Best Public Policy Grants in Arizona

Arizona public charities and government units can seek funding to support education, STEM learning, and environmental stewardship projects that strengthen local communities. Vulcan Materials Company Foundation prioritizes public schools and higher education institutions in its operating areas, especially initiatives connecting math, science, and industry or promoting fact-based environmental stewardship and employee volunteer engagement.

Graduate students focused on public policy and higher education who are committed to LGBT+ issues, including those from Arizona, may be eligible for this fellowship supporting study at Harvard Kennedy School. Harvard Kennedy School offers the Margaret Traub and Phyllis Dicker LGBT+ Graduate Fellowship based on a combination of merit and financial need.

Graduate students pursuing public policy or related higher education studies, including those from Arizona, can apply for Kennedy Fellowships and Presidential Scholarships from Harvard Kennedy School; awards vary based on financial need and merit. Exceptional academic ability and professional distinction are required, and opportunities exist for both U.S. and international students.

Harvard Kennedy School provides Arizona public policy students with fellowship support for the Master in Public Policy program. The John Berger Fellowship is for Harvard College graduates pursuing the MPP who plan careers in U.S. or international institutions focused on international affairs, and may benefit Arizonans fitting these criteria willing to study at HKS.

Graduate students pursuing public policy, science, and technology studies who want to deepen their impact through the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program may be eligible for the Charles Edison Fund Fellowship. Grants from Harvard Kennedy School help Arizona public policy students and other U.S. and international candidates advance higher education and leadership training.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations or fiscally sponsored groups working on food-system public policy and transformation can apply for Stray Dog Institute’s grants in Arizona and beyond, typically ranging from US $2,500 - US $10,000. Funding may be unrestricted or project-based for work on farmed animals, sustainable agriculture, environmental policy, and related justice issues.

Muslim undergraduate and graduate students in Arizona pursuing film, theater, or related media fields can apply for the Islamic Scholarship Fund’s film scholarships, awarding US $3,000 - US $5,000 for their studies. Eligible applicants must study at accredited U.S. universities and may focus on public policy themes through film and media work.

Law students in Arizona focused on public policy and judicial careers can receive support with a $3,000 stipend for unpaid judicial internships. Islamic Scholarship Fund provides U.S.-based American Muslim 1L and 2L students with funding for at least 8-week internships with district, state, or federal judges, prioritizing those without other internship funding.

Law students focused on public interest and public policy in Arizona and across the U.S. can receive US $5,000 - US $10,000 in scholarship support for their legal studies. With a mission to increase American Muslim representation, Islamic Scholarship Fund supports full-time or qualifying part-time students committed to improving access to justice for Muslims in America.

Eligible 501(c)(3) public charities, research institutions, and universities working on pollinator-focused public policy and education, including in Arizona, can seek funding for projects advancing pollinator health and ecologically responsible agriculture. With a mission to promote pollinator health, One Hive Foundation provides up to US $75,000 for research, advocacy, science communication, and related policy initiatives across the U.S. and Canada.

Arizona public policy and international affairs nonprofits can access funding through the Japan-United States Friendship Commission for U.S.-Japan research, education, exchanges, and public affairs projects. Eligible 501(c)(3) or Japanese NPO/一般社団法人 institutions focusing on arts and culture, exchanges and scholarship, education and public affairs, or global challenges may be supported to strengthen U.S.-Japan relationships.

Arizona nonprofits and educational organizations working in early childhood development and learning can access funding through Ohio Children’s Foundation for programs serving at-risk children ages 0–5. Grants up to US $20,000 support quality early learning, literacy, parent engagement, and public policy advocacy that expands high-quality early childhood education in communities, including Arizona.

Public policy PhD scientists in Arizona and nationwide can apply for a one-year Congressional science fellowship to work on Capitol Hill, gaining hands-on policy experience. Grants from Crop Science Society of America help agronomy, crop, soil, and related scientists with an annual stipend, relocation expenses, and specialized policy orientations in Washington, D.C.

Researchers conducting quasi-experimental evaluations of social programs and public policies in the U.S., including Arizona, can apply for Arnold Ventures support to study causal impacts. Grants fund rigorous QED studies in areas like public policy, higher education, workforce training, infrastructure, and reproductive health that align with Arnold Ventures’ key policy priorities.

Researchers conducting randomized controlled trials of social programs and policies in the U.S., including Arizona, can seek funding to rigorously evaluate public policy and governance interventions. Arnold Ventures supports RCTs that build evidence on what works across social policy domains, helping inform government decisions and improve outcomes through evidence-based reforms.

