Request for Proposals

Seed Grants for Interdisciplinary Projects in Society and Neuroscience

Special Focus: Society, Neuroscience, and Equity

The 2021 application cycle is now closed

The Presidential Scholars in Society and Neuroscience (PSSN) program invites Letters of Inquiry for interdisciplinary projects that lie at the intersection of neuroscience and the arts, humanities, or social sciences with special priority given to projects with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.  The program makes an effort to support novel, innovative, and collaborative interdisciplinary research and initiatives unlikely to be supported by more traditional funding sources.

A Letter of Inquiry will be the first step in the application process.  The committee will invite selected applicants to submit a full proposal. Grants will be awarded in late January or early February 2021.

Letters of Inquiry should outline interdisciplinary activities and research that involve either direct collaboration between neuroscientists (or researchers in related fields) and researchers/scholars from non-STEM disciplines, or that traverse conventional disciplinary boundaries, in order to investigate issues relevant to society and neuroscience. For 2021, priority will be given to projects that additionally involve empirical research, the collection of data, or the study of evidence or policy related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

This request for proposals is open to all full-time faculty at Columbia University and Barnard College.  Applications from non-faculty, including postdocs and senior PhD students, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis with at least one full-time faculty member serving as a co-investigator. Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions regarding eligibility or projects.

$25,000 - $50,000 for projects 1-2 years in duration. 

All full-time faculty at Columbia University and Barnard College. Non-faculty may apply with the support of a faculty co-investigator.

One-page Letters of Inquiry due December 21, 2020

  • Letters of Inquiry should be no more than a single page with one-inch margins in 11pt font.
  • Please include the title of the proposed project, the principal investigator(s), any co-investigator(s) and their departmental affiliations.
  • All letters should include a short summary of the project, a brief statement of interdisciplinarity, and should briefly describe the timeline and the total funding amount sought.
  • If your project aligns with the special focus in Society, Neuroscience, and Equity please include a one-paragraph summary describing your project’s connection to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Generally, proposals that involve research already in progress, stand-alone events, or curriculum development will not be funded. All Letters of Inquiry must be received by 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday, December 21, 2020.  Please submit letters as a PDF or Word file and email to [email protected] with “PSSN Seed Grants – last name of PI” as the subject line.