Opportunities in the Social Sciences
August 2015

An archive of previous funding newsletters and links to sign up for all of our funding listservs can be found here.

 
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.

 
External Opportunities

Foundation and Non-Federal:
Federal:  
 
Harvard Internal Opportunities
 
 
Foundation and Non-Federal Opportunities

aauwAmerican Association of University Women
American Fellowships
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: November 15, 2015
Award Amount: Up to $30,000 for research leave fellowships, $20,000 for dissertation fellowships, and $6,000 for short-term publication grants

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.

For more information, see here.


fordFord Foundation Fellowships
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: November 13, 2015
Award Amount: One year stipend of $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.  Eligibility is limited to individuals who have been awarded a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree no earlier than November 30, 2008 and no later than November 13, 2015 in an eligible research-based field from a U.S. institution of higher education.  Eligible fields include 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.

For more information, see here.


sorosOpen Society Foundations
Soros Justice Fellowships
OSP review not requied
Sponsor Deadline: October 21, 2015
Award Amount: $58,000-110,250

The Soros Justice Fellowships fund outstanding individuals to undertake projects that advance reform, spur debate, and catalyze change on a range of issues facing the US criminal justice system. Fellows receive funding through the following two categories:
 
Advocacy Fellowships fund lawyers, advocates, grassroots organizers, researchers, and others with unique perspectives to undertake full-time criminal justice reform projects at the local, state, and national levels. Projects may range from litigation to public education to coalition-building to grassroots mobilization to policy-driven research.
 
Media Fellowships support writers, print and broadcast journalists, bloggers, filmmakers, and other individuals with distinctive voices proposing to complete media projects that engage and inform, spur debate and conversation, and catalyze change on important US criminal justice issues.
 
For more information, see here.


aaasAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences
Visiting Scholars Program
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: October 20, 2015
Award Amount: Up to $65,000 for junior faculty members; up to $45,000 for postdoctoral students

The Academy's Visiting Scholars Program provides residential fellowships for junior faculty members and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences. The fellowship program offers scholars a year for research and writing free from teaching and administrative duties, a collaborative work environment, and the opportunity to interact with Academy members. It also creates a national network for these scholars, assisting them in their research and professional development.  The Academy seeks proposals in the humanities and social sciences relating to American history, culture, and public policy from the founding period to the present.

 

For more information, see here.

 


chiangChiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange
Scholar Grants
Harvard OSP Deadline: October 7, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: October 15, 2015
Award Amount: up to $40,000 for full Professors; $35,000 for Associate Professors; and $30,000 for Assistant Professors

The Foundation's grants provide support for research on Chinese studies in the humanities and social sciences. 
 
Scholar Grants support tenured faculty, including full and Associate professors, to take sabbatical for research and writing. 
 
Junior Scholar Grants provide grants for time off for research and writing to postdoctoral scholars and Assistant professors without tenure who are affiliated with an accredited US university and who have taught for no more than 6 years since receiving their PhD degree.
 
For more information, see here.


trudeauPierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
Doctoral Scholarships
Harvard Pre-Proposal Deadline: October 5, 2015
Harvard OSP Deadline: December 4, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: December 11, 2015
Award Amount: $60,000/year for 4 years

The Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships reward outstanding doctoral candidates who are enrolled or about to be enrolled in a social sciences and humanities program and who are doing research in areas related to four themes: Human Rights and Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada in the World and People and their Natural Environment.  The award supports interdisciplinary research and original fieldwork by providing a substantial yearly allowance for research and travel, enabling the Scholars to gain first-hand contact with the diverse communities that can enrich their studies.  To be eligible for the Harvard nomination, a candidate must be a Canadian citizen applying for the first year of a doctoral program in the social sciences and humanities at Harvard or registered in the first or second year of such a program at Harvard.

Only six applications may be submitted from Harvard University.  In order to select nominees, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research will conduct an internal competition.  For information on the internal application process please see here.


apfAmerican Psychological Foundation
Elizabeth Munsterberg Koppitz Child Psychology Graduate Student Fellowship 
Harvard Pre-Proposal Deadline: September 28, 2015
Harvard OSP Deadline: November 6, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: November 15, 2015

The Elizabeth Munsterberg Koppitz Fellowship program provides fellowships for graduate student research in the area of child psychology, including child-clinical, pediatric, school, educational and developmental psychopathology.  In order to be eligible applicants must have completed doctoral candidacy and demonstrated research competence and area commitment.

