and writing on law-related subjects of empirical, interpretive, doctrinal and/or normative significance.  In addition, LAPA Fellows are expected to be in residence for ten months and participate in LAPA programs, including a biweekly seminar, a weekly luncheon discussion group, as well as some public events and conferences.  The program does not support, as a primary activity, off-site fieldwork or work in remote archives, development of course materials, work in legal practice, direct advocacy of causes or residence elsewhere. 

ford
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: November 10, 2016
Award Amount: $45,000
 
Through its Fellowship Programs, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation's college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.  Awards will be made for study in the following major disciplines and related interdisciplinary fields: American studies, anthropology, archaeology, art and theater history, astronomy, chemistry, communications, computer science, cultural studies, earth sciences, economics, education, engineering, ethnic studies, ethnomusicology, geography, history, international relations, language, life sciences, linguistics, literature, mathematics, performance study, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religious studies, sociology, urban planning, and women's studies. Also eligible are interdisciplinary ethnic studies programs, such as African American studies and Native American studies, and other interdisciplinary programs, such as area studies, peace studies, and social justice. 

afsp
Harvard OSP Deadline: November 7, 2016
Sponsor Deadline: November 15, 2016
Award Amount: $30,000-$300,000, depending on category of funding

AFSP Suicide Research Grants support studies aimed at increasing our understanding of the causes of suicide and factors related to suicide risk, or that test treatments and other interventions designed to prevent suicide. At least one suicide outcome measure must be included in all grant projects. The foundation also considers studies of treatment feasibility, and studies that add a suicide component (e.g., population or treatment) to an existing grant in another area.  Investigators from all academic disciplines are eligible to apply, and both basic science and applied research projects will be considered, provided that the proposed study has an essential focus on suicide or suicide prevention.

acls_china
Harvard OSP Deadline: November 2, 2016
Sponsor Deadline: November 9, 2016
Award Amount: Up to $15,000

These grants provide support for collaborative reading of texts in a workshop format that is interdisciplinary and crosses scholarly generations.  Luce/ACLS-funded reading-workshops must bring together scholars who would not otherwise have the opportunity to work together.  Formats of workshops may vary, but each should be based on texts that illuminate a period, tradition, culture, location, or event. The primary objects of study should be written texts, but these may be supplemented by images and objects such as archaeological artifacts.   Awards for collaborative reading workshops may be used to support travel and lodging costs of participants, acquisition of materials, communications, and local arrangements. Funds may not be used for salary replacement, honoraria, or institutional indirect costs.

ias
School of Social Science - Visiting Member Fellowships
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: November 1, 2016
Award Amount:  The School attempts to provide half of the current academic base salary for all Members, up to a maximum stipend of $70,000.

Founded in 1973, the School of Social Science takes as its mission the analysis of contemporary societies and social change. It is devoted to a pluralistic and critical approach to social research, from a multidisciplinary and international perspective. Each year, the School invites approximately twenty visiting scholars with various perspectives, methods and topics, providing a space for intellectual debate and mutual enrichment. Scholars are drawn from a wide range of fields, notably political theory, economics, law, psychology, sociology, anthropology, history, philosophy, and literature. Members pursue their own research, and participate in collective activities, including a weekly seminar at which on-going work is presented.

To facilitate scientific engagement among the visiting scholars, the School defines a theme for each year. Approximately one half of Members selected pursue work related to it and contribute to a corresponding seminar, while the other half conduct their research on other topics.  The theme for 2017-2018 will be "The Social Sciences in a Changing World."

rsf
The Social, Economic, and Political Effects of the Affordable Care Act
Sponsor Letter of Inquiry Deadline: October 31, 2016 (OSP review not required for letter of inquiry)
OSP Deadline: February 17, 2017
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline (by invitation): February 27, 2017

