FAS Research Development
Opportunities in the Social Sciences
April 2015

We welcome and encourage your feedback and suggestions regarding this newsletter and the types of funding opportunities that would be most relevant to you.  Comments can be emailed to Erin Cromack at cromack@fas.harvard.edu

Current Notable Opportunities

Unless otherwise noted, full proposals for all external opportunities must be submitted to the Harvard Office for Sponsored Programs (OSP) at least five business days in advance of the sponsor deadline.


Internal Opportunities 
External Opportunities

Foundation and Non-Federal:

 

Federal:  

 

Internal Opportunities

publicationFAS Publication Fund for Tenure-Track Faculty 

Deadline: rolling
Award Amount: Up to $5,000

The FAS Tenure-Track Faculty Publication Fund is intended to provide aid to assistant and associate professors in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences seeking to find supplemental research funds to assist with costs related to scholarly publications, broadly defined. These needs might, for example, include expenses associated with research assistance, publication subsidies, copying, word processing, obtaining translations or illustrations, or creating footnotes or indices.


For more information, see here.

 


fhbFoundations of Human Behavior Initiative
Deadlines: Proposals are due on the last day of February, May, August, and November
Award Amount: Up to $40,000

These research funds provide seed grants for proposals that promise to advance understanding of the social, institutional and biological mechanisms shaping human beliefs and behavior. The funds will be used to support interdisciplinary social science research projects based on innovative experimental or observational designs that make use of sophisticated quantitative methods.  The Fund also supports seminars, conferences, and other research-related activities.

 

The Fund is especially interested in reviewing and supporting research on the foundations of human behavior of the following kinds:
    • Interdisciplinary projects
    • Innovative projects
    • Exploratory projects
    • Projects with the potential to have an enormous impact on social science, policy, or human well-being
    • Research conducted with the collaboration of new investigators (although investigators at all career stages are encouraged to apply)
    • Research requiring seed funding, possibly to explore the viability of ideas for larger-scale, externally funded efforts

For more information, see here

 

Foundation and Non-Federal Opportunities

usjpnUnited States-Japan Foundation
US-Japan Policy Studies
Sponsor Letter of Inquiry Deadline (OSP review not required): July 15, 2015
Harvard OSP Deadline (if invited to submit full proposal): August 24, 2015
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline (by invitation): August 31, 2015
Award Amount: Not specified.  Recent grants have ranged from $5,000-$150,000.

The United States-Japan Foundation supports US-Japan policy-related studies, initiatives and exchanges that help address issues of significant mutual concern to the United States and Japan. The Foundation seeks to respond to policy-relevant needs as identified by experts and practitioners in US-Japan policy studies field and we are therefore open to innovative projects.

For more information, see here.


rsfRussell Sage Foundation
Project and Presidential Awards
Sponsor Letter of Inquiry Deadline (OSP review not required): June 1, 2015 by 2:00PM
Harvard OSP Deadline (if invited to submit full proposal): July 24, 2015
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline (by invitation): July 31, 2015 by 2PM
Award Amount: Up to $150,000

The Foundation's awards are restricted to support for social science research within the following five program areas:
  • Behavioral Economics - The program in Behavioral Economics focuses on research that incorporates insights of psychology and other social sciences into the study of economic behavior.
  • Cultural Contact - The program in Cultural Contact is focused on research that examines the effects of cultural difference on the ways in which different groups in the population understand and interact with one another, and with particular attention to the response of economic, social, and political institutions in the US to increasing diversity.
  • Future of Work - The program in the Future of Work is concerned primarily with examining the causes and consequences of the declining quality of jobs for less- and moderately-educated workers in the U.S. economy and the role of changes in employer practices. The program is also concerned with the nature of the labor market and public policies on the employment, earnings, and job quality of American workers.
  • Immigration - The program in Immigration focuses on research that examines social, economic, political, and community changes in the context of contemporary immigration and the role of race, nativity and legal status on the prospects for integration of immigrants and their children.
  • Social Inequality - The program in Social Inequality is focused on how rising economic inequality is related to social, political, and economic institutions in the U.S., and the extent to which increased inequality has affected equality of opportunity, social mobility, and the intergenerational transmission of advantage.
For more information, see here.


rsf_vsRussell Sage Foundation
Visiting Scholars Program
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: June 30, 2015
Award Amount: Up to $110,000

The Russell Sage Foundation's Visiting Scholar Program provides a unique opportunity for select scholars in the social, economic and behavioral sciences to pursue their research and writing while in residence at the Foundation's New York headquarters.  Fellowships are awarded to scholars in the social sciences who are at least several years beyond the Ph.D.  While Visiting Scholars typically work on projects related to the Foundation's current initiatives to contribute to "the improvement of social and living conditions in the United States," a few scholars whose research falls outside the Foundation's active programs are also invited each year.  Visiting Scholar positions begin September 1st and ordinarily run through June 30th.  Scholars are provided with an office at the Foundation, research assistance, computer and library facilities, and supplemental salary support of up to 50 percent of their academic year salary when unavailable from other sources (up to a maximum of $110,000). Scholars who reside outside the greater New York City area are also provided with a partially-subsidized apartment near the Foundation offices.

