Causal Research on the Criminal Justice System
Funds early-career scholars using advanced causal methods to study the effects of criminal justice policies and practices on individuals and communities.
Funder: Russell Sage Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): April 2027 (Full proposal deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Up to $100,000 total (including up to 15% indirect costs) for one-year projects; PI/co-PI salary support capped at $15,000 per eligible investigator.
Summary: Supports early-career scholars conducting rigorous causal research on criminal justice system policies and practices using advanced research designs.
Key Information: Only tenure-track assistant professors at U.S. institutions are eligible at the start of the grant period.
Description
The Russell Sage Foundation’s program on Causal Research on the Criminal Justice System funds research projects that employ rigorous causal designs to study the effects of criminal justice policies and practices. The program’s aim is to advance understanding of how interventions and practices (including those related to policing, courts, incarceration, probation, parole, and immigration detention) impact individuals and communities. Projects must use methods that can reliably isolate treatment effects, such as difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity, instrumental variables, or randomized controlled trials. Mixed methods projects are welcome if a causal design is central.
This program is specifically targeted to early-career scholars and prioritizes disciplinary diversity, as well as applications from underrepresented groups and those at under-resourced universities. Funded projects will be paired with senior mentors and grantees will present findings at a dedicated conference.
