Deadline: 29 October 2024
The Russell Sage Foundation’s program on the Future of Work supports innovative research on the causes and consequences of changes in the quality of jobs for low- and moderately paid workers and their families in the U.S.
The Foundation seeks investigator-initiated research proposals that will broaden their understanding of the role of changes in employer practices, the nature of the labor market and public policies on employment, earnings, and job quality. They are especially interested in proposals that address questions about the interplay of market and non-market forces in shaping the wellbeing of workers.
RSF prioritizes analyses that make use of newly available data or demonstrate novel uses of existing data. They support original data collection when a project is focused on important program priorities, projects that conduct survey or field experiments and qualitative studies. RSF encourages methodological variety and inter-disciplinary collaboration. Proposed projects must have well-developed conceptual frameworks and rigorous research designs. Analytical models must be well-specified and research methods must be appropriate.
RSF priorities do not include analyses of health or mental health outcomes or health behaviors as these are priorities for other funders. For the same reason, RSF seldom supports studies focused on educational processes or curricular issues but does prioritize analyses of inequalities in student achievement or educational attainment
Areas of Interest
- Emerging Technologies and the Future of Work and Workers
- “The Big Shift”? Changes in Labor Force Participation and Increased Turnover During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Labor Market Power and Institutions
- Workforce Development, Training, and the 21st Century American Workplace
- Changes in Employer Practices and Alternative Work Arrangements
- Changing Economies, Changing Families and Policy Responses
Funding Information
- Funding can be used for research assistance, data acquisition, data analysis, and investigator time for conducting research and writing up results. Trustee Grants are capped at $200,000, including 15% indirect costs, over a two-year period. Presidential Awards are capped at $50,000 (no indirect costs) over a two-year period. However, when research projects have special needs for gathering data (e.g., qualitative research or survey experiments), gaining access to proprietary or restricted-use data, or when the proposal budget includes salary support for multiple assistant professor PIs, applicants may request up to $75,000 (no indirect costs).
Eligibility Criteria
- All applicants (both PIs and Co-PIs) must have a doctorate. In rare circumstances, RSF may consider applications from scholars who do not hold a doctorate but can demonstrate a strong career background that establishes their ability to conduct high-level, peer-reviewed scholarly research. Students may not be applicants.
- RSF particularly encourages early career scholars to apply for Presidential grants or their Pipeline Competition. All nationalities are eligible to apply and applicants do not have to reside in the U.S., but the focus of the proposed research project must be on the U.S. as per their mission.
For more information, visit RSF.