This Russell Sage Foundation initiative will support innovative social science research on the social, economic and political effects of the Affordable Care Act. We are especially interested in funding analyses that address important questions about the effects of the reform on outcomes such as financial security and family economic well-being, labor supply and demand, participation in other public programs, family and children's outcomes, and differential effects by age, race, ethnicity, nativity, or disability status.
cfr
International Affairs Fellowship
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: October 31, 2016
Award Amount: $95,000

The International Affairs Fellowship is a distinguished program offered by the Council on Foreign Relations to assist mid-career scholars and professionals in advancing their analytic capabilities and broadening their foreign policy experience. The program aims to strengthen career development by helping outstanding individuals acquire and apply foreign policy skills beyond the scope of their professional and scholarly achievements. The IAF Program is only open to mid-career professionals who have a demonstrated commitment to a career in foreign policy.  Qualified candidates must be U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are eligible to work in the United States. The duration of the fellowship is twelve months, preferably beginning in September. 

cfr_japan
International Affairs Fellowship in Japan
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: October 31, 2016
Award Amount: The program awards a stipend in yen, which covers travel and living expenses in Japan

The International Affairs Fellowship in Japan, sponsored by Hitachi, Ltd., seeks to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation between the rising generations of leaders in the United States and Japan. The program provides a selected group of mid-career U.S. citizens the opportunity to expand their professional horizons by spending a period of research or other professional activity in Japan. The IAF in Japan is only open to mid-career professionals who have a demonstrated commitment to a career in foreign policy and have an interest in U.S.-Japan relations.  While the IAF in Japan is intended primarily for those without substantial prior experience in Japan, exceptions have been made when an applicant has demonstrated that the fellowship would add a significant new dimension to his or her career.  Qualified candidates must be U.S. citizens who are eligible to work in the United States.  The duration of the fellowship is between three and twelve months. 

ChildrenScreens
Inaugural Research Grants Program: Call for Letters of Intent
OSP review not required for letter of intent
Sponsor Letter of Intent Deadline: October 31, 2016
OSP Deadline: January 23, 2017
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline (by invitation): January 30, 2017 
Award Amount: Varies by type of award

Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development , a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, announces the launch of a new Research Grants program and requests Letters of Intent for its 2017 cycle.  The inaugural Research Grants program  is intended to support cutting-edge interdisciplinary scientific research projects that seek to advance our knowledge and understanding of digital media and child development from birth through age 18.  The I nstitute will fund two types of grants: 1) the design and feasibility of a large, multi-center longitudinal study (one or two one-year grants of $250,000 maximum each), and  2) a small grants program (multiple one-year grants of $100,000 maximum each) for researchers to gain the preliminary results necessary to apply and compete for major funding from the National Institutes of Health or other organizations. Awards will be made through a competitive peer review process.

national_humanities
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: October 18, 2016
Award Amount: Amounts vary and are individually determined.  The Center seeks to provide at least half salary and covers travel expenses to and from North Carolina for Fellows and dependents.

The National Humanities Center will offer up to 40 residential fellowships for advanced study in the humanities for the period September 2017 through May 2018. Applicants must have a doctorate or equivalent scholarly credentials. Mid-career scholars as well as senior scholars are encouraged to apply. Emerging scholars with a strong record of peer-reviewed work may also apply.   In addition to scholars from all fields of the humanities, the Center accepts individuals from the natural and social sciences, the arts, the professions, and public life who are engaged in humanistic projects. 

