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 Funding Opportunities with Active Solicitations

Funding Organization

Overview of Organization / Programs 

Relevant Programs/Focus Areas and Due Dates 

Geographic Focus Additional Notes 
Charles Stewart Mott FoundationThe Mott Foundation supports institutions and organizations that conduct community-based research. Their Civil Society program seeks proposals for projects that work to maximize civic engagement and promote justice nationally and internationally. The Education program solicits proposals for projects based in the United States that work to encourage graduation and secondary school preparedness. 

**Letters of Inquiry Accepted on a Rolling Basis**

  • United States 
  • United States- Flint Area 
  • International Projects (infrequently) 
Potential PI’s should review the specific initiatives for each program to make sure they are eligible before submitting their letters of intent (the “Graduating High School College and Career Ready,” “Afterschool,” and “Strengthening Civic Space” are probably the best initiatives for Maxwell faculty to pursue).  

The Joyce Foundation

The Joyce Foundation funds evidence-based work designed to create public policies that promote racial equity and economic mobility nationally and specifically in the Great Lakes region. Themes of recently accepted proposals include policy-based solutions to climate change, gun violence, and lead poisoning.

**Proposal Deadlines: December 1, 2021; April 6, 2022**

***Grant Inquiries are accepted throughout the year***

  • United States
  • United States-Great Lakes Region Focus (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)

NSF: Accountable Institutions and Behavior (AIB)


This program supports scientific research that broadly examines the attitudes, behavior, and institutions connected to the creation and implementation of public policy and services. The Accountable Institutes and Behavior program is especially relevant to scholars who are interested in elections and voting, the formation and dissemination of public opinion online and through other platforms (especially social media), the spread of misinformation, and evaluating political institutions. PI’s should propose projects designed to develop new theories and methodologies over more applied work. 

Full Proposal Target Date: January 15, 2022; August 15, 2022 
  • United States 
  • International Research 

NSF: CyberCorps ® Scholarship For Service

Designed to encourage students to pursue careers in cyber security in the U.S. government, this program provides funds to institutions to create scholarships for students interested in cybersecurity. Proposed projects should work to identify and provide solutions to vulnerabilities in cybersecurity systems. Students who receive funding for their degree through this program are expected to work the length of their support period for the federal government after graduation.

Full Proposal Deadline: July 15, 2022
  • United States 

NSF: Cyberinfrastructure for Sustained Scientific Innovation (CSSI) This interdisciplinary program supports research that addresses evolving and emerging needs in cyberinfrastructure. The CSSI program operates as an umbrella that covers three classes of awards including (1) elements awards that target small groups that create and deploy services that address specific needs, (2) framework implementations that support larger interdisciplinary teams who are developing services aimed at addressing common research problems faced by NSF researchers, and (3) transitions to stability that assist groups working to execute a well-developed sustainability plan for existing Cyberinfrastructure.Full Proposal Deadline: December 8, 2021
  • United States 
  • International Research 
Prospective PIs should contact Cognizant Program Officers (Tevfik Kosar: CSSIQueries@nsf.gov) to ensure that their project aligns with this program’s solicitation before submitting their application. This program would be useful to scholars whose research focuses on issues of misinformation, social and news media, and other online platforms that shape and are shaped by public discourse. 
NSF: Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace and Frontiers The National Science Foundation has developed a recent interest in projects designed to maximize cybersecurity and address issues of cyber-attacks and security, privacy, and protecting existing infrastructure. This program solicits center-scale projects that explore deep scientific questions with answers that will promote societal change and stimulate other research and educational projects.   

Letter on Intent Due: September 07, 2021

Full Proposal Deadline: November 17, 2021

  • United States 
  • International Research 

NSF: Security and Preparedness

The Security and Preparedness program supports theoretically motivated and methodologically rigorous research relating to global and national security. Projects that include undergraduate students and work to innovate and improve existing methodologies are highly encouraged to apply. Previously funded projects focus on anti-terrorism initiatives, elections, military, and misinformation.

