Interlinkages and Innovation for Future Societies

Overview:

The Toyota Foundation Research Grant Program, Interlinkages and Innovation for Future Societies, invites research proposals that address social issues with an awareness of the “connections” among people, between people and nature, and between people and things and technologies. This is based on the belief that in order to realize an affluent and harmonious world, we need to fundamentally reexamine existing social systems and design the future from the perspective of interlinkages.

In evaluating proposals, the Research Grant Program will place emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of the research, the diversity of the participants, international perspectives, and the impacts on society. It invites ambitious projects that transcend conventional research activities, which often contribute only to the academic world, to address important social issues. It will support researchers who boldly challenge the world and encourage the transformation of social systems using a free-thinking approach that is not constrained by existing values.

Targeted Projects 

(1) Joint research projects conducted by two persons or more are eligible. 

(2) Project representatives must have a contact address in Japan and must be 45 years old or under on the date when the grant begins. 

● Project team members other than the representatives are not subject to any restrictions with regard to age or residency. 

● Neither representatives nor team members of the project are subject to any restrictions with regard to nationality, academic or career background, or institutional affiliation. The research grant program welcomes applications from a variety of people, including practitioners, who are involved in civil society activities such as those by NGOs or NPOs, and independent researchers. 

● Grant recipients (project representatives) are required to maintain close communication with the Toyota Foundation program officers during the grant period. 

(3) Projects will have a clear idea of the social issues that they address and will include concrete plans and ideas toward the transformation of social systems. Projects will also aim to actively share research findings with the wider society. 

• We value trial and error and unintended developments in research activities. However, we require researchers to go beyond simply sticking to research alone to take into consideration the specific ways for sharing and implementing their research findings with the wider society. We place particular emphasis on sharing with society through policy recommendations, construction of models, and the development of platforms and/or networks.  

Solicitation limitations:

No limitations are placed on proposals with regard to the nationality of the project representative or participants; nor is there any restriction with regard to their affiliation (or lack thereof) with a university, research institute, NPO/NGO, or other organization.

Other information:

Grant Period: Two years (Nov 1, 2025 to Oct 31, 2027)

Application Language: English or Japanese

Applications are due June 6, 2025 (until 3:00 p.m. Japan Standard Time).

Project representatives must be 45 years old or under on the day of the beginning of the grant.

Project representatives must have a contact address in Japan.

Projects must be Joint research conducted by two persons or more.

Traffic on the Toyota Foundation website may increase immediately prior to the application deadline (June 6, 2025, 3:00 p.m.), making it impossible in some cases to submit a project proposal, so we recommend that you apply as early as possible.

Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE)

Overview:

The purpose of the POSE program is to support a new pathway for translating research or innovation results by supporting managing organizations that facilitate the creation and growth of sustainable, high-impact OSEs around already-developed open-source products, tools, and artifacts. The POSE program aims to grow the community of researchers who develop and contribute to OSE efforts, and enable pathways to intentionally transition promising, robust open-source innovations into self-sustaining OSEs that could lead to new technology products or services with broad societal impacts.

This solicitation seeks two types of proposals, allowing teams to propose specific activities to scope and plan the establishment of an OSE (Phase I), and to establish a sustainable OSE based on a robust open-source product that shows promise in the ability to both meet an emergent societal or national need and build a community to help develop it (Phase II).

Phase I: OSE Scoping and Planning Proposals
Phase I projects are for open-source research products with a small community of external users though the product may not necessarily have external content developers. The objectives of Phase I projects are to: (1) enable scoping activities that will inform the transition of promising research products that are already available in open-source formats into sustainable and robust OSEs that will have broad societal impacts, and (2) provide training to teams interested in building such an OSE.

Each Phase I proposal must describe the current context and, to the extent known at the time of the Phase I proposal, the long-term vision and potential impact of the proposed OSE. The proposals should also include specific scoping activities that will inform plans for ecosystem discovery; organizational and governance structure; continuous development, integration, and deployment of the open-source product(s); and community building for users and intellectual content developers. Phase I scoping activities are intended to help teams determine (a) whether their open-source product is suitable and ready to be transitioned into an OSE; (b) whether there is a user base that is ready to serve as early adopters; and (c) whether there is a distributed intellectual content developer community that can help develop and maintain the core product going forward.

