RSF and Arnold Ventures Launch New Grants Competition: Causal (original) (raw)

The Russell Sage Foundation (RSF), in collaboration with the Criminal Justice program at Arnold Ventures is pleased to announce a new grants competition for early-career scholars. The program seeks to cultivate a pipeline of researchers conducting causal research on the criminal justice system. Criminal justice policies and practices include the work of police, courts, jails, prisons, probation and parole, and immigration detention. Proposals must include causal research designs that can reliably isolate the treatment effects of a policy, practice, or intervention. Examples include difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity, instrumental variables, and randomized controlled trials. Mixed methods projects will be considered if a causal research design is central to the proposal.

To be eligible, applicants must be tenure-track assistant professors at a college or university in the U.S. at the start of the grant period. We encourage applicants who have not previously received RSF support. The program prioritizes disciplinary diversity and welcomes applications from scholars who are underrepresented in the social sciences, and/or employed at under-resourced universities. The maximum grant is $100,000 (including 15% indirect costs). Funds can be used for up to two months of PI salary (for each eligible PI/Co-PI), research assistance, research travel, data access, data collection, subject payments, conference travel, and other research expenses.

RSF will pair grantees with mentors—senior scholars conducting research on related issues. Grantees will present their findings at a conference where other grantees, mentors, and other senior scholars will participate. The conference is designed to provide constructive feedback on early research results and to foster collaboration among early career and senior scholars.

The proposal deadline for the first round of grants is April 3, 2025, for funding starting October 1, 2025.

RSF staff will discuss the program and application process at a webinar on March 4, 2025, at 2PM ET. Register for the webinar here.

Learn more about the Causal Research on the Criminal Justice System Grants Competition.