Faculty-Driven Initiatives (FDI)
MIT's Faculty-Driven Initiatives fund supports interdisciplinary research and community-building in the humanities, arts, or social sciences, fostering collaboration among faculty across MIT.
Funder: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2026 (Full application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Up to $500,000 per initiative (one award per cycle, duration typically one year)
Summary: Supports MIT faculty-led initiatives to foster community and scholarship in the humanities, arts, or social sciences through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Description
Faculty-Driven Initiatives (FDI) is a funding pillar of the MIT Human Insight Collaborative (MITHIC) aimed at supporting programs that build community and scholarship on topics relevant to the humanities, arts, or social sciences. FDIs are designed to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among MIT faculty and staff, fostering both community engagement and scholarly activity. Initiatives should bring together faculty or teaching staff from multiple units across the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) or the broader Institute, centered on a clearly defined area of study or issue.
FDIs are not curricular programs; they do not offer majors or minors, but rather focus on advancing research and community-building efforts. The program encourages both the creation of new initiatives and the support of existing ones, with a preference for larger, collaborative groups.
