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Research Grants

Each year, the Centennial Center offers over $100,000 in research grants to APSA members through its Spring and Summer application deadlines. Learn more about eligibility and funding areas for each of these cycles below.
In order to provide additional support to our members during the current crisis, the Centennial Center is making research grants more flexible by expanding the categories of costs eligible for funding. Eligible costs for the 2021 funding cycle include

  • Research costs associated with data collection, including costs of conducting interviews and surveys, access to archives, and more.
  • Salary support for PIs and/or research assistants
  • Per diems regardless of travel/location
  • Research software and hardware, including statistical software, productivity software, and devices necessary for scholars with disabilities to conduct their research.
  • And more! We recognize that APSA members may have research needs not included in the above list. If you have a cost that is not listed here, please contact us at [email protected]

Spring Centennial Center Research Grants

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Previously the “Small Research Grants Program.” Supports research in all fields of political science conducted by:


  • Political scientists in non-tenure track or contingent positions who are ineligible for departmental funding

  • Political science faculty of all ranks who are employed in departments that do not grant PhDs.
Maximum grant amount: $2500. Total of $40,000 awarded each year.
Deadline: April 15th of each year.
Application requires: CV, abstract, short proposal, budget.


Summer Centennial Center Research Grants

Summer Centennial Center Research Grants are open to all APSA members. Grants are supported by a set of endowed funds, some of which target specific research topics. The summer application deadline also offers a limited number of grants for mini-conferences, workshops, and other collaborative projects.

Maximum grant amount for research: $2,500

Maximum grant amount for conferences, workshops, etc.: $10,000

Deadline: June 15th of each year.

Application requires: CV, abstract, short proposal, budget, letters of reference for graduate student applicants and proposals over $5,000.

Applications will open in Spring 2021

Applications require the following materials (see our application form for more details):

  • Abstract (maximum 1/2 page, 12 pt Times New Roman font, single spaced)

  • Project Statement (maximum 2.5 pages single spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman font). Should include: a description of the topic and the value/contribution of the proposed work; a summary of the basic ideas and hypotheses; the methodology to be used; a timeline for the project and the present status of your work (including IRB approval, if relevant); the relevance of your grant application to the grant fund(s) selected; and the materials that will be used.

  • CV

  • Budget (1 page maximum in spreadsheet, list, or table format). Budget should include detailed breakdown by budget category (e.g., travel, office supplies), and estimated cost per item in each budget category (e.g. flight, car rental, digital recorder). Actual expenses may vary up to 10% from proposed budget, and further revisions to budget may be made during active grant phrase with funder approval. If your project is receiving support from other sources, this should also be noted in your budget. Please not that we do not allow for indirect or overhead costs to be charged to any Centennial Center grants.

  • For Summer Centennial Center Research Grants. One letter of recommendation is required from graduate student applicants and for any applicants requesting workshop/event funding over $5000. Requests should be sent to letter writers via the grant application form.

Eligibility and Grant Requirements

  • Grant funds may not be used for overhead or indirect costs.

  • Grants must support work that has not yet been completed.

  • Proposed work must fall within the discipline of political science.

  • Grant recipients must maintain an APSA membership throughout their grant period.

  • For graduate students and proposals for workshops or events exceeding $5,000 applicants must submit letters of recommendation through our application portal.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will applicants be notified of decisions?

We typically aim to notify applicants of decisions by one month after the application deadline. For the 2021 cycle, the review and notification process may take longer due to limitations on reviewer availability.

Do you have any tips for writing my grant application and preparing my budget?

Yes! You can find our grant writing guide here.

What should be included in letters of recommendation?

Letters must speak to the applicant’s ability to successfully carry out the proposed work. They may also speak to the value of the proposed work.

How should I acknowledge APSA in funded work?

All programs receiving funding from the Centennial Center must include recognition of that funding in publicity materials for that program. Recipients should also send the Centennial Center any news, news articles, or newsletters mentioning the funded project, notification of publications resulting from the project, as well as electronic copies of any photos, videos, or other multimedia content that the Centennial Center can use in promoting or otherwise recognizing the funded project or program.

Do I need to inform APSA of the results of my work?

Yes! All projects and programs funded by the APSA must submit an annual report for each year in which they receive funding. This report must detail what the grant funds supported and evaluate progress towards goals in the previous year. Visit our grant reports page to learn more.

Have a question that isn’t answered above? We’re here to help! Contact us at [email protected]

**Note: There is no need to write to confirm that materials have arrived. We will contact recipients if anything is missing from their application.

Summer Centennial Center Research Grants Topics

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Summer Centennial Center Research Grants are supported by a set of thirteen endowed funds. Each grant fund has a unique set of aims, including supporting international scholarship, electoral scholarship, and scholarship on race and gender. Click on one of the fund names below to see detailed information about individual grant aims.

When you submit an application, you will be asked to select individual funds relevant to your research. We highly recommend that you apply widely and that you consider how your project might relate to multiple funds. Applicants are encouraged to note in their project proposal how their work might speak to the focus of multiple funds. For example, you may consider your project to be focused on gender and politics, but your work may draw on, build on, or have implications for legislative studies. You should identify and explain all of these ties and select all relevant funds in your application form. For further advice for preparing your Spring and Summer grant applications visit our tips page.

Supports grants in all research areas and with a variety of aims around professional development, advancing the discipline, and public engagement. This fund provides support for research grants up to $2,500 and for grants of up to $10,000 for events, workshops, and programs with broader disciplinary benefits.

Edward Artinian Fund for Publishing

The Artinian Fund supports programs that encourage and assist early career scholars in publishing their research. To learn more visit our Artinian Fund page.

Huang Hsing Chun-tu Hsueh International Fellowship Fund

Supports international scholarship, especially in Asia.

James Bryce Fund for Political Science

Supports the global study of political life and the internationalization of the political science discipline.

Marguerite Ross Barnett Fund

Supports research on diversity, cultural nationalism, African-American voting behavior, education policy, or urban and minority policy and politics.

William A. Steiger Fund for Legislative Studies

The Steiger Fund enables Congressional Fellowship Program alumni to extend their stays in Washington for research. It also supports scholarly research in any aspect of domestic or international legislative politics.

Rita Mae Kelly Fund

Supports research on the intersection of gender, race, ethnicity, and political power.

Supports scholars conducting work on the presidency, and whose work brings them to Washington, D.C. to examine executive politics.

Warren E. Miller Fund in Electoral Politics

The Miller Fund supports research in national and comparative electoral politics.

Women & Politics Fund

Supports scholarship in the field of women and politics.

Paul A. Volcker Fund

The Volcker Fund promotes and supports excellence in research and theory on public administration issues affecting governance in the United States and abroad. This award is administered by the Organized Section for Public Administration. For more information, visit their website.

Alma Ostrom and Leah Hopkins Awan Civic Education Fund

The Ostrom Fund supports the Association’s promotion of democratic engagement; efforts to advance understanding of self-governing systems; the possibilities of moving from authoritarian to democratic systems; and the critical role of citizens in a democratic polity. Grants can support training seminars, publications, outreach activities, and research.

Fund for Latino Scholarship

This fund supports Latino/a graduate study as well as Latino/a scholarship, research, and activities that advance our knowledge of Latino/a politics. Additionally, the fund is used to support Latino/a junior faculty. The Fund for Latino Scholarship is administered by the Latino Caucus in Political Science/Sector Latino de Ciencia Politica. If you are interested in seeking funding from this fund, please contact [email protected] for more information.