Graduate students in Earth system sciences at universities in Canada, the U.S., or Mexico can receive US $40,000 over two years for research and professional development through the UCAR Next Generation Fellowship. This program from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research includes policy, science, and workplace culture tracks and may benefit Arizona students focused on public policy and societal impacts.

The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship, awarded by the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, supports future leaders in environmental, tribal public policy, and health care fields. With 55 scholarships of $7,000 each expected in 2025, this highly competitive program requires students to participate in their schools' internal competitions. Scholars benefit from networking opportunities and access to the Udall Alumni Network, fostering collaboration and growth in their respective fields.

Prospective graduate students in public policy or international affairs, including those from Arizona, can apply for Harvard Kennedy School’s Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Scholarship to support higher education study. Alumni of a PPIA Junior Summer Institute who meet HKS admission and financial criteria may be eligible for this merit- and need-based funding.

Graduate students focused on public policy and technology in Arizona can access funding through the Robert C. Seamans, Jr. Fellowship, supporting study at Harvard Kennedy School. This fellowship from Harvard Kennedy School backs students with strong research or management talent and a commitment to future leadership in science, technology, and public policy.

The Scott and Isabelle Black Fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School supports students in two-year degree programs focused on addressing societal issues such as homelessness, poverty, and education. Awarded based on merit and financial need, this fellowship aims to cultivate future leaders in government and nonprofit sectors. It encourages studies that explore the causes and solutions to problems affecting vulnerable populations, ensuring that graduates are equipped to make a meaningful impact in their communities.

The HKS American Service Fellowship provides full scholarships and stipends for mid-career public service leaders to pursue a one-year Mid-Career Master in Public Administration at Harvard Kennedy School. Targeting U.S. military veterans, public employees, and alumni of service programs, this fellowship emphasizes skill development and community impact. Participants learn from esteemed faculty and engage with a network of changemakers, equipping themselves to address pressing societal challenges and enhance their leadership capabilities.

The Native Forward Scholars Fund Internship Assistance Program empowers Native students by providing financial support for internships in non-STEM fields. This initiative breaks down financial barriers, enabling students to gain practical experience in areas like public policy, education, and cultural preservation. Through this program, students enhance their skills while contributing positively to their Tribal communities. The funding covers essential costs such as travel and living expenses, ensuring transparency and accountability in financial assistance.

The Municipal Workforce Learning Lab, initiated by the National League of Cities in partnership with the American Institutes for Research, aims to tackle workforce challenges faced by city governments. The program seeks three cities to engage in an 8-month action planning process focused on recruiting, training, and retaining skilled workers. Participants will receive free coaching and technical assistance, helping them enhance their workforce policies and potentially serve as national models for effective local government employment strategies.

Arnold Ventures

Arnold Ventures (AV) is a philanthropy dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through evidence-based policy solutions that maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. We focus on improving systems where outcomes are falling short, incentives are misaligned, and the time is right for change.

To advance this mission, we invest in rigorous research to better understand the root causes of problems and strengthen the evidence base on what works to solve them. Using this evidence, we advocate for policy reforms at all levels of government and help build durable, bipartisan coalitions for lasting change.

Causal Research on the Impacts of Cell Phone Policies in K-12 Schools

The Opportunity

Smartphones are nearly universal among children and adolescents in the United States: 95% of teens reported having access to a smartphone, giving them regular exposure to social media, gaming, and video streaming platforms. While smartphones can support learning and social connection, emerging evidence suggests that using phones during school may also interfere with important educational goals, including student engagement, attendance, and academic performance.

In response, more than 30 states have passed laws restricting cell phone use in K-12 schools in recent years. These policies vary widely, ranging from “bell-to-bell” policies to classroom-level bans on phones only during instructional time. Despite the rapid adoption of these policies, rigorous evidence on academic, behavioral, and mental health impacts remains limited. In the absence of strong research, federal and state policymakers, as well as school and district leaders, lack the information needed to make informed decisions that effectively support student success. Building a robust evidence base is critical for shaping policies and practices that improve learning and well-being in both the short- and long-term.

This RFP seeks to address these gaps by supporting rigorous, causal research on the academic, behavioral, and mental health impacts of cell phone policies in K-12 schools in the United States. We seek studies that generate actionable insights for policymakers, as well as school and district leaders, who are deciding whether and how to implement or refine such policies. This RFP will support both Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and Quasi-Experimental Designs (QEDs) that can credibly estimate causal effects. While we are open to a range of research questions, we highlight 2 areas of particular interest below.

What are the overall impacts of policies restricting cell phone use in K-12 schools?

