Global LGBTQI+ Aging Seed Grants Program

The program also aims to strengthen research capacity among participants by supporting partnerships between researchers and civil society organizations, knowledge exchange (including a colloquium to present research findings) and providing mentorship, where needed, from Williams Institute scholars and SAGE.

The program promotes two goals:

• Generate sound empirical research on issues impacting LGBTIQ+ older adults in least developed, low-, and middle-income countries that impacts law, policy, and service provision.
• Strengthen the capacity of researchers from low- and middle-income countries to further conduct rigorous, impactful research on issues impacting LGBTIQ+ older adults through partnerships, knowledge exchange, and mentorship (as needed).

Applicants must consist of partnerships between experienced researchers and civil society organizations. Priority will be given to research proposals that expressly aim to inform practice, service delivery, and policy. Awardees will receive a grant to support their research, and work supported by the program may be featured on the Williams Institute’s or SAGE’s website and highlighted at organizational events.

Project Topic Areas

• The Williams Institute and SAGE are interested in supporting applied research that expressing aims to impact law, policy, and service provision focused on the following topics:
  • LGBTIQ+ identity development in later life
  • caregiving, social support, and kinship among LGBTQI older adults
  • elder healthcare access and quality of services
  • experiences of discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, class, anti-Blackness, colorism, anti-indigenous bias, and/or immigration status for LGBTIQ+ older adults
  • experiences and impact of violence and elder abuse on LGBTIQ+ elders
  • impacts of the criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression;
  • advocacy, community organizing, and social movement participation by and for LGBTIQ+ older adults.

Funding Information

• They plan to fund projects with a budget up to $4,999. Funds will be disbursed in a lump sum and can provide both salary support and costs associated with acquiring and analyzing new or existing data. Proposals that are part of larger research initiatives are also welcome. Funds will be directly awarded to individual grantees and not through universities or other institutions. They cannot provide funding for indirect (or overhead) costs. Requests for travel funding should be limited to travel that is needed to carry out the research project. Project budgets should be for activities from April 1, 2024 to April 1, 2025. Applicants should consult a tax adviser on any potential tax liabilities stemming from an award of a small grant.

Reporting Responsibilities 

• Grant recipients will be responsible for the following reporting requirements:
  • A brief project update via Zoom at the mid-point in the project timeline.
  • A summary report by the project end date, including a description of progress in accomplishing the project aims, funds expended, and a 500-word summary of the project findings written for a general audience.
  • Any resulting publications based on the research project for possible inclusion on the Williams Institute’s and SAGE’s website.
  • Participation in a future colloquium with other grantees and invited participants to share research findings.

Eligibility Criteria

• At least part of the research team must reside or work in countries defined by the DAC list of ODA recipients, and the research must focus on issues impacting LGBTQI+ persons in those countries.
• Proposals must consist of partnerships between experienced researchers and civil society organizations.
• Experienced researchers include senior and junior faculty from a variety of disciplines, including social sciences (e.g., economics, sociology, demography, social psychology), public health, empirical legal studies, and public policy. Advanced graduate students (PhD, JSD) interested in pursuing research focused on LGBTQI+ people, as well as experienced researchers unaffiliated with academic institutions or who work with civil society organizations, are also eligible to apply in partnership with at least one civil society organization.
• They are only able accept proposals in English at this time. However, any publications that result from the research need not be in English.
• Projects should aim to be completed within 12 months, with a final publication within 18 months of the start date.

For more information, visit Williams Institute.