The Smith Richardson Foundation Domestic Public Policy Program

The Smith Richardson Foundation Domestic Public Policy Program is a competitive grant from the Smith Richardson Foundation that funds rigorous research and writing on priority domestic public policy topics. The program supports projects at nonprofit institutions and universities that advance policy understanding and debate in areas identified as strategic priorities by the Foundation.

Grants typically range from $25,000 to $300,000, with requests up to $50,000 reviewed on a rolling basis and larger multi-year requests considered at regular board meetings. The application process begins with a concept paper of no more than six pages, followed by a full proposal if invited.

Eligible applicants are nonprofit institutions and universities; the Foundation does not fund direct service organizations or support for individuals.

Our Mission and History From the beginning, America, the new world…has offered to humble families, native born or immigrant, the Opportunity to gain a fortune. Leadership An overview of the Smith Richardson Foundation’s Officers, Governors, and Trustees. Staff A list of the program staff who work in the Foundation’s Westport office.

Guidelines for Grant Applications The International Security and the Foreign Policy Program and Domestic Public Policy Program make grants for research and writing on public policy topics that have been identified as priority areas for the Foundation. Those priorities are described in greater detail on each program’s home page. The Smith Richardson Foundation has a rigorous proposal review process.

The first step in the process is the submission of a concept paper. Concept papers should not exceed six pages (the one-page data sheet does not count toward the page limit). Please consult our concept paper template before making a submission.

If the staff determines that a project warrants further consideration under the Foundation’s guidelines, an applicant will be asked to submit a full proposal that conforms to a proposal template provided by the Foundation. Upon receipt of a grant application, the Foundation will either mail or e-mail a confirmation of receipt to the grant applicant. The Foundation will respond to all grant requests in a timely manner.

However, given the large number of grant proposals that the Foundation receives, we cannot guarantee a response within a specific time frame. Requests for grants greater than $50,000 and for multi-year grant support are made at one of our regular board meetings. Requests for grants of $50,000 or less are reviewed on an ongoing basis and are handled as promptly as possible.

Evaluations of direct service organizations conducted internally Educational or other support to individuals Please send the proposal to the attention of the program to which you wish to apply at the address listed below: Smith Richardson Foundation Concept Papers must include a one-page data sheet listing all the essential information pertinent to a grant request, including the following: Estimated Grant Request Amount Estimated Project Start Date and Grant Term Principal Investigator’s Name Co-investigator’s Name (if applicable) The concept paper should not exceed five pages.

It should include the following: Issue : Describe the issue that the project will address and how it is relevant to public policy. Discuss how the project would advance knowledge beyond what is known from the existing research base. Project Personnel : Provide a brief biography for the principal investigator(s).

Project Activities : Describe the research strategy or work plan of the project; include details such as how data would be collected and how analysis would be conducted. Products : Describe the product(s) that will be produced during the project’s grant term. Timeline : Describe the timeline of the project, including a tentative start and end date.

Budget : Provide an estimated budget, including detail on how the overall costs would be allocated among key categories such as salary support, honoraria for commissioned research, travel expenses, and data collection costs. After the Foundation has reviewed a concept paper, a member of the staff will contact the applicant and inform him or her whether the Foundation has decided to ask for a full proposal.

Full proposals should follow the format described in the template below.