Science for Progress Initiative
Science for Progress Initiative supports researchers studying how science is funded and supported, financing randomized evaluations and preparatory work to inform scientific policy and practice.
Funder: Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab
Due Dates: Rolling (Expressions of Interest and full proposals)
Funding Amounts: Up to $500,000 (full RCTs), $75,000 (pilots), or $10,000 (travel/proposal development); PhD student proposals capped at $50,000
Summary: Supports randomized evaluations and preparatory research on effective ways to fund and support scientific endeavors.
Key Information: Applicants must be eligible J-PAL researchers or PhD students with qualifying J-PAL supervision.
Description
The Science for Progress Initiative (SfPI), administered by J-PAL, funds research on the scientific process itself. It seeks rigorous, quantitative evidence from randomized evaluations that can inform policy and practice in funding and supporting science. The initiative welcomes diverse metascience ideas, including research on grant allocation, contracts and incentives, scientific management, and institutions.
Other areas of interest include helping socially valuable discoveries spread beyond laboratories and academic papers, and ensuring talented people are not discouraged from pursuing science—including younger researchers, people entering through nontraditional paths, and underrepresented groups. Support covers full randomized controlled trials (RCTs), pilots, and exploratory travel or proposal development. Earlier-stage projects must plausibly contribute to an eventual full randomized evaluation.
