Government Effectiveness Research Fund

Flag flying half staff outside the U.S. Capitol dome

The ISPS Government Effectiveness Working Group promotes rigorous theoretical and empirical research on how to build state capacity, reform regulatory processes, and promote economic dynamism. 

ISPS invites proposals for research that will identify and/or test ideas for making government work more effectively for citizens. This includes work that examines how regulatory barriers, procedural obstacles, and institutional design choices constrain the capacity to build the housing, infrastructure, and investments that communities need. As well as work that explores how institutions can be designed and reformed to promote better governance and policymaking.

Examples of research topics in this spirit include, but are not limited to: 

  • Barriers to building housing and infrastructure and the effects of proposed reforms
  • How regulatory and permitting processes can be streamlined while maintaining protections
  • The political economy of state capacity and where it falls short; the drivers of high construction and procurement costs
  • The design of institutions that reduce costs, expand opportunity, and promote innovation
  • Improvements to the scientific and public grantmaking process
  • Pilot demonstrations or experiments that assess the properties of proposed reforms. 

We also welcome proposals that create datasets that would help researchers address these questions.

Successful applications will meet the particular objectives of this RFP. Proposals must describe how the project explores new ideas and/or undertakes rigorous theoretical or empirical research on how to promote effective, evidence-based governance. Projects with the potential to inform real-world policy implementation and to evolve into larger collaborative studies are especially welcome.

While our primary focus is the United States, we will also consider proposals centered on other countries, provided they carry clear implications for the United States.

Before Applying

Scholars interested in applying for ISPS Government Effectiveness Research funding should review ISPS guidelines. Visit the ISPS Research Funding page to learn about eligibility, ISPS procedures, requirements, and more. 

Visit the ISPS Data Archive to browse data and code associated with ISPS-supported research. 

Apply for Funding