Phase II: Establishment and Expansion Proposals Phase II projects are for open-source research products with a small community of external users and external content developers. The objective of Phase II projects is to support the transition of a promising open-source product into a sustainable and robust OSE. Phase II proposals are expected to have conducted the scoping activities (not necessarily via a Phase I award) needed to develop a detailed project plan to support the community-driven distributed development and deployment of successful open-source tools into operational environments. The proposals must include a community outreach plan that outlines activities to engage the intended intellectual content developer community that will further develop and maintain the technology and identifies user communities and/or organizations that will serve as early adopters of the technology.

Each Phase II proposal must describe the current context and the long-term vision and impact of the proposed OSE. The proposal should also include a well-developed, cohesive plan for building an OSE, including ecosystem establishment/growth, organizational and governance structure, a framework for continuous development, integration, and deployment of the technology, methods for evaluating the OSE's effectiveness, and activities to ensure security and privacy, build the community, and sustain the ecosystem.

Solicitation limitations:

By the submission deadline, any PI, co-PI, or other senior project personnel must hold either:

• a tenured or tenure-track position, or
• a primary, full-time, paid appointment in a research or teaching position

Phase I awardees are not obligated to submit Phase II proposals in the future.
An NSF POSE Phase I award is not required for the submission of a Phase II proposal.

Other information:

Phase I proposals are limited to a total budget of $300,000 with durations of up to one year.  

Phase II proposals are limited to a total budget of $1,500,000 with durations of up to two years.

Importantly, the POSE program is not intended to fund the development of open-source products, including tools and artifacts. The POSE program is also not intended to fund existing well-resourced, open-source communities or ecosystems. Instead, the program aims to support new managing organizations to catalyze distributed, community-driven development and growth of new OSEs.

2025 Research Grants on Reducing Inequality

Overview:

This program funds research studies that aim to build, test, or increase understanding of programs, policies, or practices to reduce inequality in the academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes of young people ages 5-25 in the United States, along dimensions of race, ethnicity, economic standing, language minority status, or immigrant origins.

We fund:

• Descriptive studies that describe, explore, or explain how programs, practices, or policies reduce inequality
•  Intervention studies that provide causal evidence on the effectiveness of programs or policies for reducing inequality
• Measurement development studies that can enhance the work of researchers, practitioners, or policymakers to reduce inequality

Background 
Our focus on reducing inequality grew out of our view that research can do more than help us understand the problem of inequality—it can generate effective responses. We believe that it is time to build stronger bodies of knowledge on how to reduce inequality in the United States and to move beyond the mounting research evidence about the scope, causes, and consequences of inequality. 
 
Research Interests 
Our research interests center on studies that examine ways to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. We welcome descriptive studies that clarify mechanisms for reducing inequality or elucidate how or why a specific program, policy, or practice operates to reduce inequality. We also welcome intervention studies that examine attempts to reduce inequality. Finally, we welcome studies that improve the measurement of inequality in ways that can enhance the work of researchers, practitioners, or policymakers.

Recognizing that findings about programs and practices that reduce inequality will have limited societal impact until the structures that create inequality in the first place have been transformed, the Foundation is particularly interested in research to uproot systemic racism and the structural foundations of inequality that limit the life chances of young people.

Applications for research grants on reducing inequality must:

1. Identify a specific inequality in youth outcomes. We are especially interested in research to reduce inequality in academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes. 

• Show that outcomes are unequal in a brief discussion of existing literature. 

2. Highlight the main explanations for the unequal outcomes that are relevant for your study. 

• Make a convincing case for the dimension(s) of inequality the study will address. We are especially interested in research to reduce inequality along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, economic standing, sexual or gender minority status, language minority status, or immigrant origin status. 
• Be very specific in naming the groups on which the study will focus. Avoid vague terms such as “at-risk youth” or “vulnerable youth.”
• Offer a well-developed conceptualization of inequality. Avoid treating dimensions of inequality (e.g., race, economic standing) as variables without providing conceptual and/or theoretical insight into why and how the identified inequality exists. 

• Research that focuses on a dimension other than race, ethnicity, economic standing, sexual or gender minority status, language minority status, or immigrant origins must be in intersection with one of these dimensions. 

3. Articulate how findings from your research will help build, test, or increase understanding of a program, policy, or practice to reduce the specific inequality that you have identified. 

