Research Grants (Equitable Economic Mobility) is a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation that funds research projects advancing understanding of how to expand equitable economic mobility and increase opportunity, particularly in the Kansas City region and nationally.

The foundation seeks research that builds deeper knowledge of its strategic priorities, addresses gaps in existing evidence, and translates findings into practice to dismantle systemic barriers. Eligible applicants include researchers and organizations proposing projects aligned with Kauffman Foundation strategic priorities. Awards are $150,000 or more per year.

Research grants provide funding to design and implement or scale a research project that builds deeper understanding of our strategic priorities , addresses gaps in our research, and translates research findings into practice. Research plays a vital role in helping to dismantle systemic barriers and achieve our 2035 strategic vision . What was the focus for Research funding in 2025?

In the 2025 round of Research grants, the Kauffman Foundation solicits research projects advancing our understanding of how to expand equitable economic mobility and increase opportunity . Please note: Our final Research grant opportunity for 2025 closed on August 10. The next opportunity is scheduled to open again in summer 2026.

Learn about the latest cohort of Research grants funded > Funding amount: $150,000 or more per year Understanding equitable economic mobility Opportunity for economic mobility in the United States continues to decline. Across the country, mid-sized cities, like Kansas City, are struggling to expand economic opportunity. For children born in 1940, 90% earned more than their parents.

For those born in 1980, only 50% earned more than their parents ( Chetty et al 2017 ). Economic opportunity is uneven and unequal, and life outcomes differ significantly by race, gender, and geography ( Haroon and Harrison 2024 ). Limited access to opportunity and systemic and structural divides impedes economic mobility in urban and rural areas across the country ( Chetty et al 2017 ).

Narrow access to opportunity is evidenced by declining median household income. For those born in 1992 in the Kansas City region, their median household income by age 30 was $500 less than for those born in 1978 ( Chetty et al 2024 ). The Foundation’s key strategic priorities are demonstrated levers for individuals to achieve social and economic mobility.

However, these levers are limited by persistent inequality. For example, in 99% of U.S. Census tracts, the black-white wealth gap persists from childhood to adulthood ( Chetty et al 2019 ). Parental wealth, which diverges along racial lines, is key in meditating college access ( Perry et al 2024 ).

Despite economic advancement, entrepreneurs still face significant wealth disparities based on race ( Perry et al 2024 ). Equitable economic mobility necessitates systems-level research approaches incorporating place, centering community, and engaging with systemic and structural impediments to more equitable mobility in Kansas City and across the country.

Toward equitable economic mobility Examples of Research proposals The Foundation solicits innovative and rigorous proposals exploring efforts to close economic mobility gaps . Research projects should center the Foundation’s strategic priorities – college access and completion, workforce and career development, and entrepreneurship – within the framing of equitable economic mobility .

We welcome a variety of approaches and perspectives and offer a few examples of potential areas of research below. Equitable economic mobility in critical sectors Many sectors of the economy will experience labor shortages in the coming decade and changing demographics mean many regions around the U.S. will find it difficult to meet demand ( Malde and Brown 2025 ).

What interventions, supports, or pilots would improve economic mobility for workers in fields with growing demand? In what ways do race, gender, and geography impact both workers’ and entrepreneurs’ abilities to enter and advance in key emerging sectors? How might states and cities effectively develop and utilize youth training and education programs in anticipation of future needs?

What role might artificial intelligence (AI) play in workforce development and increasing opportunity for workers and entrepreneurs? Impacts of emerging technologies The impact of AI continues to garner significant attention and has the potential for pronounced impact in various sectors – emerging trends suggest AI will impact the workplace and the workforce.

From the perspective of equitable economic opportunity, what are the opportunities this technology offers in overcoming barriers and what are the risks of AI deepening inequality ( Mergen et al 2025 )? How might AI be utilized to close economic mobility gaps? How might AI aid in expanding economic opportunity?

How might participatory social approaches be utilized to understand the potential and risks of AI for communities with limited access to economic opportunity ( Eubanks 2018 , McElroy 2024 )? The federal data environment is in significant transition. State and local data sets serve as an essential role in understanding opportunities and challenges within communities.

Yet, these data sets are often incomplete, unavailable to the broader public, or not integrated. As the data environment remains in flux, data preservation and public access to data is vital – as are projects with broad applicability in understanding community composition and change. How might applied methods, such as imputation, disaggregation, and integration, build robust and actionable public data?

What types of metrics and geospatial approaches could aggregate the impact of changes in federal and state fiscal expenditures at the neighborhood, city, and regional levels with immediate utility and long-term viability? We welcome proposals employing various methodological approaches from all disciplinary backgrounds.

