# Funding Opportunities ## expand\_more 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](https://research.fas.harvard.edu/funding-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](https://grants.gov/search-grants). ### 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**](mailto:faina_gould@gse.harvard.edu). manage\_search [### Current Opportunites ](https://hu.sharepoint.com/:f:/r/sites/HGSE-OSP/Shared%20Documents/Website/01_Find%20Funding/Funding%20Opportunities/Current%20Funding%20Opportunities?csf=1&web=1&e=sdis6m)Discover current sponsored funding opportunities here. archive [### Archive ](https://hu.sharepoint.com/:f:/r/sites/HGSE-OSP/Shared%20Documents/Website/01_Find%20Funding/Funding%20Opportunities/Archive%20Funding%20Opportunities?csf=1&web=1&e=Xw8lR8)Click here to browse our archive of past sponsored funding opportunities. ## Types of Funding External Internal Limited Submission Where Else to Look ## 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: - [Gift vs Sponsored Award Policy](https://osp.finance.harvard.edu/gift-vs-sponsored-research-policy) - [Gift vs. Sponsored Award Decision Matrix](https://osp.finance.harvard.edu/sites/g/files/omnuum12866/files/office-for-sponsored-programs/files/gifts_vs._sponsored_awards_policy_decision_matrix_may_2023.pdf) For assistance on grants, please contact your [research portfolio manager](https://hu.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/HGSE-OSP/Shared%20Documents/Website/HOME_Portfolio%20Assignment%20list/OSP%20Portfolio%20Assignments%20HGSE_10.01.2025.pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=3ni7Zy) at HGSE OSP. For assistance on gifts, please contact [Tracey Newman](mailto:tracey_newman@gse.harvard.edu) at [HGSE Finance](https://finance.gse.harvard.edu/?check_logged_in=1). Open all sections Close all sections ### Grant/Sponsored Award expand\_more The following factors are normally indicative of a **grant/sponsored award (or “sponsored project”)**: - The sponsor requires: - a line-item budget for the expenditure of funds for the project activity - a detailed statement of the planned activity or scope of work - a specified period of performance as a term and condition - There is a commitment by Harvard to provide “deliverables” (e.g., products, or periodic technical or progress reports) - The award terms mandate fiscal accountability, such as submission of financial reports, audit provisions, sponsor prior approval of or control over expenditures, and/or an obligation to return unexpended funds - There is an obligation to convey rights to tangible or intangible property resulting from the project (equipment, data, technical reports, copyrightable or patentable materials). ### Gift expand\_more The following factors are normally indicative of a gift: - Use of the funds is directly related to the University’s mission - The donor receives no value, or only nominal value, in exchange for the support provided - No detailed scope of work, budget, or period of performance is specified by the donor or promised by the University (the general area of work to be supported may be specified) - There is no line-item budget, nor any restriction on the use of funds provided the use is consistent with the donor’s original, accepted, stipulations - There is no requirement to return unexpended funds to the donor Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) may, under limited and carefully controlled circumstances, enter into **consulting or related services** **agreements** in which Harvard functions as a vendor and receives income for the delivery of defined services or professional deliverables. These transactions are distinct from grants/sponsored awards or gifts and instead constitute Consulting and Related Service Agreements — a category of activity that is permissible only when it clearly aligns with Harvard’s core academic mission and provides either a demonstrable institutional or public benefit. ### For more information: - [Consulting or Related Service Agreements Policy](https://osp.finance.harvard.edu/consulting-or-related-service-agreements) For assistance on consulting or related services agreements, please contact [Tiffany Blackman](https://prod-gseosp.drupalsites.harvard.edu/people/tiffany-blackman) at HGSE OSP. Open all sections Close all sections ### Consulting or Related Services Agreement expand\_more Because Harvard is a non-profit institution, income-generating activities carry unique risks and must be structured in a manner that does not jeopardize Harvard’s tax-exempt status. These arrangements increase exposure to reputational, legal, and financial risks, particularly if deliverables are not met or if the contracting organization attempts to direct how Harvard-affiliated faculty, students, or staff perform the work. Additionally, Harvard must safeguard academic freedom, publication rights, intellectual property ownership, and the protection of students’ educational interests. For these reasons, all such engagements undergo heightened internal review and must receive full approval before any work begins. To qualify as a service agreement rather than a sponsored research project, the proposed activity must consist primarily of short-term professional development offerings such as workshops, training sessions, or dissemination of HGSE’s educational research outputs to a broader audience. While limited advisory or follow-up support may be included, the majority of scope, effort, and costs must relate to delivering a time-defined professional development activity that advances Harvard’s educational mission. The work should not involve conducting research, using human subjects, or generating new scholarly findings — activities that instead require a traditional sponsored award structure. ## 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](https://research.harvard.edu/funding-overview/internal-funding/) - [Interfaculty Initiatives](https://provost.harvard.edu/interfaculty-initiatives) - [Interfaculty Collaboration](https://provost.harvard.edu/provost-fund-interfaculty-collaboration) - [Faculty Development & Diversity](https://faculty.harvard.edu/fdd-research-enabling-grant) - [Harvard China Fund](https://hcf.fas.harvard.edu/) - [Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative](https://mbb.harvard.edu/pages/resources) - [Harvard Initiative for Learning and Teaching – Hauser Grants](https://hilt.harvard.edu/) ### 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: - [AERA Call for Conference Proposals](http://www.aera.net/Education-Research/Education-Research-Conferences-Program) - [American Psychological Association](http://www.apa.org/about/awards/index.aspx) - [American Sociological Association](http://www.asanet.org/research-publications/research-sociology/research-projects/funding-advancement-discipline-fad)