Research funding
Political science
200+ open programsCatalog updated
Political science has a small number of open private programs, concentrated in policy research, international affairs and the discipline's own societies.
The Smith Richardson Foundation is the most significant research funder here, and its World Politics and Statecraft fellowship is one of the few dissertation-scale awards in the field with a reliable annual cycle. The Social Policy Association, the American Political Science Association, the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute make up most of the rest.
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Fellowships are the largest category and the median award is $10,000, with the range running from small travel support to programs worth up to a million dollars. Postdocs and doctoral students are the two most commonly eligible stages.
A larger share of these programs than in any other discipline are placements rather than grants, meaning the award is a year in a policy organization rather than money for a study. The program type on each listing tells you which you are looking at.
Open programs 200+
Kellogg Institute Graduate Research Grants
The Kellogg Institute for International Studies offers Graduate Research Grants of up to $10,000 to support overseas, or appropriately U.S.-based, research in international studies related to its core democracy priority.
- Deadline
- Amount
- $10,000
O 2Donnell Grant Program
The Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs (Bush School, Texas A&M) administers the Peter and Edith O’Donnell Grant Program, offering reimbursable awards of $500–$2,500 to defray travel, living, and related expenses for scholars conducting research at the George Bush Presidential Library; applications are due Nov 2, 2026, with awards announced by Jan 2027 and an award period of Jan 2027–July 2028.
- Deadline
- Amount
- $2,500
CHCI Public Policy Fellowship Program
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) offers a nine-month, paid Public Policy Fellowship in Washington, D.C., providing recent college graduates with placements in congressional offices, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, or the private sector.
- Deadline
- Amount
- $34,200
These are the soonest deadlines of 200+ open programs. FundFit holds every one, screens it against the researchers at your institution, and names who should apply.
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