Full Proposal Deadline: January 15, 2022; August 15, 2022
  • United States 
  • International Research 

Open Society FoundationThe Open Society Foundation funds groups working to promote justice, democratic governance, and human rights. While this organization tends to solicit institutions for letters of interest directly, they regularly offer grant programs that are of relevance to the goals and objectives of many Maxwell faculty.

** Application Accepted on a Rolling Basis**

  • United States 
  • International Research

Russell Sage Foundation

The Russell Sage Foundation broadly supports research designed to improve the social and living conditions of United States residents. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit project proposals that strengthen the methods, data, and theoretical core of the social sciences.  Scholars can use funding from this program to generate new datasets or revaluate existing data, providing methodological, theoretical, and topical flexibility in project design and implementation.

*** See "Additional Notes" for deadline information***


  • United States 


Smith-Richardson FoundationThe Smith-Richardson Foundation supports research of issues driving public debate and initiating policy changes in the United States and abroad. The foundation supports projects that evaluate existing public policies and programs, as well as those that produce new ideas and concepts. Projects that explore education (primary, secondary, and post-secondary), fiscal practices on the national, state, and municipal levels and the criminal justice system are encouraged to apply.

**Concept Papers are accepted on a rolling basis**

  • United States
This foundation offers several fellowships opportunities, such as the  World Politics and Statecraft Fellowship for graduate students and the Strategy and Policy Fellows Program for new faculty. 

The Spencer Foundation

The Spencer Foundation supports research that addresses the most pressing questions and issues educators and students are navigating today. Scholars that work to make education more accessible to public audiences, create avenues for diverse scholars and scholarship, and improve educational practice are highly encouraged to apply.
  • United States (Focus)
  • Some International Research 

Funding Opportunities  with No Active Solicitations 
Funding OrganizationDescription of Organization Relevant Programs /Focus Areas Geographic FocusProgram Contact 

Democracy Fund

The Democracy Fund supports individuals and organizations that work to preserve democratic institutions and values. Recent funding opportunities solicited proposals for projects that address issues of hyper-partisanship, growing inequality, the influence of money in politics, the impact that technology has on media and the economy, and structural racism.
  • United States 
Please note that this program does not accept unsolicited proposals 

Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation works to support nationally and internationally-minded individuals and institutions as they work to address and develop solutions to many of the social issues and inequalities that exist today.
  • Andean Region
  • Brazil
  • China
  • Eastern Africa
  • India, Nepal, Sri Lanka
  • Indonesia
  • Mexico and Central America
  • The Middle East and North Africa
  • United States 
  • West Africa 
Please note that this program does not accept unsolicited proposals 
NSF: Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI)

The National Science Foundation seeks to stimulate fundamental exploratory, potentially transformative research that strengthens America's infrastructure. Effective infrastructure, whether it be physical, cyber, or social, provides a strong foundation for socioeconomic vitality and broad quality of life improvement. Strong, reliable, and effective infrastructure spurs private-sector innovation, grows the economy, creates jobs, makes public-sector service provision more efficient, strengthens communities, promotes equal opportunity, protects the natural environment, enhances national security, and fuels American leadership.

Last Solicitation:

Letters of Intent due: December 11, 2020

Full Proposals due: January 15, 2021

  • United States

The Rockefeller FoundationThe Rockefeller Foundation supports research projects that improve access to economic opportunities, electricity, food, and healthcare. This foundation has also established several initiatives that address the COVID-19 pandemic and work to prevent future pandemics.
  • North America (United States)
  • Africa (entire continent, some focus on Eastern African Countries) 
  • Asia (focus on Southeast Asian nations)

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

The Hewlett Foundation supports several initiatives and programs (such as NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics) that mirror the research interests and objectives of the Democratic Institutes and Citizenship sub-cluster. While the foundation appears to have taken a step back from funding new projects in general, this would be a good organization to subscribe to for future opportunities. 

  • Nationally and Internationally Based Projects 


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