Social Sciences

Faculty conducting research in the social sciences have access to a wide range of external funding opportunities through OSP's curated resources, spanning federal agencies, private foundations, and interdisciplinary programs that bridge the social and natural sciences.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is among the most significant federal funders of social science research at W&M, with its Directorate of Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) supporting basic research across economics, psychology, anthropology, political science, and related fields. The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) and the Russell Sage Foundation – the principal American foundation devoted exclusively to social science research – offer additional grant and fellowship opportunities for faculty pursuing scholarly projects across the discipline. The Rockefeller Foundation and other private funders also support work at the intersection of the humanities and social sciences.

For faculty whose research spans policy, public-interest, or applied domains, programs such as DARPA, the Department of Commerce, and the William T. Grant Foundation offer pathways to external support for socially relevant inquiry. OSP's weekly funding opportunities list is regularly updated with open solicitations relevant to social science faculty, and customized funding searches are available upon request. Faculty are encouraged to reach out to their OSP Sponsored Programs Administrator early in the proposal process to ensure timely review and submission.

Browse each faculty funding section, or use Command (⌘) + F on Mac devices or Ctrl + F on PC devices to search for specific keywords on each page.

Interested applicants should contact their OSP Administrator as early as possible.

Funding Opportunities

Please visit the Foundation section for more related opportunities.

