Polson Grant Opportunities

Polson Institute Grant Opportunities

The Polson Institute for Global Development supports research that enhances the signature strengths of the Department of Global Development and promotes collaboration among faculty and students. We are especially interested in proposals that promote research at the intersection of systemic inequality and social-environmental justice, and that focus on the advancement of global development as a critical, innovative and participatory practice.

Small Grants

Designed to provide seed funding for collaborative research, teaching or extension, or support speakers and workshops.

Range of award: $500 - $5,000
Activities: seed grants to support new research, extension or teaching collaborations, including field work, or host speakers and workshops.

Collaborative Grants

Designed to promote engagement across Global Development's Signature Strengths in areas of wellbeing and inclusion, environmental sustainability, and food and nutritional security.

Range of award: $5,000 to $20,000
Activities: seed grants for new research, extension and teaching initiatives. Must promote collaboration and include a conference or workshop that benefits the broader Global Development Department.

Research Working Groups

Designed to promote sustained, cooperative research activity and reading groups in substantive and methodological research areas of interest to students and faculty in the Department of Global Development.

Range of award: Up to $3,000 over 2 years. Can be renewed for a second 2 year cycle.
Activities: RWGs typically meet to discuss books and other readings and develop a common project around a research theme. When RWGs extend into a second year, possible activities include: holding an international conference; preparing a proposal for obtaining funding for a collaborative research project; preparing curricular or other pedagogical materials to enhance teaching in a particular area of global development; publishing a co-authored or co-edited book; preparing outreach-oriented or policy-related materials that build bridges between academic scholarship on development and public policy or program administration.

Eligibility

Proposals must be led by research, teaching or extension faculty in the Department of Global Development. Collaborations with students, faculty in other departments and the broader development community are encouraged. Students are encouraged to initiate conversations with faculty about collaboration around common research interests.

Submission Process

Proposal: The maximum proposal length is 1000 words, and should contain a title, 150 word abstract (suitable for publication on the Polson Institute website), clear description of the project objectives, main tasks, collaborators, benefits to the broader Global Development department, and potential outcomes.
Budget: A short description of budget and justification. Polson funds can be used for travel (conference travel not covered), workshops, research expenses (including students). Faculty and staff salary support is not allowed, except for soft funded personnel (must be thoroughly justified and limited to no more than 25% of grant award). Fringes and overhead are not covered/not needed on Polson funded activities.
Period of activity: All funds must be used within 18 months of the award date. A six-month no-cost extension may be requested by submitting a summary of accomplishments as well as a plan and timeline for completion of the remaining activities. Unused funds will be returned to the Polson Institute.
Review Criteria: The Polson Institute Steering Committee will review all requests and assess proposals on their contribution to the signature strengths of our department. Proposals will be reviewed on several criteria, including the clarity of the proposed activities and outcomes, prospects for new contributions to the literature and for external funding, and the project’s wider benefits to the department, including external funding, supporting students/courses, offering seminars, workshops and promoting outreach. Proposals are encouraged to engage students, partners across the university and in the broader development community.
Sharing Results: All grant recipients must provide a written report on their work (for communications and for academic publications). Recipients are expected to offer a departmental seminar and make their events open to the broader department.

Email as a combined PDF to polsoninstitute [at] cornell.edu (polsoninstitute[at]cornell[dot]edu)

Deadlines

Fall semester: deadline Oct. 16; awards announced by the end of November
Spring semester: deadline March 18; awards announced by the end of April

The Polson Institute for Global Development reflects the commitment of its benefactors, former faculty Ruth and Robert Polson, to the community and international connections forged through collegial research, teaching, and the study of social change.