• Draw on extant theoretical and empirical literature to provide a rationale for why the specific programs, policies, or practices under study will equalize outcomes between groups or improve outcomes of a particular group. In other words, specify your theory of change. 
• Identify how the study will investigate this rationale to determine whether it holds up to empirical scrutiny.

Solicitation limitations:

The Foundation makes grants only to tax-exempt organizations. We do not make grants to individuals. 

We encourage proposals from organizations that are under-represented among grantee institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native Serving Institutions, Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions.

Other information:

LOI Required: The application process for all research grants begins with a letter of inquiry, a five-page proposal.

While we value research on the causes and consequences of inequality, we do not fund this work. Instead, we support research that informs or examines a policy, program, or practice response that can be implemented through an organization, institution, or system. 

Only studies that:

1. align with the stated research interests of this program and 
2. relate to the outcomes of young people between the ages of 5 and 25 in the United States are eligible for consideration.

We do not support non-research activities such as program implementation and operational costs, or make contributions to building funds, fundraising drives, endowment funds, general operating budgets, or scholarships.

Award Information
Major Research Grants 
• $100,000 to $600,000 over 2-3 years, including up to 15% indirect costs. 
• Projects involving secondary data analysis are typically at the lower end of the budget range, whereas projects involving new data collection and sample recruitment can be at the higher end. Proposals to launch experiments in which settings (e.g., classrooms, schools, youth programs) are randomly assigned to conditions are usually on the higher end. We encourage applicants pursuing cluster randomized designs to apply for additional sources of funding to ensure support for a sufficient sample. 

Officers’ Research Grants 
• $25,000–$50,000 over 1-2 years, including up to 15% indirect costs. 
• Studies may be stand-alone projects or may build off larger projects. The budget should be appropriate for the activities proposed.

Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER)

Overview:

This program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Activities pursued by early-career faculty should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from early-career faculty at all CAREER-eligible organizations and especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply.

All CAREER proposals should describe an integrated path that will lead to a successful career as an outstanding researcher and educator. NSF recognizes that there is no single approach to an integrated research and education plan, but encourages all applicants to think creatively about the reciprocal relationship between the proposed research and education activities and how they may inform each other in their career development as both outstanding researchers and educators. These plans should reflect the proposer's own disciplinary and educational interests and goals, as well as the needs and context of his or her organization. Because there may be different expectations within different disciplinary fields and/or different organizations, a wide range of research and education activities may be appropriate for the CAREER program. In addition, NSF recognizes that some investigators, given their individual disciplinary and career interests, may wish to pursue an additional activity such as entrepreneurship, industry partnerships, or policy that enhances their research and education plans.

View the funding announcement for important updates to the CAREER competition.

• The PI needs to meet all eligibility criteria as of the annual deadline
• Clarification regarding the minimum percentage appointment (tenure-track and tenure-track equivalent) for eligibility to the program 
• Only one annual deadline applies to all CAREER submissions, regardless of Directorate 
• Added guidance on the CAREER proposal submission timeline

Solicitation limitations:

An eligible Principal Investigator may submit only one CAREER proposal per annual competition. No co-PIs are permitted.

A Principal Investigator (PI) may submit only one CAREER proposal per annual competition. In addition, a Principal Investigator may not participate in more than three CAREER competitions. Proposals that are not reviewed (i.e., are withdrawn before review or are returned without review) do not count toward the three-competition limit.

Faculty members who are Associate Professors or in equivalent appointments, with or without tenure, are not eligible for the CAREER program. Faculty members who hold Adjunct Faculty or equivalent appointments are not eligible for the CAREER program

Other information:

The CAREER award, including indirect costs, is expected to total a minimum of $400,000 for the 5-year duration. Proposers must meet all of the following eligibility requirements as of the annual deadline:
•    Hold a doctoral degree in a field supported by NSF;
•    Be engaged in research in an area of science, engineering, or education supported by NSF;
•    Hold at least a 50% tenure-track (or tenure-track-equivalent) position as an assistant professor (or equivalent title);
•    Be untenured; and
•    Have not previously received a CAREER award. (Prior or concurrent Federal support for other types of awards for non-duplicative research does not preclude eligibility.)