(New)
- Department of State
- Description: Supports innovative foreign-assistance projects in the Middle East and North Africa that advance U.S. economic, security, and diplomatic interests, with an emphasis on trade, American businesses, technology, infrastructure, and private-sector growth.
- Deadline: 09/30/2026
- Keywords: Middle East and North Africa, economic development, trade, private sector, infrastructure, technology, U.S. foreign policy, international development.
(New)
- Wake Forest University
- Description: Supports U.S. colleges and universities in integrating character education into their curricula, institutional practices, and campus cultures through grants, resources, and collaborative learning.
- Deadline: 11/15/2026
- Keywords: Character education, higher education, institutional development, student development, leadership, curriculum, college universities
(New)
- Department of State
- Description: Funds projects that strengthen U.S.–Australia relations through flag football, Holocaust education and combating antisemitism, or U.S.–Australia–Pacific Islands partnerships in arts, cultural heritage, education, and training.
- Deadline: 09/20/2026
- Keywords: Public diplomacy, Australia, U.S.-Australia relations, Pacific Islands, cultural heritage, Holocaust education, antisemitism, education, arts, international partnerships, flag football
- *Institutionally Limited
- Institute for Citizens and Scholars (formerly the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation)
- Description: Supports outstanding junior faculty in the humanities and humanistic social sciences with research funding, professional development, mentorship, and time to advance their scholarship and academic careers.
- Deadline: 10/23/2026
- Keywords: Supports outstanding junior faculty in the humanities and humanistic social sciences with research funding, professional development, mentorship, and time to advance their scholarship and academic careers.
- Department of Justice
- Description: Supports the annual collection, processing, and analysis of national and state-level probation and parole data to inform criminal justice policy and research
- Deadline: 09/21/2026
- Keywords: Probation, parole, criminal justice, community supervision, corrections, crime statistics, data collection, data analysis, BJS, justice research
- Supreme Court of the United States
- Description: A one-year paid fellowship providing professionals and scholars with experience in judicial administration, policy, legal research, and education within the federal judiciary.
- Deadline: 11/15/2026
- Keywords: Judicial administration, law, legal research, federal judiciary, public policy, political science, judicial education, public service, fellowship, Supreme Court
- Department of Justice
- Description: Supports the development of national crime estimates using NIBRS data reported by law enforcement agencies across the U.S
- Deadline: 09/21/2026
- Keywords: Supports the development of national crime estimates using NIBRS data reported by law enforcement agencies across the U.S.
- Department of Justice
- Description: Supports research and assessment of criminal history records, including their quality, completeness, accuracy, and use within the criminal justice system
- Deadline: 09/21/2026
- Keywords: Criminal history records, criminal justice, data quality, records management, justice research, data analysis, public safety, BJS, criminal justice statistics.
- African American Intellectual History Society
- Description: Recognizes the best book concerning Black intellectual history (broadly conceived) published by a member of the African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS).
- Deadline: 10/01/2026
- Keywords: Black intellectual history, African American studies, Civil rights and activism, Gender and legal history, Humanities and social sciences
- Smithsonian Institution
- Description: Provides graduate, predoctoral, and postdoctoral fellowship opportunities to conduct independent environmental research in temperate, tropical, and polar ecosystems utilizing the facilities and staff expertise of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC).
- Deadline: 10/15/2026
- Keywords: Ecosystem ecology, Global change, Biodiversity and conservation, Biological invasions, Watersheds and land use
- Department of State
- Description: Higher education support, Research infrastructure, Academic facilities modernization, Scientific equipment acquisition, Institutional capacity building
- Deadline: 09/08/2026
- Keywords: Higher education support, Research infrastructure, Academic facilities modernization, Scientific equipment acquisition, Institutional capacity building
- Fulbright Association
- Description: Provides a grant to an American scholar to support policy-oriented research at the intersection of technology and public policy, focusing on innovative technologies, business models, and their integration with U.S.-EU regulations across one to three European Union member states.
- Deadline: 09/15/2026
- Keywords: Transatlantic policy research, Technology and public policy, U.S.-EU relations, Innovation models, Regulatory frameworks
- Borealis Philanthropy
- Description: Supports grassroots organizations, coalitions, and community-based initiatives working to advance community safety, democracy, justice, and belonging. The program provides flexible general operating support for organizations developing alternatives to criminalization, strengthening civic participation, protecting civil rights, and building community-led solutions.
- Deadline: Rolling deadline (applications accepted while funds remain available)
- Keywords: Community Safety, Democracy, Social Justice, Civil Rights, Community Organizing
- Arnold Ventures
- Description: Supports rigorous research and evaluation projects that build evidence about effective social policies, programs, and interventions. The program funds studies using methods such as randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs to help policymakers identify strategies that improve outcomes in areas such as education, health care, workforce development, and public policy.
- Deadline: 09/11/2026
- Keywords: Social Policy Research, Program Evaluation, Evidence-Based Research, Public Policy, Causal Research
- Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, John Simon
- Description: Supports exceptional mid-career professionals in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences by providing fellowships that allow recipients to pursue significant creative or scholarly work. The program recognizes individuals with demonstrated achievement and provides flexible support to advance their research, projects, or creative endeavors
- Deadline: 09/15/2026
- Keywords: Arts and Humanities, Research Fellowship, Creative Scholarship, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences
- Woodrow Wilson Center
- Description: Supports scholars, practitioners, journalists, and public intellectuals conducting policy-relevant research on global issues, foreign policy challenges, and topics that inform public policy discussions.
- Deadline: 09/30/2026
- Keywords: Public Policy, International Affairs, Foreign Policy, Global Issues, Political Science, Governance, Security Studies, International Relations, Fellowship
- Department of the Interior
- Description: Supports applied wildland fire research focused on changing wildfire regimes, wildfire risk factors, fire impacts, and smoke from prescribed and wildland fires to improve fire management decisions.
- Deadline: 09/17/2026
- Keywords: Wildland Fire, Fire Science, Wildfire Research, Fire Behavior, Smoke Impacts, Climate Change, Fire Risk, Fire Management, Prescribed Fire, Ecosystem Resilience, Environmental Research
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Description: Supports research centers evaluating evidence-based strategies to prevent and reduce youth violence through community partnerships, prevention research, and training.
- Deadline: 12/01/2026
- Keywords: Youth Violence Prevention, Violence Prevention, Injury Prevention, Community-Based Research, Public Health, Behavioral Health, Youth Development, Community Engagement
- American Academy in Berlin
- Description: The Academy welcomes applications from a broad range of disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, law, journalism, and various areas of public policy. We also generally encourage projects that address pressing issues of the day, such as the future of democracy, technology and society (especially artificial intelligence), contemporary China, as well as climate change and sustainability.
- Deadline: 09/25/2026
- Keywords: Law, Journalism, Public Policy, Democracy, Technology, Sustainability, AI
- Bibliographical Society of America
- Description:
- Deadline: 09/16/2026
- Keywords:
- American Psychological Association
- Description:
- Deadline: 01/04/2027
- Keywords:
- Dirksen Congressional Center
- Description:
- Deadline: Applications are accepted at any time
- Keywords:
- National Science Foundation
- Description:
- Deadline: Full proposal accepted anytime
- Keywords:
- National Science Foundation
- Description:
- Deadline: Full proposal accepted anytime
- Keywords:
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Description:
- Deadline: Full proposal accepted anytime
- Keywords:
- U.S. Agency for International Development
- Description:
- Deadline: 12/31/2029
- Keywords:
- Open Philanthropy
- Description:
- Deadline: Applications are open until further notice and will be assessed on a rolling basis.
- Keywords:
- National Science Foundation
- Description:
- Deadline: Full proposal accepted anytime
- Keywords:
- National Science Foundation
- Description:
- Deadline: Full proposal accepted anytime
- Keywords:

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Funding Opportunities