Only one application may be submitted from Harvard University.  In order to select one candidate from the University, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research will conduct an internal competition.  For information on the internal application process please see here.


wilsonWoodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Fellowship
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: October 1, 2015
Award Amount: Varies.  The Center tries to ensure that the fellowship award, when combined with the recipient's other sources of income (e.g. other grants and sabbatical allowances), approximates an individual's current level of income.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars welcomes outstanding and award winning scholars, practitioners, journalists and public intellectuals to take part in its non-partisan dialogue.  Through an international competition, the Center offers 9-month residential fellowships. Fellows conduct research and write in their areas of expertise, while interacting with policymakers in Washington and Wilson Center staff.  The Center accepts non-advocacy, policy-relevant, fellowship proposals that address key policy challenges facing the United States and the world. 

For more information, see here.


walkerAlex C. Walker Foundation Grants
Harvard OSP Deadline: September 24, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: October 1, 2015
Award Amount: No specified limit, but most awarded grants are less than $50,000

The Alex C. Walker Educational and Charitable Foundation funds projects that promote greater knowledge of economic, scientific, and environmental issues and their possible relationship to economic imbalances and the free enterprise system. They also support investigations on the effect of legislation and international agreement on the foregoing subjects.  The Foundation funds two categories of projects: traditional economics and ecological economics with a free-market orientation.

For more information, see here.


cullmanNew York Public Library
The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers
OSP Review not required
Sponsor Deadline: September 25, 2015
Award Amount: Fellow receives a stipend of up to $70,000, an office, a computer, and full access to the Library's physical and electronic resources.

The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers offers fellowships to outstanding scholars and writers whose work will benefit directly from access to the research collections at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street (formerly the Humanities and Social Sciences Library).  Renowned for the extraordinary comprehensiveness of its collections, the Library is one of the world's preeminent resources for study in anthropology, art, geography, history, languages and literature, philosophy, politics, popular culture, psychology, religion, sociology, and sports.  The Center appoints 15 Fellows a year for a nine-month term at the Library, from September through May.  In addition to working on their own projects, the Fellows engage in an ongoing exchange of ideas within the Center and in public forums throughout the Library.

For more information, see here.


apsAmerican Philosophical Society
Franklin Grants
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: October 1, 2015
Award Amount: Up to $6,000

The Franklin program funds travel to libraries and archives for research purposes, the purchase of microfilm, photocopies, or equivalent research materials, the costs associated with fieldwork, or laboratory research expenses.  The Society is particularly interested in supporting the work of young scholars who have recently received the doctorate. American citizens and residents of the United States may use their Franklin awards at home or abroad.
 
For more information, see here.


Harvard OSP Deadline: September 24, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: October 1, 2015
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.

For more information, see here

 


acls_fellowAmerican Council of Learned Societies
Fellowships
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: September 23, 2015
Award Amount: up to $35,000 for Assistant Professors; up to $45,000 for Associate Professors; and up to $70,000 for full Professors.

The ACLS Fellowship program invites research applications in all disciplines of the humanities and related social sciences. The ultimate goal of the project should be a major piece of scholarly work by the applicant. ACLS does not fund creative work (e.g., novels or films), textbooks, straightforward translation, or pedagogical projects. The ACLS Fellowships are intended as salary replacement to help scholars devote six to twelve continuous months to full-time research and writing.  Tenure of the fellowship may begin no earlier than July 1, 2015 and no later than February 1, 2016.

For more information, see here.


acls_collaborativeAmerican Council of Learned Societies
Collaborative Research Fellowships
Harvard OSP Deadline: September 16, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: September 23, 2015
Award Amount: Amount will depend on the number of collaborators and the duration of the research leaves but will not exceed $200,000 for any one project.

 

The aim of this fellowship program is to offer small teams of two or more scholars the opportunity to collaborate intensively on a single, substantive project. The fellowship supports projects that produce a tangible research product (such as joint print or web publications) for which two or more collaborators will take credit.  The fellowships are for a total period of up to 24 months, to be initiated between July 1, 2015 and September 1, 2017, and provide up to $60,000 in salary replacement for each collaborator as well as up to $20,000 in collaboration funds which may be used for such purposes as travel, materials, or research assistance.

