Call for Applications: Research Planning Grants Program (US)

Funding Information

• Each applicant can request a grant amount from US$5,000 (minimum) to $15,000 (maximum).
• Award period is six months. Grantees should choose a start date August 25 – November 20, 2025.

Uses of the Fund

• Hire graduate students to assist with preliminary literature surveys.
• For teaching buy-outs to focus on planning a new project.
• Undertake pilot studies that produce a ‘proof of concept’ that leads to full studies.
• Pay travel expenses to another country to meet with collaborators there and do preliminary fieldwork.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants (or the PI/lead member of a team) must be employed by universities/academic research institutions that can receive these grants. Grants are sent directly to successful applicants’ institutions.
• The institution that receives a grant need not be located in the U.S., but it must be an institution that is permitted by the U.S. government to receive funds from U.S. organizations. And it must be able to accept grants in U.S. dollars. (Tiny Beam Fund reserves the right to withdraw a grant offer if, upon further inquiry, the institution cannot be determined as one that can receive funds from U.S. organizations per U.S. government rules and regulations.)
• An applicant (or the PI/lead member of a team) must hold the PhD degree (or equivalent).
• A team should consist of 2 – 4 members. Apart from the principal applicant whose institution receives the grant, the other team members need not be PhD holders/students or have university connections.

Application Requirements

• Immediately after the six-month grant award period ends, a grantee should submit:
  • One research report of 2,000 – 3,000 words (excluding appendix, supplementary material, etc.) in PDF summarizing the key information, data, and findings from the research work done during the award period.
  • One narrative report of 1,000 – 2,000 words in PDF describing:
    • The most important things that have been achieved during the award period, and have not been achieved if applicable.
    • Lessons learned; challenges faced; surprises.
    • The “next steps” to be taken to continue the research work, or reasons for abandoning it.
  • A finance account of how the grant funds have been used.
  • If a grantee mentions in the second (i.e. six-month) report’s “next steps” that the research work is to continue, then six months after the end of the award period, the recipient should submit:
    • A follow-up report of 2,000 – 3,000 words (excluding appendix, supplementary material, etc.) on the progress and outcome of the work done in the six months after the end of the award period, and whether there is a plan to keep moving forward.

For more information, visit Tiny Beam Fund.