The Democratic Innovations program aims to promote new ideas and rigorous theoretical and empirical research on how to achieve honest, competent, and effective government.
ISPS invites proposals for research that will identify and/or test ideas for improving the quality of democratic governance. This includes work that explores how norms and institutions support effective government and how political institutions can be designed to promote better governance and policymaking.
Examples of research topics in this spirit include, but are not limited to:
- Methods for controlling political corruption
- The effects of alternative voting systems
- Methods for encouraging high-quality candidates
- The political economy of evidence use in policy-making
- The empirical properties of deliberative assemblies
- Development of new technologies for collective decisions
- Studies of existing innovative institutions
- Pilot demonstrations or experiments to assess the properties of proposed innovations
We also welcome proposals that create datasets that would help researchers address these research topics.
The typical award is between $10,000 and $15,000, and the maximum award is $60,000.
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 honest, competent, and effective governance and policymaking.
Application Information
ISPS especially encourages early career faculty and researchers to apply for this funding, although we will give full consideration to proposals from faculty at all career stages.
The grant is designed to cover a one or two-year project, with an expectation that the dataset will be completed and shared, and at least one publication-quality research report will emerge, within three years.
The proposal includes a three-page project description, a budget, and a budget justification.
ISPS will consider off-cycle proposals that have a severe urgency with regard to availability of, or access to data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events (similar to the criteria for NSF RAPID grants, see article).
Application submission deadline: October 5, 2026.
To Apply
Each proposal will be reviewed based on the soundness of the research design and the importance and innovativeness of the study given the size of the budget request. Pilot projects and projects with potential to evolve into larger collaborative studies are especially welcome. If an award is granted, some further steps, including a data archiving plan and IRB approval, must be completed before any funds are released. Further details on the project proposal and other requirements are provided on the ISPS Research Funding page. For questions about the application process please email ISPS Associate Director for Research & Strategic Initiatives, Limor Peer.
Before Applying
Scholars interested in applying for ISPS Democratic Innovations 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.