 

For more information, see here



acls_burkhardtAmerican Council of Learned Societies
Frederick Burkhardt Residential Fellowships for Recently Tenured Scholars
OSP review not required
Sponsor Deadline: September 23, 2015
Award Amount: $75,000

The Burkhardt Fellowship Program is open to recently tenured humanists-scholars who will have begun their first tenured contracts by the application deadline but began their first tenured contracts no earlier than the fall 2011 semester or quarter.  These fellowships support long-term, unusually ambitious projects in the humanities and related social sciences. The ultimate goal of the project should be a major piece of scholarly work by the applicant. ACLS does not fund creative work (e.g., novels or films), textbooks, straightforward translation, or pedagogical projects. Burkhardt Fellowships are intended to support an academic year (nine months) of residence at any one of the 13 national residential research centers participating in the program.

For more information, see here.


greenwallGreenwall Foundation
Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics
Harvard Pre-Proposal Deadline: September 15, 2015
Sponsor Letter of Intent Deadline: October 9, 2015
Harvard OSP Deadline (if invited to submit full proposal): January 4, 2015
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline (by invitation): January 11, 2015
Award Amount: 50% salary plus benefits for 3 years, up to 1.5 times the NIH salary cap, with 10% institutional costs for the salary and benefits. Additional $5000/year for limited project support and travel

The Greenwall Faculty Scholars Program in Bioethics is a career development award to enable junior faculty members to carry out innovative bioethics research.  Applicants must be junior faculty members holding at least a 60% appointment in a tenure series at a university or non-profit research institute in the U.S. Priority will be given to applicants who have not yet been considered for tenure, who have not received a comparable career development award, and whose work will have an impact on public policy, biomedical research, or clinical practice. 

Only two applications may be submitted from Harvard University.  In order to select the Harvard nominees, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research will conduct an internal competition.  Information on the Harvard internal selection process can be found here.


sloanAlfred P. Sloan Foundation
Sloan Research Fellowships
Harvard OSP Deadline: September 8, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: September 15, 2015
Award Amount: $55,000 over 2 years 

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is accepting nominations for the Sloan Research Fellowships.  The Sloan Research Fellowships seek to stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise.  Candidates must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent in chemistry, computational or evolutionary molecular biology, computer science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, ocean sciences, physics, or a related field and candidates' most recent Ph.D. or equivalent must have been awarded on or after September 1, 2009.  While Fellows are expected to be at an early stage of their research careers, there should be strong evidence of independent research accomplishments.  Candidates must be nominated by a department head or other senior researcher and no more than three candidates may be nominated from a department.

 

For a synopsis of the program, see here



rsfRussell Sage Foundation
Project and Presidential Awards
Sponsor Letter of Inquiry Deadline (OSP review not required): September 14, 2015 by 2:00PM
Harvard OSP Deadline (if invited to submit full proposal): November 13, 2015
Sponsor Full Proposal Deadline (by invitation): November 5, 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.


bantingBanting Postdoctoral Fellowships
Deadline to request institutional endorsement from Harvard: September 7, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: September 23, 2015
Award Amount: $70,000 per year (taxable) for two years

The objective of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program is to attract and retain top-tier postdoctoral talent, both nationally and internationally, to develop their leadership potential and to position them for success as research leaders of tomorrow, positively contributing to Canada's economic, social and research-based growth through a research-intensive career.  Candidates to be hosted by Harvard must fulfill all degree requirements for a PhD or equivalent between September 23, 2012 and August 15, 2016 and must be Canadian Citizens or permanent residents of Canada who have obtained/will obtain their PhD or equivalent from a Canadian university.  Applications are accepted from all fields in the humanities, social sciences, health research, natural sciences and engineering, and the sponsor has specifically expressed an interest in receiving more applications in the social sciences and humanities.  

 

Those who wish to apply for a fellowship hosted by Harvard University must include with their application an institutional letter of endorsement signed by the Vice Provost for Research.  To request this endorsement letter, candidates must submit their contact information and a copy of their proposed supervisor's statement online here by September 7, 2015.

For more information on the fellowship, see here.

Federal Opportunities

nsf_ibssNational Science Foundation
Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science Research (IBSS)
Harvard OSP Deadline: November 20, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: December 1, 2015
Award Amount: Up to $1,000,000 for an IBSS Large Research Project; Up to $300,000 for an IBSS Small Research Project

The Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Science Research (IBSS) competition seeks to support research conducted by integrated teams of researchers from two or more social, behavioral, and economic (SBE) disciplines. These teams should engage in integrated research that employs methods and techniques from multiple SBE disciplines, and the results of the team's research should be likely to significantly enhance theoretical understandings or have other stimulating and/or catalytic impacts across a range of SBE disciplinary fields. Although the IBSS competition will consider any proposal that addresses a topic for which the proposal makes a compelling case that the research will enhance broader theoretical understanding across multiple social and behavioral science fields, social and behavioral science researchers are especially encouraged to submit proposals for research on one of the following three general topics: Population Change; Sources and Consequences of Disparities; and Technology, New Media, and Social Networks.