Tenure-Track Equivalency 
For a position to be considered a tenure-track-equivalent position, it must meet all of the following requirements: 

1. the employee has a continuing appointment that is expected to last the five years of a CAREER grant; 
2. the appointment has substantial research and educational responsibilities; and 
3. the proposed project relates to the employee's career goals and job responsibilities as well as to the mission of the department or organization.

As stated in the Proposal Preparation Instructions, for non-tenure-track faculty, the Departmental Letter must affirm that the investigator's appointment is at an early-career level equivalent to pre-tenure status, and the Departmental Letter must clearly and convincingly demonstrate how the faculty member's appointment satisfies all the above requirements of tenure-track equivalency

U.S. Mission to Germany, Transatlantic Partnership Program

Overview:

The Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. Mission to Germany is offering funding through the Transatlantic Partnership Program. This program aims to strengthen transatlantic relationships by promoting mutual understanding and collaboration between the United States and Germany.

The program focuses on three main objectives: 
•    Sustaining and Expanding Transatlantic Networks. 
•    Fostering Democratic Civil Societies. 
•    Building Equitable and Sustainable Economies. 

Eligible projects must feature U.S. elements, have a clear audience focus, and include a strategic implementation plan. They should enhance target audience awareness, inform attitudes, or improve skills, and include a monitoring and evaluation plan. 

The program emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion [MLFC’s editor note: confirm with agency PO prior to applying], ensuring that all activities are accessible and representative of the diverse political, social, and cultural life in the U.S. and abroad. Proposals should demonstrate how they will engage diverse and underserved communities and maintain a non-political character.

The Public Diplomacy Section will consider proposals from Germany-based applicants, including: 
•    Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with a presence in Germany; 
•    Non-profit or governmental educational institutions; 
•    Governmental institutions and other public entities. 

Non-German organizations are required to partner with a German institution. We will not entertain applications from U.S. or third-country organizations that cannot show evidence of a German partner institution.

Sample Projects which could be eligible for funding: 
•    Workshops for experts/practitioners/educators and youth audiences (high school through university students and young professionals) focused on countering malign influence, countering extremism, or media literacy. 
•    Trainings or activities to empower advocacy for shared democratic values. 
•    Youth leadership and civic engagement programs. 
•    Green innovation and energy transformation hackathons for German students. 
•    Digital economy and innovation summits bringing together young innovators, policymakers, and business leaders from the United States and Germany.

Other information:

Programs starting August 1, 2025: Submit by May 30, /2025
Length of Performance Period: Up to 24 months with options for non-competitive continuation (NCC) subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.
Cost Sharing or Matching: Applicants are not required to include third-party funding in their project proposals, but applications with cost-sharing will be given special consideration during merit review.

Internationalizing Teacher Prep & Innovations in Internationalization

Overview:

The Longview Foundation builds purposeful partnerships between state government, NGOs, colleges of education, and communities to integrate global competence into teacher and student experiences to prepare them for tomorrow. The tradition of supporting teachers and working with myriad policy and non-governmental partners to deliver high-quality international educational experiences to students.

As a small foundation, the Longview Foundation must focus its resources in order to have impact. Trustees have identified K-12 education in the U.S. as their area of interest and only fund projects that directly support building global perspectives in teachers and students. Proposals funded will advance the field or impact significant numbers of students.

Longview funds proposals for one-year grants focused on increasing global dimensions within K-12 education in the U.S. submitted using one of the following strategies. Successful applications will contribute to the field and/or will impact significant numbers of students.

We are placing a priority on applications that support professional development for teachers, globalizing career pathways, using AI to bring the world into your classroom, fostering civic discourse, and access to strong on-line global content in the categories as described below.

Innovations in Internationalization -- We seek to weave global competence into the fabric of school and teacher experiences to engage and inspire the people living in them to want to connect more meaningfully to the world.

We believe that there are many catalysts for public dialogue and that making global–local connections and encouraging shared cultural experiences contribute to a sense of place and communal identity.

Our innovations work specifically supports strategic, field–building activities that help address gaps in knowledge or capacity. Advancement of global education in new and creative mechanisms is particularly of interest. Previous grants in this field have ranged from connecting schools with communities around international children’s literature to building professional development resources for teachers that internationalize the U.S. History perspectives taught in middle and high school.

Learn more about the work we have supported and about current funding strategies in the innovations category.

