Emirates Leadership Initiative (ELI) Faculty Research Grants
Emirates Leadership Initiative (ELI) Faculty Research Grants support faculty-led research on UAE and regional policy challenges to advance evidence-based policy and collaboration with scholars in the Emirates.
Funder: John F. Kennedy School of Government
Due Dates: Rolling (Submission) | November 30, 2026 (Fall review) | May 15, 2027 (Spring review)
Funding Amounts: Support for one- or two-year research projects
Summary: Supports faculty-led research on UAE and regional policy challenges and collaboration with scholars and institutions in the Emirates.
Key Information: Projects must be led or co-led by a Harvard University faculty member with Principal Investigator status.
Description
The Emirates Leadership Initiative (ELI) Faculty Research Grants support faculty-led research focused on the UAE and the broader region. Administered through the Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School, the initiative is funded by the Department of Government Enablement – Abu Dhabi Government. It aims to catalyze research and foster collaboration with scholars and research institutions in the Emirates.
The program prioritizes public policy research on governance, economic dynamism, human capital, and evidence-based policy design and delivery. It is particularly interested in projects involving scholars and institutions in the UAE and neighboring countries, as well as comparative case studies of policy initiatives in the UAE and Gulf that can be used in classroom teaching at Harvard Kennedy School and beyond.
