APSA Grants: Frequently Asked Questions

For Applicants:

What grants are available through the Centennial Center, who is eligible, and when are applications due?

APSA offers multiple grants through the Centennial Center.

Grant Program	Description	Eligibility	Next Deadline
Centennial Center Research Grants	Grants of up to $2,500 to assist APSA members with the cost of research. Grants of up to $10,000 available for workshops aimed at advancing the discipline, or providing publication opportunities for early-career scholars.	All APSA members, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty	June 15
Small Research Grants	Grants of up to $2,500 to assist APSA members who are contingent faculty, or who teach in BA or MA-granting departments, with the costs of research.	From political science departments (or political scientists in faculty roles in cognate departments) that do not grant PhDs Contingent faculty who do not qualify for institutional support A political scientist not affiliated with an academic institution and is either (a) unemployed or (b) working in a research organization such as a think tank.	April 30
Peer to Peer Pedagogical Partnership Grants	Grants of up to $40,000 to support local collaboration between community college, regional public, liberal arts, and research-intensive faculty. Proposed projects should produce teaching resources based on cutting-edge research, and share best practices in teaching and mentoring historically under-represented students.	Political Science Faculty or faculty outside of political science departments who regularly conduct research or teach in political science. Graduate Students can apply with a faculty member	Every Fall, Exact date TBA
Research Partnerships on Critical Issues	Grants to support collaborative projects by political scientists and practitioners aimed at using research to address pressing issues of public concern.	At least one PI must be located in a political science department Applicants must constitute a team of approximately 6 faculty experts and 6 practitioner experts from think tanks, community orgs, NGOs, industry or governmental experts, or international organizations whose participation reflects the cross-ideological goal of the project.	Early January, Exact date TBA
Special Project Fund	For groups of members for projects aimed at advancing the political science discipline and/or a tackling a challenge facing the discipline. Projects must be evidence-based and provide wider benefits for the profession and the discipline. Projects must be collaborative and traditional scholarly projects (e.g. production of a single author book or journal article) are not accepted.	Proposals must come from collaborations of political scientists – applications from individuals will not be considered. Political Science Faculty or faculty outside of political science departments who regularly conduct research or teach in political science. Graduate Students can apply with a faculty member	TBA

Note– APSA has grants and fellowship available outside of the Centennial Center. Please visit apsanet.org/grants to learn more.

Do you have any tips for writing my grant application and preparing my budget?

Yes! You can find our grant writing guide here. If your institution has an office of research or a writing center, we recommend contacting them for in-depth grant-writing support.

Can grants support work that was completed before notifications were made?

No, grants may only support work conducted after notification of award.

Can my institution charge administrative or overhead costs to my grant?

No.

Can I use my grant funds to pay for APSA membership?

No.

Can I use my grant funds for APSA Annual Meeting registration funds?

No. Grants may be used to support costs of workshops or mini conferences held at the Annual Meeting (i.e. office supplies, catering, travel support), but grant funds may not be used to pay for conference registration.

I am an independent scholar or a faculty member working outside of a political science department, am I still eligible for research grants?

Yes! As long as your proposed research fits within the discipline of political science, and you meet other relevant eligibility requirements (see Question 1) you are eligible for research grants. Please note that PIs for Peer to Peer Pedagogical Partnerships and Special Projects Fund proposals should be political science faculty (or faculty outside of political science departments who regularly conduct research or teach in political science). Similarly, Research Partnership on Critical Issues must have at least one, and ideally multiple PIs located in a political science department.

For Recipients:

How should I acknowledge APSA in funded work?

All programs receiving funding from the Centennial Center must include recognition of that funding in publicity materials for that program. Recipients should also send the Centennial Center any media coverage, news articles, or newsletters mentioning the funded project, notification of publications resulting from the project, as well as electronic copies of any photos, videos, or other multimedia content that the Centennial Center can use in promoting or otherwise recognizing the funded project or program.

Who should I inform about receiving an APSA award?

You can find information about publicizing your grant/award here.

Do I need to inform APSA of the results of my work?

Yes! All projects and programs funded by the APSA must submit an annual report for each year in which they receive funding. This report must detail what the grant funds supported and evaluate progress towards goals in the previous year. Visit our grant reports page to learn more, and to download our grant report template. Your grant reporting date is listed in your original grant agreement.