For more information, see here


nih_ethicsNational Institutes of Health
Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Genomic Research: Small Research Grant Program (R03)
Harvard OSP Deadline: October 8, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: October 16, 2015
Award Amount: Up to $50,000/year for 2 years

This Funding Opportunity Announcement invites Small Research Grant (R03) applications that propose to study the ethical, legal and social implications of human genome research.  Applications should propose small, self-contained research projects, such as those that involve single investigators.  Of particular interest are projects that propose normative or conceptual analyses, including focused legal, economic, philosophical, anthropological, or historical analyses of new or emerging issues.

For more information, see here.


neh_dialogueNational Endowment for the Humanities
Dialogues on the Experience of War
Harvard OSP Deadline: September 8, 2015
Sponsor Deadline: September 15, 2015
Award Amount: Up to $100,000

NEW PROGRAM - This new program supports the study and discussion of important humanities sources about war, in the belief that these sources can help U.S. military veterans and others to think more deeply about the issues raised by war and military service. The humanities sources can be drawn from history, philosophy, literature, and film-and they may and should be supplemented by testimonials from those who have served. The discussions are intended to promote serious exploration of important questions about the nature of duty, heroism, suffering, loyalty, and patriotism.  The program awards grants that will support the recruitment and training of discussion leaders and, following the training program, the convening of at least two discussion programs.

For more information, see here.


 Other Federal Opportunities

usaidAgency for International Development

dosDepartment of State
naraNational Archives and Records Administration
 
nihNational Institutes of Health
nsfNational Science Foundation

nehNational Endowment for the Humanities
agency_alertsSign up for agency-specific funding alerts:
Internal Opportunities

climateClimate Change Solutions Fund
Deadline: November 1, 2015
Award Amount: Up to $150,000 over 1-2 years

Information Session: September 25 2015 9:00-11:00am in the Thompson Room of the Barker Center 

 

The 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.  Full-time assistant, associate, or full professors in all disciplines from any Harvard School may apply for an award.  Students and postdoctoral scholars may apply for an award provided they have an identified faculty mentor who will supervise their research.

For more information on the fund, see here.  To access the online application, see here.


radcliffe_esExploratory Seminars at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
Deadline: October 26, 2015 for one- to two-day seminars hosted by the Radcliffe Institute during the 2016-2017 academic year
Award Amount: Up to $18,000

Exploratory seminars provide funding to bring together scholars, practitioners, and artists from Harvard University and around the world to develop early-stage ideas and research across the disciplines. The seminars support risk-taking inquiry into new ideas and research.  These seminars have led to new scholarly research, publications, cross-disciplinary partnerships, and successful grant applications. Proposals are welcome from all academic fields, and proposals advancing innovation in learning and teaching and those considering issues connected to the wider field of urban studies are welcome.  All Harvard faculty and past and present Radcliffe fellows are eligible.

For more information, see here.


pifiePresident's Innovation Fund for International Experiences
Deadline: October 26, 2015
Award Amount: $5,000-60,000

The President's Innovation Fund for International Experiences (PIFIE) provides seed funding to faculty members at any Harvard school to support the development of creative and significant academic experiences abroad for Harvard College students. This may mean involving undergraduates in an ongoing overseas project sponsored by a Harvard graduate or professional school, department, center, or other academic unit; developing experience-based courses for students overseas, including courses prior to and/or following their international experience; or other innovative opportunities.  Applications will fall into three categories: 1) requests for funding to develop and implement a new international program, 2) requests for funding to make exploratory or planning site visits, or 3) requests from prior award recipients for renewal funding.

For more information, see here.


radcliffeRadcliffe Institute Fellowship Program
Deadline: September 23, 2015 for individual applications in Humanities, Social Science, Creative Arts; October 15, 2015 for individual applications in Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Award Amount: Stipend of $75,000 for one year with additional funds for project expenses.

The Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Program is a scholarly community where individuals pursue advanced work across a wide range of academic disciplines, professions, and creative arts. Radcliffe Institute fellowships are designed to support scholars, scientists, artists, and writers of exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishment who wish to pursue work in academic and professional fields and in the creative arts.

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

 

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