NIHresilience
National Institutes of Health Advancing Basic Behavioral and Social Research on Resilience: An Integrative Science Approach (UG3/UH3)
Harvard OSP Deadline: November 22, 2016
Sponsor Deadline: December 1, 2016
Award Amount: varies by award type
Currently behavioral and social science research on resilience lacks a common framework, taxonomy, or approach that extends across multiple levels of analysis (e.g., genetic/epigenetic, neurobiological, physiological, psychological, behavioral, social, environmental). In addition current research does not clearly articulate the various predisposing factors, classes of adverse exposures, dynamic processes of adaptation, and potential environmental moderators of those processes. This initiative seeks to address these gaps.
This FOA encourages applications that will elucidate mechanisms and processes of resilience within a general framework that emphasizes its dynamics and interactions across both time and scale (level of analysis). This framework can be applied to multiple contexts (e.g., acute or chronic stress exposure, including disease, disaster, unemployment, divorce, etc.), multiple outcomes (health, function, psychological well-being, etc.), and multiple time frames (seconds, minutes, days, years). The framework has four features: (1) assessment of a baseline level prior to a challenge, (2) characterization of a specific challenge (acute or chronic), (3) post-challenge measures of outcomes that characterize the response over time, and (4) predictors of outcomes (including predisposing factors at the individual level and environmental moderators). Measurement of response across multiple domains (physiological, psychological etc.) is critical to this holistic framework.
NSFCNHS
Harvard OSP Deadline: November 7, 2016
Sponsor Deadline: November 15, 2016
Award Amount: CNH Large Research Projects provide two to five years of support for projects ranging in size from $500,000 to $1,800,000. CNH Small Research Projects. Awards in this category provide two to five years of support for projects ranging in size from $150,000 to $500,000.

The Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH) Program supports interdisciplinary research that examines human and natural system processes and the complex interactions among human and natural systems at diverse scales. Research projects to be supported by CNH must include analyses of four different components: (1) the dynamics of a natural system; (2) the dynamics of a human system; (3) the processes through which the natural system affects the human system; and (4) the processes through which the human system affects the natural system. CNH also supports research coordination networks (CNH-RCNs) designed to facilitate activities that promote future research by broad research communities that will include all four components necessary for CNH funding.


USAID
Harvard OSP Deadline: October 25, 2016
Sponsor Deadline: November 1, 2016
Award Amount:  $30,000 - $60,000, depending on the size of the working group
 
IIE, on behalf of USAID's Center of Excellence in Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG Center), invites applications from research institutions to support USAID in answering a research question that is integral to how USAID designs programs in the DRG sector.
Applicants will form working groups of 3 - 6 PhD students and 1 - 2 supervising faculty; students must have passed their qualifying exams and be from diverse social science disciplines. Each working group, in close collaboration with USAID, will produce a multi-disciplinary analytical literature review that provides an overview, assessment, and synthesis of the empirical research relevant to its selected research question. The questions, which are further elaborated in the RFA, are in the following areas:
  • The role of citizens in resisting or combating the shrinking of civic space
  • The process by which grassroots reforms scale up to the regional or national levels
  • The mechanisms of successful human rights awareness campaigns

mri
FAS/SEAS Pre-Proposal Deadline: October 18, 2016
Award Amount: Proposals that request funds from NSF in the range $100,000-$4 million will be accepted from all eligible organizations. Proposals that request funds from NSF less than $100,000 will also be accepted from all eligible organizations for the disciplines of mathematics or social, behavioral and economic sciences.

The MRI program assists in the acquisition or development of major research instrumentation that is, in general, too costly or not appropriate for support through other NSF programs. The program provides organizations with opportunities to acquire major instrumentation that supports the research and research training goals of the organization and that may be used by other researchers regionally or nationally.  Each MRI proposal may request support for the acquisition (Track 1) or development (Track 2) of a single research instrument for shared inter- and/or intra-organizational use.  Cost-sharing of 30% of the total project cost is required.

This is a limited submission opportunity and Harvard may submit only three proposals.  In order to be considered for one of three Harvard nominations, proposals to be administered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and/or the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences must be submitted for preliminary review by October 18, 2016 by 5:00pm.

otherfederal

Department of State
National Institutes of Health
National Science Foundation
National Endowment for the Humanities
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For assistance, please contact:
Erin Cromack
Senior Research Development Officer
[email protected] | 617-496-2618

To see previous Social Science Funding Newsletters, please visit our email archive.

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