Sociological Initiatives Foundation

Welcome to the Sociological Initiatives Foundation

Concept Applications are usually due in August, though the exact date changes each year. Use the "How to Apply" link above to complete the concept application form.

The Sociological Initiatives Foundation was established in 1999 to support research that furthers social change, including language learning and behavior and its intersection with social and policy questions.

The Foundation specifically supports research that focuses on:

Social policy objectives

Institutional and educational practices

Legislative and regulatory changes

Linguistic issues (e.g. literacy, language loss and maintenance, language policy, national security, bilingualism, language and gender, language and law, language disabilities, language and health, language and education, different language cultures).

Development of community capcity and organization of previously unorganized groups

The Foundation supports projects that address institutional rather than individual or behavioral change and/or research and initiatives that provide insight into sociological and linguistic issues that may be useful to specific groups and or communities.

Grant sizes normally range from $10,000 to $20,000. We look for projects that have an explicit research design and a concrete connection to public or community impact. It is not enough to just write a report or add a focus group to a social change project. The research should ideally build an organization or constituency's potential to expand public knowledge, impact policy, and create social change.

Some examples of desired applicants are:

academic-community partnerships

advocacy or community groups that conduct research that can withstand challenge in academic and policy arenas

academics that organize or link to a constituency through their research

Generally, the Foundation will not consider proposals that:

represent the work of a lone academic without a strong relationship with a constituency or organization

do not demonstrate the capacity or intent to carry out bona fide research, as indicated by either a past track record or a credentialed researcher partner

are led by government/municipal agencies

result only in reports, publications, websites, gatherings, films, theatrical productions, concerts, conferences, or the like that are not part of a larger explicit social change strategy.

only evaluate existing programs.

request funds for operating support or capital grants.

Trustees

Barbara Freed, PhD, Carnegie Mellon University
Ramona Hernandez, PhD, The City College of New York
Glenn Jacobs, PhD, University of Massachusetts Boston
Randy Stoecker, PhD, University of Wisconsin
Irene Thomson, PhD, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Please direct all inquiries to:
Foundation Office

The Sociological Initiatives Foundation
c/o Prentice Zinn, Administrator
Grants Management Associates
77 Summer Street, Suite 800
Boston, Massachusetts, 02110-1006 USA
V 617-391-3091
F 617-426-7087

e-mail pzinn at gmafoundations.com