Arnold Ventures – Building Evidence: Support for QEDs to Evaluate Social Programs and Policies
Deadline: September 11, 2026 for letters of interest; invited full proposals are due January 15, 2027.
Budget/Amount: No fixed award amount is specified. Past awards vary widely depending on study scope. Publicly identified grants have ranged from approximately $356,000 to nearly $2.0 million, with many projects appearing to fall in the several-hundred-thousand-dollar range. Applicants should request funding appropriate to the project timeline and study scope and include an approximate project budget and brief budget narrative at the LOI stage; a full itemized budget is required if invited to submit a full proposal.
Purpose: Supports rigorous causal research using quasi-experimental methods to evaluate potentially effective U.S.-based policies, programs, and interventions. Eligible methods include natural experiments, regression discontinuity, difference-in-differences, and instrumental variable designs. The RFP focuses on Arnold Ventures policy areas including Higher Education, Career Pathways, Health Care, Medicaid, Online Gambling, Infrastructure, and Public Finance.
Eligibility: Open to applicants proposing quasi-experimental studies of U.S.-based programs, policies, or interventions that align with at least one of Arnold Ventures’ listed policy areas. Projects should demonstrate policy relevance and strong study design, including a clear empirical strategy, credible identification approach, high-quality data sources, and a feasible timeline. Studies using random assignment should apply through the Strengthening Evidence RFP instead, and studies primarily focused on criminal justice outcomes are directed to a separate RFP.
RFP: AV-Building-Evidence_RFP.pdf
Webinar/Resources: Applicants must submit an LOI through the applicant portal using the required LOI template. Supporting documents include a 1–2 page study team overview, brief CVs for key study team members, and a budget request summary with an approximate project budget and brief narrative. FAQs and AV’s indirect cost policy are available as supplemental resources; questions may be directed to EvidenceTeam@arnoldventures.org
Arnold Ventures – Strengthening Evidence: Support for RCTs to Evaluate Social Programs and Policies
Deadline: September 11, 2026 for letters of interest; invited full proposals are due January 15, 2027.
Budget/Amount No fixed award amount is specified. Applicants should request funding appropriate to the study scope and timeline and provide an approximate project budget and brief budget narrative at the LOI stage; a full itemized budget is required if invited to submit a full proposal. Based on prior Arnold Ventures Strengthening Evidence competitions, typical awards have often fallen in the $200,000-$400,000 range, although larger awards may be considered for projects with substantial evaluation costs
Purpose: Supports rigorous randomized controlled trials that evaluate U.S.-based social programs, policies, or interventions and generate credible causal evidence to inform policy and practice. The RFP is open across the spectrum of social policy and particularly welcomes studies that replicate prior rigorous findings in new contexts or extend follow-up of existing RCTs to assess long-term impacts.
Eligibility: Open to applicants proposing RCTs of U.S.-based programs, policies, or interventions that address pressing social issues. Projects should demonstrate policy relevance, strong study design, and implementation feasibility, including evidence that the program is mature, evaluation-ready, and supported by committed partners. RCTs primarily focused on criminal justice outcomes are not considered under this RFP.
RFP: AV-Strengthening-Evidence-RFP.pdf
Webinar/Resources: Applicants must submit an LOI through the applicant portal using the required LOI template. Supporting documents include a 1–2 page study team overview, brief CVs for key study team members, and a budget request summary with an approximate project budget and brief narrative. FAQs and AV’s indirect cost policy are available as supplemental resources; questions may be directed to EvidenceTeam@arnoldventures.org
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) – ACLS Digital Justice Grants
Deadline: November 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.
Budget/Amount: Digital Justice Seed Grants provide up to $25,000 for start-up projects, while Digital Justice Development Grants provide up to $100,000 for more established projects. Recipients also receive financial planning support to promote project sustainability.
Purpose: Supports digital projects in the humanities and social sciences that critically engage with the histories, experiences, and interests of people of color and other historically marginalized communities through the ethical use of digital tools and methods. The program also seeks to strengthen local digital humanities ecosystems and expand opportunities for innovative, publicly engaged scholarship.
Eligibility: Projects must be administered by an eligible institution and include scholarly leadership in the humanities or interpretive social sciences. The program supports community-engaged, collaborative, and digitally focused projects that advance justice, inclusion, and equitable access to knowledge.
RFP: https://www.acls.org/programs/acls-digital-justice-grants/
Webinar/Resources: ACLS provides program guidance, application instructions, FAQs, and information on both Seed and Development Grant tracks. Funded projects participate in long-term financial planning activities designed to support sustainability and impact.
American Association of Geographers (AAG) – AAG Research Grants
Deadline: November 15, 2026, by midnight Eastern Time.
Budget/Amount: Up to $500. Funds may be used only for direct research and fieldwork expenses; salary and indirect/overhead costs are not permitted.
Purpose: Supports research and fieldwork in geography and related disciplines. Priority is given to projects that address questions of major importance to discipline and demonstrate potential to obtain substantial future support from foundations or federal agencies.
Eligibility: Applicants must have been AAG members for at least two years (not necessarily consecutive) at the time of application. Awards are not available for master's theses or doctoral dissertation research.
RFP: https://www.aag.org/award-grant/research/
Webinar/Resources: Applications are submitted through the AAG awards portal. Award notifications are typically issued within approximately three months of the deadline, with funding distributed in late spring. Additional information includes eligibility requirements, review criteria, and reporting expectations