Internationalizing Teacher Preparation -- As economic, social, and technological transformations link us in unprecedented ways, the critical role of teachers in preparing young people for a new global reality has never been clearer; yet, few teachers begin their careers with the deep knowledge and robust skills necessary to bring the world into their classrooms.

In February 2008, the Longview Foundation brought together leaders in education, government, and other sectors to examine what is currently being done in schools, colleges, and departments of education to prepare future teachers for the new global reality and to generate momentum to do more. The result was the commissioning of a new report and funding stream for Longview.

Teacher Preparation for the Global Age: The Imperative for Change, highlights promising practices identified during this meeting and subsequent discussions and suggests a framework for internationalizing the education of all pre–service teachers and increasing the number of world language teachers, especially in less commonly taught languages.

Teacher preparation programs that have been comprehensively internationalized ensure that the following actions occur:

• General education coursework helps each prospective teacher to develop deep knowledge of at least one world region, culture, or global issue, and facility in one language in addition to English.

• Professional education courses teach the pedagogical skills to enable future teachers to teach the global dimensions of their subject matter.

• Field experiences for faculty and students support the development of pre–service teachers’ global perspectives and contribute the broader research base of the aligned strategic plan.

• More teachers are prepared to teach less commonly taught languages and language education pedagogy is updated based on current research and best practice.

• There are incentives, not barriers, to faculty at all levels engaging in this work.

In addition, since the publication of the report, the following elements have been identified as critical to comprehensive, sustainable internationalization for today’s teacher education programs:

• Programs and courses are creating and utilizing formative and summative assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of new strategies in developing the global competence of prospective teachers.

• Technology is integrated into the student experience to enhance instructional practice and to facilitate connections to the world.

• Prerequisites for language study are in place and opportunities to build further proficiency and language application exist during students’ course of study.

• Key partnerships locally, regionally, and nationally exist and larger reform initiatives tie back to campus and college’s strategic plans.

• All work aligns to the global aspects of the college and campus strategic vision.

Though the strategies outlined in this report have begun to represent a consensus on the best way forward, we hope they will continue to inspire and challenge teacher preparation to embrace its pivotal role in educating teachers to better prepare tomorrow’s citizens for their roles in the world. We know this is just a beginning. Please share your ideas and examples with us!

Learn more about our fellows program, other work we have supported and about current funding strategies in the teacher preparation category.

Other information:

The grant application process has three stages:
1) an eligibility quiz, 2) a short form Letter of Intent, 3) and a Full Proposal by invitation only. 

The foundation is interested in supporting activities that have other sources of funding and can demonstrate sustainability beyond the grant period.

Most grants will be between $15,000 and $25,000.

Social, Political and Economic Inequality (SPEI)

Overview:

The Russell Sage Foundation’s (RSF) program on Social, Political, and Economic Inequality supports original research on the factors that contribute to social, political, and economic inequalities in the U.S., and the extent to which those inequalities affect social, political, psychological, and economic outcomes, including educational and labor market opportunities and consequences, social and economic mobility within and across generations, and civic participation and representation.

We seek innovative investigator-initiated research that will expand our understanding of social, political, and economic inequalities and the mechanisms by which these inequalities influence the lives of individuals, families, communities, and the country. We welcome projects that explore the relevance of socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, gender, geographic, immigration or other statuses for the distribution of social, political, and economic outcomes within and across different status groups.

RSF prioritizes analyses that make use of newly available data or demonstrate novel uses of existing data. We support original data collection when a project is focused on important program priorities and conducts surveys, survey experiments, field experiments or qualitative studies. RSF encourages methodological variety and inter-disciplinary collaboration. Proposed projects must have well-developed conceptual frameworks and rigorous research designs. Analytical models must be well-specified and research methods must be appropriate.

RSF priorities do not include analyses of health or mental health outcomes or health behaviors as these are priorities for other funders. For the same reason, RSF seldom supports studies focused on educational processes or curricular issues. RSF does however, support research that examines the causes and consequences of inequalities in student achievement or educational attainment.

The kinds of questions that are of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Economic Wellbeing, Equality of Opportunity, and Intergenerational Mobility
• Inequality and Policymaking
• Political Institutions and the Democratic Process
• Climate Change and Natural Disasters
• Neighborhoods and Communities
• Crime, Criminal Justice & the Legal System
• Psychological and Cultural Changes
• Educational Achievement and Attainment

Solicitation limitations:

All applicants (both PIs and Co-PIs) must have a doctorate. In rare circumstances, RSF may consider applications from scholars who do not hold a doctorate but can demonstrate a strong career background that establishes their ability to conduct high-level, peer-reviewed scholarly research.

