Causal Research on the Criminal Justice System
Supports early-career researchers using rigorous causal methods to study U.S. criminal justice policies and practices, with mentorship and conference opportunities from the Russell Sage Foundation.
Funder: Russell Sage Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): April 2027 (application deadline for Causal Research on the Criminal Justice System, full proposal, projected)
Funding Amounts: Up to $100,000 total for a one-year project (including up to 15% indirect costs); PI/co-PI salary support capped at $15,000 per eligible investigator.
Summary: Supports early-career scholars conducting rigorous causal research on criminal justice policies and practices using strong research designs.
Key Information: Applicants must be tenure-track assistant professors at U.S. institutions at the start of the grant period.
Description
This program, offered by the Russell Sage Foundation, aims to build a pipeline of early-career researchers advancing evidence-based knowledge about the criminal justice system. Projects must employ robust causal research designs—such as difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity, instrumental variables, or randomized controlled trials—to isolate the effects of a policy, practice, or intervention within the criminal justice system. Mixed methods projects are considered if a causal design is central. The program welcomes work addressing a wide array of criminal justice topics, including policing, courts, incarceration, probation, parole, immigration detention, sentencing, reentry, community safety, crime and victimization, bias and disparities, and the effects of social policy interventions.
Mentorship is a core component: grantees are paired with senior scholars in their field and participate in a research conference to present findings and receive feedback. The Foundation prioritizes disciplinary diversity and encourages applications from underrepresented scholars and those at under-resourced institutions.
