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Deadline was February 3, 2026 at 2pm ET; stored deadline is null. Program is active but this cycle's deadline has passed; decisions expected in May.
Dissertation Research Grants is sponsored by Russell Sage Foundation. This program supports innovative and high-quality dissertation research projects that address questions relevant to RSF's priority areas, including Behavioral Science and Decision Making in Context. Proposed projects must be closely aligned with RSF's funding priorities and contribute to its mission to improve social and living conditions in the U.S.
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Dissertation Research Grants | Russell Sage Foundation Dissertation Research Grants The dissertation research grants (DRG) program to support innovative and high-quality dissertation research projects that address questions relevant to RSF’s priority areas: Behavioral Science and Decision Making in Context; Future of Work; Race, Ethnicity and Immigration; Immigration and Immigrant Integration; and Social, Political, and Economic Inequality.
Proposed projects must be closely aligned with the funding priorities listed on the RSF website for any of these areas, contribute to RSF’s mission to improve social and living conditions in the U.S., and demonstrate appropriate use of relevant theory, innovative data, rigorous research methods, and measures.
Review Research Priorities Review Application Requirements Applicants must be enrolled doctoral students at an institution of higher education in the U.S. or a U.S. territory, who have completed all program requirements except the dissertation.
To receive funding, an applicant whose proposal is selected for a grant must have their dissertation supervisor document that the dissertation research (a) is the same research that was described in the DRG proposal and (b) has been approved by the dissertation committee. In cases where a dissertation consists of several related papers, the proposal should focus on the most important paper.
If your discipline, department, or institution does not use this process to approve dissertation proposals, please email programs@rsage. org to see if you or your project is at the appropriate stage for RSF support. There is a lifetime limit of one dissertation research grant per applicant.
Previous recipients of RSF grants are also ineligible. RSF encourages applications from scholars who are traditionally underrepresented in the social sciences and its applicant pool, as we seek to promote diversity broadly. RSF prioritizes applicants who do not have sufficient time to devote to the dissertation and/or sufficient funds to pay for necessary research expenses.
If you are fully funded for the proposed grant period, on a departmental, university, or national fellowship, your application is not likely to be externally reviewed. If your financial support is in the form of a Teaching or Research Assistantship, your application may still be externally reviewed if it is of interest to the Foundation. Dissertation grants are up to $15,000.
These grants will support all aspects of dissertation research (data collection, data preparation, data analysis and writing), but are not intended for students who have completed data collection and analysis and propose to spend the entire grant period writing the dissertation. Some dissertation grants may be co-funded by the W. E.
Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, The Policy Academics, and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. The Upjohn Institute for Employment Research will support dissertation research on employment-related topics in any discipline, with particular interest in policy-relevant research pertaining to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.
The Policy Academies works to train and cultivate a new and diverse generation of racial equity and economic justice focused researchers and policy leaders from historically exploited communities. Equitable Growth seeks to invest in scholars whose research agendas are policy relevant, related to how inequality affects economic growth, and who, as their career progresses, are interested in engaging with non-academic audiences.
If selected for co-funding with Equitable Growth, grantees will be given opportunities to build skills to shape public debates and policy outcomes. Deadlines and Review Process Applications will be accepted through February 3, 2026 (2 pm Eastern Time/11 am Pacific Time). Late applications will not be reviewed.
All applications are internally reviewed to determine fit with the RSF’s priorities and the quality of the application, including clarity in presentation, and whether the data and research methods are described in sufficient detail. Applications that pass internal review will be externally reviewed by experts from different disciplines and will receive reviewer comments on their submissions.
Decisions are expected to be announced in May and grants can start on or after July 1. Funding decisions are final. RSF expects to approve up to 20 grants.
Administrative Procedures The grant will be administered by the applicant’s university which must act as the fiscal agent. RSF will pay the entire grant within several weeks of receiving the signed grant letter. Narrative and financial reports will be due at the conclusion of the grant period.
Papers that are coauthored with faculty are eligible under this program, but the faculty coauthor is ineligible for funding. An applicant whose proposal is not funded can reapply in a subsequent competition.
Dissertation Research Grantees June 2025 Dissertation Research Grantees June 2024 Dissertation Research Grantees May 2023 Dissertation Research Grantees June 2022 Dissertation Research Grantees Advisory Committee Members Alexander Hertel-Fernandez Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs William F.
Fox Distinguished Professor of Labor Economics University of Tennessee, Knoxville Vaughan Bascom Professor of Women, Family and Community and Professor of Human Development & Family Studies Professor of Urban Policy and Planning Associate Professor of Public Policy University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill View All Upcoming Application Deadlines The grantmaking process at the Russell Sage Foundation is rigorous and competitive.
Applicants should review our guidelines to ensure they comply with our eligibility requirements. RSF rarely considers projects for which the investigators have not already fully-developed the research design, the sample framework, and access to data. Grant Terms and Requirements Apply for a Dissertation Research Grant More Information for Grant Seekers Information for Grant Seekers Explore all Research Gants and Opportunities at RSF.
Frequently Asked Questions If you have clarifying questions regarding the LOI or proposals, please review our FAQ. Explore previously funded research at RSF. Latest Published Research Jennifer M.
Silva, Annemarie G. Hirsch The Long-Run Consequences of Urban Renewal in the United States Meeting Every Qualification: Job Ad Content and Applicant Demographics Addressing the Impacts of Criminal Legal System Involvement and Reducing Stigma Through Digital Storytelling The Privilege of Informality: Differential Use and Penalties of Formal Cues Across Gender and Race Occupational Restructuring, Job Displacement, and Worker Mobility
Key questions and narrative sections extracted from the solicitation.
Five single-spaced pages plus bibliography detailing research rationale, questions, methods, and data approaches
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Doctoral students at the dissertation stage are eligible. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates $15,000 Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
The Visiting Researchers Fellowships is a grant from the Russell Sage Foundation that funds social, economic, political, and behavioral science researchers through a residential fellowship program at the foundation's New York City headquarters. Each year, 15 to 17 scholars are selected to pursue data analysis and writing projects aligned with the foundation's core programs, including Behavioral Science, Future of Work, Race and Immigration, and Social and Economic Inequality. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. and be at least two years beyond conferral at the time of application. Awards provide up to ,000 over two years. Applications are due in June 2026, with a specific deadline of May 5, 2026. Applicants must be affiliated with U.S. institutions.
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