The American Political Science Association awards grants, fellowships, and scholarships with the aim of advancing education and research in political science. These include grants to support scholarly research, grants to support civic engagement programming, collaborative projects on teaching political science, research projects aimed at having real-world impact on pressing issues, and more. 

The information below represents a selection of grants, fellowships, and other opportunities sponsored by APSA. APSA also maintains a listing of open grants, awards and fellowship opportunities submitted by outside organizations here.  

Spring Centennial Center Research Grants — Applications due March 15th of each year.
The APSA Small Research Grant Program supports research in all fields of political science. The intent of these grants is to provide funding opportunities for research conducted by political scientists not employed at PhD-granting departments in the field, or who are in non-tenure track or contingent positions ineligible for departmental funding.

Summer Centennial Center Research Grants — Applications due May 15th of each year.
The Centennial Center for Political Science and Public Affairs offers over $100,000 per year in research funding to APSA members. Centennial Center Research Grants assist with the costs of research, including travel, interviews, access to datasets, auxiliary devices or services necessary for scholars with disabilities to conduct their research, and access to archives.

Fund for Latino Scholarship — Applications due June 15th of each year.
The primary purpose of the Fund for Latino Scholarship is to encourage and support the recruitment, retention and promotion of political science students and scholars who study and research Latina/o politics (especially students and tenure track junior faculty).

APSA Diversity and Inclusion Advancing Research Grants — Indigenous Politics applications due November 2, 2025
The APSA Diversity and Inclusion Advancing Research Grants provide support for research that examines political science phenomenon affecting underserved communities and underrepresented groups. The new grants will complement APSA’s existing diversity and inclusion fellowships and grants—namely the APSA Diversity Fellowship Program, the Lee Ann Fujii APSA Diversity Fellowship Travel Grant, and the Fund for Latino Scholarship—providing additional research funding opportunities for scholars at multiple points in their professional careers.

Standard Travel Grant
APSA is pleased to provide travel grants to qualified applicants for attendance at association events, specifically the Teaching and Learning Conference and the APSA Annual Meeting. Qualified applicants include: U.S. graduate students, international graduate students studying in the U.S., unemployed members, international scholars, community college faculty, contingent faculty, unemployed faculty, APSA Status Committee members, and any faculty member who has been furloughed or experienced a reduction in available research funds from their college or university. Travel grants can cover costs such as mileage for attendees who travel to association events by car or plane tickets for attendees who arrive by air. Grants can also cover hotels, meals, and conference related cab fares. First time attendees and those on the job market or tenure track will receive priority consideration. All grant recipients will be reimbursed for expenses after the conclusion of the relevant association event. Learn more

APSA Committee on the Status of LGBT Individuals Travel and Accessibility Grants
The APSA Committee on the Status of LGBT Individuals in the Profession is sponsoring travel and accessibility grants to support attendance at the 2023 APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition. The grants are intended to support participation opportunities for historically excluded groups and those at institutions with limited resources. Travel grants will support individuals who will travel to Los Angeles, California for the Annual Meeting. Accessibility grants will be awarded to support indirect costs of participating in the meeting. Grants will not exceed $300 per awardee. Priority will be given to applicants with accepted poster and paper presentations, or individuals attending APSA to engage in service on LGBT-related committees/sections.

Lee Ann Fujii Diversity Fellowship Program Travel Grants — 2026 application closes in late June 2026
The Lee Ann Fujii Travel Grant supports APSA Diversity Fellows’ (formerly Minority Fellows) participation in the APSA Annual Meeting to encourage engagement with research, professional development, mentoring, and collaboration. Among other factors, priority is given to individuals whose research, teaching, or mentoring focuses in the areas of political violence, ethnicity and race, African politics, racial violence in the US South, comparative politics, international relations, conflict processes, research ethics, or qualitative and interpretive methods. The APSA Lee Ann Fujii DFP Travel Grant is made possible by the generous contributions of the Fujii Family and Dr. Fujii’s colleagues and friends. The grant is meant to support APSA Diversity Fellows’ participation in the APSA annual meeting to engage in research, professional development, mentoring and collaboration. Click here for more information.

First Generation Scholar Travel Grant Program — 2025 applications due October 13, 2025
In 2015, the APSA Council approved a new standing Committee on First-Generation Higher Education Scholars in the Profession, parallel to the existing APSA status committees. The goal and mission of this committee is to bring focused attention to the ways that class, economic inequality, and mobility can affect political scientists’ ability to thrive educationally and professionally throughout their careers. The Committee is delighted to offer travel and accessibility grants up to the amount of $250 to support First Generation Higher Education Scholars in the Profession who attend the APSA Annual Meeting. Click here to read more about the program.