For more information, see here.


asaAmerican Sociological Association
Fund for Advancement of the Discipline
Harvard OSP Deadline: June 8, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: June 15, 2015
Award Amount: $8,000

The goal of this program is to nurture the development of scientific knowledge by funding small, groundbreaking research initiatives and other important scientific research activities such as conferences. FAD awards provide scholars with "seed money" for innovative research that has the potential for challenging the discipline, stimulating new lines of research, and creating new networks of scientific collaboration. The award is intended to provide opportunities for substantive and methodological breakthroughs, broaden the dissemination of scientific knowledge, and provide leverage for acquisition of additional research funds.  While ASA membership is not a criterion for applying or being selected for this award, if and when this award is received, the recipient must be a current ASA member.

For more information, see here.


smith_richardsonSmith Richardson Foundation
Strategy and Policy Fellowship
Harvard OSP Deadline: June 8, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: June 15, 2015
Award Amount: $60,000 for one year

The Strategy and Policy Fellows grant program supports young scholars and policy thinkers on American foreign policy, international relations, international security, military policy, and diplomatic and military history.  The purpose of the program is to strengthen the U.S. community of scholars and researchers conducting policy analysis in these fields.  The Foundation will award at least three research grants of $60,000 each to enable the recipients to research and write a book. Within the academic community, this program supports junior or adjunct faculty, research associates, and post-docs who are engaged in policy-relevant research and writing.

 

For more information, see here.  


ghsGerda Henkel Foundation
Islam, the Modern Nation State and Transnational Movements
Harvard OSP Deadline: May 21, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: May 29, 2015
Award Amount:

The special programme "Islam, the Modern Nation State and Transnational Movements" is aimed at researchers who, with an eye to current developments, are examining the emergence of political movements in the Islamic world at the national and/or transnational level. Historical studies are encouraged and supported, together with projects in the areas of religious, cultural or political science.  The special programme takes a look at the dynamics between Islamic teachings, Islamism, nationalism and transnational orientations and environments. Scientific discussion of the countries and regions of the Islamic world should bring together expertise possessing regional and thematic focus in order to allow the problems associated with areas of conflict to be expounded upon, particularly with regard to global influences and processes of cultural exchange.

For more information, see here.


brooksGladys Brooks Foundation

Grants for Libraries or Educational Institutions

Harvard OSP Deadline: May 21, 2015 

Sponsor Deadline: May 29, 2015

Award Amount: $50,000 to $100,000 (greater and lesser amounts in certain circumstances)


The Foundation considers major grant applications in the fields of libraries, education, hospitals and clinics.

 

Grants for Libraries: Applications will be considered for resource Endowments (print, film, electronic database, speakers/workshops), capital construction, and innovative equipment. Projects fostering broader public access to global information sources utilizing collaborative efforts, pioneering technologies, and equipment are encouraged.

 

Grants for Educational Institutions: Applications will be considered for: educational endowments to fund scholarships; endowments to support fellowships and teaching chairs; and erection or endowment of buildings and equipment for educational purposes.


For more information, see here.


Federal Opportunities

nsf_careerNational Science Foundation
Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)
Deadlines: July 21, 22 and 23, depending on directorate (see program synopsis)
Award Amount: Minimum award amount of $400,000

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. Such activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research.

For a synopsis of the program and guidance for FAS faculty members, see here.


klugeLibrary of Congress
Kluge Fellowships
OSP review not required
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline: July 15, 2015
Award Amount: $4,200 per month stipend

The John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress invites qualified scholars to conduct research at the Kluge Center using the Library of Congress collections and resources for a period of four to eleven months.  The Kluge Center especially encourages humanistic and social science research that makes use of the Library's large and varied collections.  Among the collections available to researchers are the world's largest law library and outstanding multi-lingual collections of books and periodicals. Deep special collections of manuscripts, maps, music, films, recorded sound, prints and photographs are also available. 

For more information, see here.


naraNational Archives and Records Administration
Access to Historical Records
Harvard OSP Deadline: June 10, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: June 17, 2015
Award Amount: Up to $200,000 for 1-2 years

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks proposals that promote the preservation and use of the nation's most valuable archival resources. This grant program is designed to support archival repositories in preserving and processing primary source materials. The program emphasizes the creation of digital tools that facilitate the public discovery of historical records. Eligible activities include (but are not limited to):
  • Preservation, arrangement, and online description of historical records in all formats;
  • Digital preservation of electronic records and unstable audio or moving image formats.

The Commission funds projects that deal with the following kinds of historical source material: records of state, county, municipal, tribal, or other non-Federal units of government; manuscripts, personal and family papers, or organizational and business archives; and collections of photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings, electronic records, and/or such visual materials as unpublished architectural, cartographic, and engineering drawings. 

 

For more information, see  here.

 


titleviiiU.S. State Department 
Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union
Harvard OSP Deadline: May 13, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: May 20, 2015
Award Amount: Up to $1.5M

Organizations with substantial and wide-reaching experience in administration of research and training programs are invited to apply for funding to conduct nationwide competitive programs supporting U.S. scholars, students, and institutions in advanced research and language training on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia.  U.S.-based nonprofit organizations and educational institutions may submit proposals for the Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII) that 1) support and sustain American expertise on the countries of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, 2) bring American expertise to the service of the U.S. government, and 3) further U.S. foreign assistance and policy goals.  All proposals must make an explicit connection to U.S. foreign or national security policy, and demonstrate how the proposed program will contribute to U.S. knowledge, expertise, and national capability.

For more information, see here.


 Other Federal Opportunities

dosDepartment of StatensfNational Science Foundation
nijNational Institute of Justice

nehNational Endowment for the Humanities

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