Making a Difference in Real-World Bioethics Dilemmas Grants

Making a Difference in Real-World Bioethics Dilemmas Grants is sponsored by The Greenwall Foundation. This program supports research to help resolve important emerging or unanswered bioethics problems in clinical, biomedical, or public health decision-making, policy, or practice. Projects may be empirical, conceptual, or normative and aim for real-world, practical impact.

While not exclusively AI-focused, AI ethics can be a relevant area within bioethics.

Making a Difference Grants - The Greenwall Foundation Making a Difference Grants The request for proposals for the Spring 2026 application cycle is now closed. We will announce the Fall 2026 cycle in late spring. What are Making a Difference Grants?

The Greenwall Foundation’s bioethics grants program, Making a Difference in Real-World Bioethics Dilemmas , supports research to help resolve important emerging or unanswered bioethics problems in clinical, biomedical, or public health decision-making, policy, or practice. Our aim is to fund projects that promote the Foundation’s vision and mission through innovative bioethics research that will have a real-world, practical impact.

Projects may be empirical, conceptual, or normative. Successful teams commonly involve a bioethics scholar and persons with on-the-ground experience with the bioethics dilemma, for example, in clinical care; biomedical research; biotechnology, pharmaceutical, big data, or artificial intelligence companies; Projects with the following characteristics will not be funded under this program: bioethics is not the main focus.

describe or analyze bioethics issues or provide a conceptual framework, without making practical recommendations for resolving the issues. Projects that implement or make incremental improvements in established approaches to bioethics problems, build institutional infrastructure, or provide bioethics education, training, predetermined conclusions or advocate for predetermined positions.

Projects whose main goal is to convene or enhance a meeting, unless there is a well-developed plan to produce a major peer-reviewed publication with consensus recommendations, guidelines, or best practices that have a strong likelihood of real-world implementation. The applicant must have a strong record in convening similar successful Projects to support or extend ongoing or core activities of an organization.

Projects with a principal investigator who does not have a PhD, JD, MD, or an equivalent doctoral-level The Greenwall Foundation only makes awards to affiliated individuals at institutions with tax-exempt status with the United States Internal Revenue Service. In addition, an individual cannot simultaneously receive Making a Difference and Faculty Scholars Program funding from The Greenwall Foundation.

Moreover, an individual cannot simultaneously be the principal investigator on open applications under consideration by the Foundation in the two programs. Questions about the Making a Difference grants program should be directed to Kyle Ruempler at [email protected] . The Spring 2026 Making a Difference Request for Proposals has closed.

You may review the request for proposals to learn more about the application process, in preparation for a future cycle.

Our Making a Difference Grants A Bioethical Framework to Inform Use of Novel Drugs, Devices, and Digital Health Technologies Approved with Incomplete Evidence University of California San Francisco A Collaborative Ethical Approach to Advancing the Science of Synthetic Living Models of Human Biology Case Western Reserve University View All Making a Difference Grants Frequently Asked Questions When does the Foundation post the request for proposals (RFP) for Making a Difference grants?

Making a Difference grants are awarded twice a year; RFPs are typically posted in late Fall and late Spring. RFPs are announced on the Foundation's website, via the Foundation's newsletter, and on LinkedIn. Please check the About Making a Difference Grants page to review the current or previous RFP and find additional instructions on how to apply.

Is the Making a Difference program a limited submission opportunity? No, the Making a Difference program is not a limited submission opportunity. Institutions may submit more than one application in a given cycle, and individuals may submit more than one application (as PI or part of the proposed team) in a given cycle.

Historically, however, the Foundation has not awarded multiple grants to the same PI in a single funding cycle. When an individual is listed on the research team for multiple projects, reviewers consider the amount of effort indicated for each project as part of their evaluations. Is there a limit on the budget or duration of a Making a Difference grant?

There is no formal limit on the budget or duration of a Making a Difference grant, and the Foundation’s budget constraints may vary among application cycles. You can get a sense of the typical budget range and duration of Making a Difference grants on the Making a Difference Grants page . Reviewers assess whether the approach, methods, team, and timeline align with the budget and duration requested.

Can I get feedback about a potential project from the Foundation before I submit a grant application? May I receive feedback on an unsuccessful grant proposal? Yes, we are able to share brief feedback from reviewers.

We strongly encourage you to submit a request for feedback soon after you receive the Foundation’s funding decision. May I resubmit a proposal that wasn't funded in a past cycle? You are welcome to resubmit a proposal on the same topic.

The letter of intent application form provides space where an applicant should briefly explain how the submitted proposal differs from the prior one(s), which may include changes in response to feedback. Does the Foundation award grants to institutions outside the United States? Yes, but such institutions must have tax-exempt status in the United States.

Applicant institutions must provide the Foundation with a letter of determination from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Equivalency determinations will not be accepted. Does the Foundation award grants to individuals who are unaffiliated with an institution?

No, the Foundation only makes awards to institutions with tax-exempt status in the United States. My institution has the required U.S. tax exempt status, but I would like to share funds with collaborators in other countries or at organizations that do not have the necessary U.S. tax-exempt status to apply. Is that feasible?

Yes, this is feasible. Grant funds must be awarded to an institution with tax-exempt status in the United States. The awardee institution may subcontract with organizations that do not have tax-exempt status in the United States or otherwise engage international collaborators as consultants.

The awardee shall maintain discretion and control of any subcontract to ensure that the funds are used exclusively for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt purposes. Are there limits on the make up of the research team who may be involved in a Making a Difference grant (e.g., number of team members, non-academic collaborators, multiple co-PIs)? There is no prescribed structure or make up of the research team for a Making a Difference grant.

However, the team must designate a PI to create an account with our grantmaking interface to submit the application under their name. Members of the research team outside of the PI's institution may serve as subcontractors or consultants. Does the Foundation award no-cost extensions?

How do I apply for one? Yes, the Foundation allows one no-cost extension per award for a maximum of 12 months, absent exceptional circumstances. To apply, please contact the Foundation directly once you anticipate the need for an extension.

The Greenwall Foundation is dedicated to the integrity and impartiality of the grantmaking process and wishes to dispel even perceptions of conflicts of interest.

Relationships that are conflicts of interest, which require Directors and Committee members to recuse themselves from voting on grant proposals, include an affiliation with a grantee institution, a current mentoring or collaborative relationship with an applicant, or a personal relationship with an applicant. To review the Foundation's Conflict of Interest Policy with respect to grants, please click here .