Other information:

Funding can be used for research assistance, data acquisition, data analysis, and investigator time for conducting research and writing up results for publication. Trustee Grants are capped at $200,000, including 15% indirect costs, over a two-year period. Presidential Awards are capped at $50,000 (no indirect costs) over a two-year period. However, when research projects have special needs for gathering data (e.g., qualitative research or survey experiments), gaining access to proprietary or restricted-use data, or when the proposal budget includes salary support for multiple assistant professor PIs, applicants may request up to $75,000 (no indirect costs).

A brief letter of inquiry (LOI; four-page maximum excluding references) must precede a full proposal to determine whether the proposed project is in line with the Foundation's program priorities and available funds.

Future of Work

Overview:

The Russell Sage Foundation’s program on the Future of Work supports innovative research on the causes and consequences of changes in the quality of jobs for low- and moderately paid workers and their families in the U.S. We seek investigator-initiated research proposals that will broaden our understanding of the role of changes in employer practices, the nature of the labor market and public policies on employment, earnings, and job quality. We are especially interested in proposals that address questions about the interplay of market and non-market forces in shaping the wellbeing of workers.

RSF prioritizes analyses that make use of newly available data or demonstrate novel uses of existing data. We support original data collection when a project is focused on important program priorities, projects that conduct survey or field experiments and qualitative studies. RSF encourages methodological variety and inter-disciplinary collaboration. Proposed projects must have well-developed conceptual frameworks and rigorous research designs. Analytical models must be well-specified and research methods must be appropriate.

RSF priorities do not include analyses of health or mental health outcomes or health behaviors as these are priorities for other funders. For the same reason, RSF seldom supports studies focused on educational processes or curricular issues but does prioritize analyses of inequalities in student achievement or educational attainment.

The kinds of topics and questions of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Emerging Technologies and the Future of Work and Workers
• “The Big Shift”? Changes in Labor Force Participation and Increased Turnover During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Labor Market Power and Institutions
• Workforce Development, Training, and the 21st Century American Workplace
• Changes in Employer Practices and Alternative Work Arrangements
• Changing Economies, Changing Families and Policy Responses

Solicitation limitations:

All applicants (both PIs and Co-PIs) must have a doctorate. In rare circumstances, RSF may consider applications from scholars who do not hold a doctorate but can demonstrate a strong career background that establishes their ability to conduct high-level, peer-reviewed scholarly research. Students may not be applicants.

Other information:

A brief letter of inquiry (LOI; four-page maximum excluding references) must precede a full proposal to determine whether the proposed project is in line with the Foundation's program priorities and available funds. 

Funding can be used for research assistance, data acquisition, data analysis, and investigator time for conducting research and writing up results. Trustee Grants are capped at $200,000, including 15% indirect costs, over a two-year period. Presidential Awards are capped at $50,000 (no indirect costs) over a two-year period. However, when research projects have special needs for gathering data (e.g., qualitative research or survey experiments), gaining access to proprietary or restricted-use data, or when the proposal budget includes salary support for multiple assistant professor PIs, applicants may request up to $75,000 (no indirect costs).

Letter of Inquiry

Overview:

Nathan Cummings Foundation (NCF) is on a learning journey, and we seek to connect with innovative partners and proximate change makers who are driving impact. We want to learn from, work with, and support organizations that share our commitment to advancing racial, economic, and environmental justice (REEJ). 

We support organizations based in the United States, its Territories, and Israel-Palestine. We are particularly interested in work focused on the U.S. South.

Racial Justice -- Our vision for racial justice is the removal of structural barriers and hierarchies based on race. It seeks to reimagine political, economic, and social systems in ways that allow all people to thrive, regardless of their racial identity.

