US: Russell Sage Foundation’s Future of Work Grant Program

They seek investigator-initiated research proposals that will broaden the 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.

Topics

• The kinds of topics and questions of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • 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. Presidential Awards are capped at $50,000 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.

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.
• 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 the mission.

For more information, visit RSF.