The Taubman Center for American Politics & Policy invites applications from Brown University graduate students seeking funding to support research on American politics, U.S. political institutions, or U.S. public opinion.

Grants are intended to support graduate student research and may be used for eligible research expenses such as data collection, surveys, research travel and fieldwork, research materials, and other direct research costs.

Applicants should provide a clear description of their research project, explain how the requested funding will advance the project, and provide a detailed budget. Applicants are encouraged to pursue other applicable sources of funding before requesting Taubman Center support.

Application deadline: October 8th, 2026
Maximum award: $3,000

Please contact the Taubman Center's Program Manager Othniel Harris at othniel_harris@brown.edu with questions about eligibility or the application process.

Grant restrictions include:

1. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a Brown University graduate or doctoral program and be in good or satisfactory academic standing.
2. Depending on available funds, students who have not been funded in the past may receive priority.
3. Appropriate uses of funding include but are not limited to conferences, travel for research or field work; intensive summer workshops/seminars, methods training not available at Brown; research expenses, such as conducting surveys, lab experiments, and field experiments. Priority will be given to expenses for research, conferences, travel, and fieldwork. We do not fund membership fees. Funds may not be used to hire undergraduate students. 
4. Awards are for graduate student research only, not for collaborative projects with faculty.
5. Students applying for conference or travel funding should first apply to applicable funds from the Graduate School. The department’s funds complement existing research and travel funding sources, not displace them. Please specify those sources to which you have already applied to support this research and sources you have already exhausted.  If you are currently awaiting news from an open application, please note that, as well. See a list of university funding opportunities here.
6. When engaging with a supplier (e.g., a public opinion firm or other company providing goods or services to support your research), the Taubman Center will create a written contract per Brown University policy for all funding sources coming from the University in the full amount of only those sources (e.g., Political Science internal grant, Graduate School grant, etc.).  If the cost of the purchased goods or services is more than the total amount that Brown University has agreed to pay, it is the responsibility of the student to enter into a separate written agreement with the supplier to settle the remainder of the cost which will not be included in Brown University's contract. For example, if you receive a $2,000 grant from the Taubman Center to contract with a public opinion survey firm to conduct a survey that will cost $4,000 to field, and you have no other funding sources for this project from the University, Brown will enter into a $2,000 contract with the firm and you will be obligated to pay the remaining $2,000. If you receive any other sources of funding for your project from Brown University, you must let the Taubman Center know the funding source(s) with proper tags and include all emails from the other sources with that information.  When that information is received, the Taubman Center will initiate the contract with the supplier. Work can only begin once the contract is executed.
7. Grants are subject to Brown University rules and regulations, including but not limited to those regarding the use of research funds, human subjects review, use of datasets, and graduate student travel.
8. Grants are for academic and professional development purposes only, and may not be used to offset personal expenses, including but not limited to meals and lodging outside of approved travel.
9.  The typical amounts awarded range between $250 and $3000.
10.  Funds are based on reimbursement of expenses. Students should send receipts and proof of conference attendance or presentation (if applicable) to Othniel Harris within 30 days after the conference or the completion of the funded activity. Expenses submitted after this time may not be reimbursed and will be at the discretion of the department.
11.  Awardees are required to submit a 1-page progress report within 30 days of the completion of the funded activity. Progress report should outline the activities the awardee has carried out, the tasks completed, and project milestones met.
12.  Any publications arising from this financial support should acknowledge the Watson School for International & Public Affairs and the Taubman Center for American Politics & Policy, Brown University.

The Committee evaluates proposals using the following criteria:

1. Whether the activity or project would advance the academic or professional development of the applicant.
2. The academic performance of the applicant in the graduate program at Brown.
3. Whether the grant would provide incremental assistance beyond other sources of funding available to the applicant from the Graduate School and Department.