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Democratic Institutions and Citizenship Funding Opportunities
Updated Oct 20, 2021

    Democratic Institutions and Citizenship Funding Opportunities

    Oct 20, 2021



     Funding Opportunities with Active Solicitations

     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 Foundation

    The 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. 

    • Civil Society 

    • Education Program 

    **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 (Maxwell Faculty are well-positioned for the “Graduating High School College and Career Ready,” “Afterschool,” and “Strengthening Civic Space” initiatives ).  

    The Joyce Foundation

    The Joyce Foundation funds evidence-based projects that design public policies. Such policies should 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.

    • Culture

    • Democracy 

    • Education and Economic Mobility 

    • Environment 

    • Gun Violence Prevention and Justice Reform 

    • Journalism 

    **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 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  (annually available) 

    • 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 (annually available) 

    • United States 

    • International Research 



    Open Society Foundation

    The 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.

    • Latin American Program 

    • Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa

    ** 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.

    • Social, Political, and Economic Inequality (SPEI)

    • Future of Work (FOW)

    • Behavioral Science and Decision Making in Context (BSDM)

    • Research on the COVID-19 Pandemic and Resulting Recession in the United States 

    • Research on System Racial Inequality and/or the Recent Mass Protest in the United States

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



    • United States 

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    Smith-Richardson Foundation

    The 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.

    • International Security and Foreign Policy  

    • Domestic Public Policy

    **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.

    • Racial Equity Special Research Grants (Now Closed)

    • Lyle Spencer Research Awards to Transform Education (Now Closed)

    • Research Grants on Education: Large (Now Closed)

    • Research Grants on Education: Small (Full Proposal Deadline: December 1, 2021)

    • Research-Practice Partnerships: Collaborative Research for Educational Change (Letter of Intent Due: November 10, 2021; Full Proposal Due: December 8, 2021)

    • United States (focus area)

    • Some International Research 









    Funding Opportunities  with No Active Solicitations 

    Funding Opportunities  with No Active Solicitations 

    Funding Organization

    Overview of Organization 

    Relevant Programs /Focus Areas 

    Geographic Focus

    Program 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.

    • Free and Fair Elections

    • Effective, Representative, and Accountable Governance

    • A Vibrant and Diverse Public Square (Transforming Media)

    • Working Towards Creating a Just and Inclusive Society  

    • 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.

    • Cities and States  

    • Civic Engagement and Government

    • Future of Work(ers)

    • Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice

    • Technology and Society  

    • 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 Foundation

    The 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.

    • Improving Food Accessibility and Systems

    • Advancing Innovation in Public Health and Medical Science

    • Ending Energy Poverty



    • Expanding Equity and Economic Opportunity

    • 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. 

    • Cyber

    • Economy and Society

    • Education

    • Environment

    • Gender Equality and Governance

    • U.S. Democracy

    • Nationally and Internationally Based Projects 







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