Funding Opportunities
HGSE OSP provides Research Development (RD) support to PI-eligible researchers. We assist in identifying funding opportunities through personalized consultations and funding searches. We regularly publish new and notable funding opportunities for PI consideration and maintain a library of successful proposals (available upon request). Below are some resources about the various funding types available to our research community.
Harvard University subscribes to several online databases to assist principal investigators with funding opportunity searches.
Federal
The following is a list of common federal HGSE funders. To search all federal agencies please navigate to grants.gov.
Non-Federal
The following is a list of common non-federal HGSE funders.
Funding Opportunities Spotlight
All files below are hosted in Sharepoint and restricted to HarvardKey access for HGSE Community members.
To set up a meeting to discuss funding opportunities or for advice and assistance with proposal development, please contact Faina Gould.
Types of Funding
External
Investigators working with new sponsors should clarify whether funding will be given to them in the form of a grant/sponsored award or gift — the two most common mechanisms for external support at HGSE. Grants/sponsored awards are managed by HGSE OSP while gifts are managed by HGSE Finance, and each award type carries its own distinct set of policies and procedures. The distinction between a grant/sponsored award and a gift can be ambiguous and may require consideration of many factors.
For more information:
For assistance on grants, please contact your research portfolio manager at HGSE OSP.
For assistance on gifts, please contact Tracey Newman at HGSE Finance.
Internal
University
Harvard supports research throughout the University with a variety of internal funds. HGSE-OSP has identified those resources relevant to HGSE investigators from Harvard University’s offices, schools, departments, and interfaculty initiatives.
- Office of the Vice Provost for Research Internal Funding
- Interfaculty Initiatives
- Interfaculty Collaboration
- Faculty Development & Diversity
- Harvard China Fund
- Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative
- Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching – Hauser Grants
HGSE
The Dean’s Office supports faculty innovation that advances the mission of HGSE. The Faculty of the Whole is eligible to apply for grants through four internal programs: the Special Opportunity Fund, Curriculum Improvement Grants, the Education Venture Fund, and the Faculty Incentive Fund. Faculty members may work jointly on proposals/projects if they so choose. Funds are not intended to support faculty salary, but may be used to support Research Assistant salaries on projects where a faculty member is clearly the Principal Investigator. Grants applications are reviewed and approved by the Dean and Academic Dean.
Limited Submission
Sponsors often limit applications for a grant or fellowship by instructing universities to nominate only one or a small number of candidates, effectively placing on them the task of pre-screening applicants. The eligibility and nomination rules of these programs, many of which are established annual competitions, vary widely.
When a sponsor limits the number of applications that can be submitted by the university (i.e., across all schools), the Office of the Vice Provost for Research manages the internal competition.
Limited submission opportunities are coordinated at HGSE by Faina Gould, Senior Research Development Manager. LSO opportunities identified as possibilities for HGSE investigators are shared upon release. Please contact Faina Gould with questions about any Limited Submission Opportunity (LSO) in which you may be interested.
Where Else to Look
Professional associations can also be a source of funding for research and other sponsored activities. Here are a few examples: