Announcing Expanded Research Funding Opportunities for APSA Members
In order to provide additional support to our members during the current crisis, the Centennial Center is making research grants more flexible by expanding the categories of costs eligible for funding. Eligible costs for the 2020 funding cycle include
- Research costs associated with data collection, including costs of conducting interviews and surveys, access to archives, and more.
- Salary support for PIs
- Salary support for research assistants
- Per diems regardless of location
- Research software and hardware, including statistical software, productivity software, and devices necessary for scholars with disabilities to conduct their research.
- And more! We recognize that APSA members may have research needs not included in the above list. If you have a cost that is not listed here, please contact us at centennial@apsanet.org.
Research grants typically range from $500-$1500 but funds can be requested in any amount up to $2500 maximum. The Centennial Center also offers grants of up to $10,000 for events, workshops, and programs with broader disciplinary benefits. For the current cycle, we recommend submitting proposals for virtual events/workshops or with clear contingency plans for in-person events.
Please review our description of funds and FAQ below for answers to frequently asked questions.
Deadline: June 30, 2020
The Centennial Center is home to thirteen donor-created funds, which support our research grant program. Each grant fund has a unique set of aims, including supporting international scholarship, electoral scholarship, and scholarship on race and gender. Click on one of the fund names below to see detailed information about individual grant aims.
Supports general professional opportunity grants, including research and teaching affiliated with the Centennial Center.
The Artinian Fund supports programs that encourage and assist early career scholars in publishing their research. To learn more visit our Artinian Fund page.
Supports international scholarship, especially in Asia.
Supports the global study of political life and the internationalization of the political science discipline.
Supports research on diversity, cultural nationalism, African-American voting behavior, education policy, or urban and minority policy and politics.
The Steiger Fund enables Congressional Fellowship Program alumni to extend their stays in Washington for research. It also supports scholarly research in any aspect of domestic or international legislative politics.
Supports research on the intersection of gender, race, ethnicity, and political power.
Supports scholars conducting work on the presidency, and whose work brings them to Washington, D.C. to examine executive politics.
The Miller Fund supports research in national and comparative electoral politics.
Supports scholarship in the field of women and politics.
The Volcker Fund promotes and supports excellence in research and theory on public administration issues affecting governance in the United States and abroad. This award is administered by the Organized Section for Public Administration. For more information, visit their website.
The Ostrom Fund supports the Association’s promotion of democratic engagement;
efforts to advance understanding of self-governing systems; the possibilities of moving from
authoritarian to democratic systems; and the critical role of citizens in a democratic polity. Grants can support training seminars, publications, outreach activities, and research.
This fund supports Latino/a graduate study as well as Latino/a scholarship, research, and activities that advance our knowledge of Latino/a politics. Additionally, the fund is used to support Latino/a junior faculty. The Fund for Latino Scholarship is administered by the Latino Caucus in Political Science/Sector Latino de Ciencia Politica. If you are interested in seeking funding from this fund, please contact latinofund@apsanet.orgfor more information.
Application Instructions:
With a single application, you can apply for support from multiple Centennial Center Funds. Applications require the following materials (see our application form for more details):
- Abstract (maximum 1/2 page, 12 pt Times New Roman font, single spaced)
- Project Statement (maximum 2.5 pages single spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman font). Should include: a description of the topic and the value/contribution of the proposed work; a summary of the basic ideas and hypotheses; the methodology to be used; a timeline for the project and the present status of your work (including IRB approval, if relevant); the relevance of your grant application to the grant fund(s) selected; and the materials that will be used.
- CV
- Budget (1 page maximum in spreadsheet, list, or table format). Budget should include detailed breakdown by budget category (travel, personnel, meals, office supplies, etc.), and estimated cost per item in each budget category. Actual expenses may vary up to 10% from proposed budget, and further revisions to budget may be made during active grant phrase with funder approval. If your project is receiving support from other sources, this should also be noted in your budget. Please not that we do not allow for indirect or overhead costs to be charged to any Centennial Center grants.
- ONLY For all graduate students and for any applicants requesting workshop/event funding over $5000 – two (and no more than two) letters of recommendation (requests can be sent to letter writers via the grant application form).
Applications due June 30th
Our application form requests that you indicate which of our thirteeen funds you are applying to for funding. We highly recommend that you apply widely and that you consider how your project might relate to multiple funds. Applicants are encouraged to note in their project proposal how their work might speak to the focus of multiple funds. For example, you may consider your project to be focused on gender and politics, but your work may draw on, build on, or have implications for legislative studies. You should identify and explain all of these ties and select all relevant funds in your application form. For further advice for preparing your grant application visit our tips page.
Requirements, Eligibility:
All APSA members, including undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty, are
encouraged to apply for Centennial Center Research Grants. APSA members from departments that do not grant PhDs, and/or who are contingent faculty who do not qualify for institutional support, are also encouraged to apply to APSA’s Small Research Grant Program, which supports faculty in BA and terminal-MA granting departments. Learn more about the small research grant program here.
Grant recipients must maintain an APSA membership throughout their grant period.
Frequently Asked Questions:
When will applicants be notified of decisions? We aim to notify applicants of decisions by one month after the application deadline. For the 2020 cycle, the review and notification process may take longer due to limitations on reviewer availability.
Do you have any tips for writing my grant application and preparing my budget? Yes! You can find our grant writing guide here.
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.
Who needs to submit letters of recommendation? All graduate students are required to submit two letters of recommendation, regardless of the amount of their funding request. All applicants requesting funds for workshops or events exceeding $5000 are also required to submit two letters of recommendation. You can request letters from your letter writers via our grant application form.
What should be included in letters of recommendation? Letters must speak to the applicant’s ability to successfully carry out the proposed work. They may also speak to the value of the proposed work.
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 news, 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.
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.