Teams or individuals are invited to utilize the most appropriate approach to the question being explored and to explain why the approach is best suited for the work. Approaches and methodologies may include (but are not limited to): participatory or engaged designs rigorous program, policy, or initiative evaluations policy or ecosystem studies quasi-experimental designs This is a two-stage application process.

First, applicants should submit a letter of interest (LOI) . Following internal review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. A full application preview [PDF] is available to assist organizations in preparing submissions.

Funding opportunity opens. Check your eligibility > Virtual Research grant webinar. Letters of Interest (LOI) due.

Review LOI process > All applicants notified of decisions; successful applicants invited to submit full proposals. Full proposal materials are due. All applicants notified of decisions; successful applicants notified of awards.

LOI are reviewed by a panel of the Foundation’s Research, Learning, and Evaluation (RLE) team and impact officers. Full proposals are reviewed by a panel of the RLE team, impact officers, and external content experts for peer review.

In both stages, a strong proposal will evidence the following criteria: ✓ Clear alignment with the Foundation’s strategic priorities ✓ Strong articulation of how the research could inform efforts to close economic mobility gaps in the Kansas City region* ✓ Feasible, logical, and appropriate methods ✓ Translation of the research findings into resources and tools for practical application ✓ Thoughtful dissemination and evaluation plans that create and capture impact ✓ Timeline, staffing plan, and budget size and allocation appropriate to the work ✓ Direct or transferrable experience to manage a grant of this scope ✓ Relevant and appropriate subject matter expertise or transferrable experience to manage a grant of this scope ✓ Detailed equitable approaches and processes as applicable ✓ Community-engaged research approaches should demonstrate plans to develop and sustain partnerships, experience working with community partners in mutually beneficial ways, and appropriate financial compensation plans for engaged work * For research outside Kansas City, applicants are expected to draw comparisons between their research context and the Kansas City context.

For research analyzing large, community, or population-level datasets aligned with the Foundation’s strategic priorities, applicants are expected to demonstrate how their findings are applicable to the Kansas City region. Reporting & evaluation expectations Measuring impact, communicating research findings, and disseminating learnings are priorities for the Foundation.

We encourage applicants with skillsets in research translation and impact to emphasize this experience in their proposals. Regardless of previous experience, all funded applicants will work with the RLE team to ensure research products are shared with relevant audiences.

Grantees can expect to work with the RLE team throughout the duration of their grant in the following ways:​ Potential participation in ongoing learning and convening as part of communities of practice​ Engagement with grantees across research and practice to facilitate translation, community resonance, and impact Review our frequently asked questions > Chetty, R. , Hendren, N. , Grusky, D.

, Hell, M. , Manduca, R. , & Narrang, J.

(2017). The Fading American Dream: Trends in Absolute Income Mobility Since 1940 . Science , 356(6336), 398-406.

Chetty, R. , Hendren, N. , Jones, M.

, & Porter, S. (2019). Race and Economic Opportunity in the United States: An Intergenerational Perspective .

The Quarterly Journal of Economics . 135(2), 711-783. Chetty, R.

, Dobbie, W. , Goldman, B. , Porter, S.

, & Yang, C. (2024). Changing Opportunity: Sociological Mechanisms Underlying Growing Class Gaps and Shrinking Race Gaps in Economic Mobility .

NBER Working Paper No. 32697. Eubanks, V. 2019.

Automating Inequality: How High-Tech Tools Profile, Police, and Punish the Poor . St. Martin’s Press.

Harooon, H. , & Harrison, S. (2024, March 29).

U.S. Economic mobility trends and outcomes . Washington Center for Equitable Growth. Kuehn, D.

(2017, October). Diversity and Inclusion in Apprenticeship Expansion: Lessons from South Carolina . The Urban Institute.

Malde, J. , & Cardinal Brown, T. (2025, April).

Bridging the Gap: Meeting Workforce Needs Over the Next Decade . Bipartisan Policy Center. McElroy, E.

(2024). The work of landlord technology: the fictions of frictionless property management . Environment and Planning D: Society and Space , 42(4), 456-475.

Mergen, A. , Çetin-Kılıç, N. , & Özbilgin, M.

F. (2025). Artificial Intelligence and Bias Towards Marginalized Groups: Theoretical Roots and Challenges .

International Perspectives on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. 17-38. Perry, A.

, Donoghoe, M. , & Stephens, H. (2024, February 15).

Closing the Black employer gap: Insights from the latest data on Black-owned businesses . Brookings. Sullivan, M.

, Joy, L. , Adhikari, D. , & Ritterband, V.

(2021), The Current State of Diversity and Equity in U.S. Apprenticeships for Young People: What the Data Tell Us About Representation, Equity Gaps, and Opportunity Along Gender and Race/Ethnicity Lines . Jobs for the Future.