Focus Areas: To advance racial justice, we support organizations that address the following focus areas:

• Civic Engagement: BIPOC and other marginalized communities face long-standing and concerted efforts to restrict and suppress their participation in the public sphere, especially in civic processes. We support efforts to ensure these communities have the access and capacity to participate freely in shaping the policies, practices, and institutions that impact their everyday lives.
• Racial Wealth Gap: As a product of centuries of policies and practices, extreme racial wealth inequality persists in the United States, especially among Black communities. We support efforts to repair this harm, build wealth, and address the root causes of the racial wealth gap.
• Racism + Oppression: White supremacy is at the root of our society’s most unequal systems, institutions, and policies. We support efforts to build the infrastructure and capacity necessary to create systems that are free from oppression and allow us all to thrive.

Economic Justice -- Economic justice means that everyone has opportunities to participate and thrive in the economy, including those who are marginalized by our current economic systems. The principles of economic justice create a stronger economy because prosperity and equity go hand in hand.

Focus Areas: To advance economic justice, we support organizations that address the following focus areas:

• Economic Security: Economic security is a necessary baseline for people to survive and thrive, especially amidst conditions of rising inequality. We support efforts that systemically mitigate economic precarity and secure a path to a more stable future for poor and low-income people.
• Access to Capital: Generations of discriminatory lending and investment practices have prevented BIPOC and women from accessing the capital required to bring their innovative ideas to the marketplace and profit from them. We support efforts to provide more access to capital for historically excluded entrepreneurs and to cultivate an ecosystem in which they can prosper.
• Monopoly Power: Monopoly power drives many of the corrosive and pressing problems in our political, economic, and social systems. We support efforts to decrease corporate power and create a level playing field for workers, marginalized communities, and small businesses.

Environmental Justice -- Environmental justice is the right of all people and communities to a clean, healthy, and safe environment. It promotes equal environmental protection under the law and in fact. It empowers all communities to make informed decisions and fully participate civically and economically in the creation of environmental solutions.

Focus Areas:  To advance environmental justice, we support organizations that address the following focus areas:

• Environmental Harms: BIPOC and low-income communities are disproportionately harmed by environmental hazards. We focus on efforts to prevent and repair these environmental disparities and ensure the affected communities can meaningfully engage in forging solutions.
• Inclusive Participation in the Green Economy: A Green Energy transition is well underway, but the economic opportunity that goes along with it is not distributed equitably. We focus on efforts to ensure that BIPOC-led environmental organizations and diverse companies can fully take advantage of the investments, benefits, and opportunities of the Green Economy.
• Regenerative Economic Models: Achieving environmental justice and addressing climate change requires a shift from extractive to regenerative economic models. We focus on social entrepreneurs and innovators who are building regenerative projects and models based on sustainability, ecological restoration, and community wealth-building and resilience.

Solicitation limitations:

[If planning on submitting an application, please alert Ashley O’Brion, ASUF.]

Other information:

Most of our grants range from about $50,000 – $250,000. We anticipate most PRIs will range from $250,000 to $750,000, typically to be repaid within three to seven years.

For FY 2025, the portal will be open from January 16, 2025, through June 30, 2025, and will reopen on October 1, 2025.

You can view a preview of the LOI Forms here: Grants LOI; PRI LOI.  

Community Impact Grants

Overview:

The APS Foundation supports programs that enhance academic achievement in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Since 1981, the Foundation has invested more than $44 million in projects throughout Arizona that help prepare students to compete in a 21st century economy.

A workforce proficient in STEM skills is critical to attracting and retaining high-quality businesses and industries to the state. The APS Foundation targets projects that help educators increase content knowledge in STEM subjects as well as the ability to transfer this knowledge effectively to students.

Organizations must be registered as a 501(c)(3) public charity in good financial and public standing. Programs should demonstrate their ability to improve educational outcomes, increase access and/or offer an innovative approach to learning.

Solicitation limitations:

ASU may submit only one (1) application to the sponsoring organization. After the posted internal deadline, this opportunity will be first come, first served. If you would like to apply, please submit an application in InfoReady as soon as possible—and alert Ashley O’Brion (ASUF) of your intent.

Other information:

All grantees will have specific reporting requirements and must submit a final evaluation before they can be considered for additional funding. The APS Foundation accepts grant requests during two cycles each year.

All applications are required to be a onetime all-inclusive annual request for an organization and we respectfully ask that requests seeking event sponsorship be submitted at least 90 days prior to the event date. We are committed to reviewing all grant requests within 60 days of submission. Please note all notifications about your grant will come from [email protected]. Please add this email address to your safe sender list to receive communications.