• What are the short- and long-term impacts of cell phone policies on student-level outcomes, including academic achievement and attainment (e.g., standardized test scores, graduation rates), behaviors (e.g., engagement, attendance, disciplinary actions), and/or mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, loneliness)?

• What are the short- and long-term impacts of cell phone policies on school-level outcomes, including school safety (e.g., reported incidents), school climate (e.g., bullying, social connections), and administrative factors (e.g., costs, logistics, communications with parents)?

• Do initial impacts persist, fade, or grow as schools refine their practices over time?

What factors explain variation in the impacts of cell phone policies?

• Which students, schools, and districts are most impacted by cell phone policies?

• Which policy design features (e.g., what devices are banned, when devices are banned, how devices are stored/locked) make cell phone policies more — or less — effective?

• Which implementation strategies (e.g., training and supports for school staff, consistent approaches for enforcement) make cell phone policies more — or less — effective?

• How do the resource and operational implications of different policy approaches (e.g., costs, staff time, infrastructure needs) influence their effectiveness? How do these factors affect the scalability and sustainability of effective approaches?

Transportation Research and Policy

Arnold Ventures (AV) is a philanthropy dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through evidence-based solutions that maximize opportunity and minimize injustice.

The Infrastructure team has been investing in efforts to build better, faster, and lower-cost infrastructure with a focus on housing, energy, and transportation. For transportation, we are investing in policymaking and research that tackles the inefficiencies that make U.S. transportation infrastructure so difficult and expensive to build. 

Purpose

Transportation policy represents an avenue for improving the systems moving people, goods, and services. The Infrastructure team is seeking proposals evaluating the effectiveness and/or benefits of existing transportation or transportation-adjacent policies on outcomes for communities in the United States.

Eligible Projects and Topic Areas of Interest

This Request for Proposals (RFP) aims to bolster the knowledge base of potentially effective policies, programs, and interventions by funding efforts that align with key AV Infrastructure policy areas.

AV is primarily focused on traditional surface transportation — road and public transit — but is open to proposals in aviation, maritime, passenger and freight rail, trucking, and more.

We seek proposals for: 1) research, expanded data sets, or analysis; 2) administrative or legislative policy reforms at the federal, state, or local level; or 3) models of effective implementation including proposals for implementing agencies to partner with researchers or program evaluators to conduct baseline and post-intervention research on implementation effectiveness that will advance the knowledge base and provide illustrative examples within, but not limited to, the following topic areas:

• Transportation Capital Investment Reform. Evaluating how capital funding is prioritized and selected at the federal, state, or regional level, including discretionary grant programs and formula-based funding. What reforms could ensure projects deliver higher public returns?

• Cost Estimation, Oversight, and Accountability. Why do major transportation projects frequently exceed budgets and timelines, and how can we identify strategies to improve transparency, cost realism, and performance oversight?

• Access in Mobility Outcomes. Measuring how current transportation investments affect access to jobs, services, and economic opportunities for workers and families, and what policy changes could improve access.

• Performance-Based Project Selection. How can public agencies shift from current, politically driven allocations to datadriven, performance-based decision-making on capital project selections?

• Institutional Barriers to Reform. What organizational, legal, or procedural hurdles prevent DOTs and MPOs from adopting better practices (e.g., outcome-based planning, integrated land use/transportation policy)?

• Permitting and Permit Reform. How do current local, state, and federal permitting practices affect project cost, quality, timeline, and other concerns?

• Intergovernmental Dynamics. How do federal, state, and local funding structures and requirements enable or constrain effective transportation investment? What governance structures would improve outcomes when it comes to transportation planning and project delivery?

• Data Sets and Root Causes of High Delivery Costs. Expanded data sets on unit costs and/or research illuminating the root causes of why transportation and transit projects cost so much and take so long to deliver. What policy and practice changes could manage project delivery risks and improve the likelihood that projects will be delivered on s chedule and on budget?

• Domestic Content. How do Buy America and domestic content requirements affect the cost, speed, innovation, and effectiveness of transportation infrastructure projects?

• Procurement Process. How do current procurement practices affect project cost, quality, innovation, and accountability — and what policy and regulatory reforms could improve outcomes?

• Other. AV also welcomes innovative proposals on other transportation issues that align with our mission.

These research, policy development, and implementation proposals can be relevant to federal surface transportation reauthorization legislation or federal administrative changes; state reforms to Departments of Transportation; and/or local-level reforms relevant either to regional transportation agencies, transit agencies, or municipal governments.

Information for Russell Sage Foundation Grant Seekers

RSF makes external grants for social science research projects that address questions of interest under its research priorities. 

Research Priorities

RSF supports high-quality innovative research under four core research priorities:

• Behavioral Science and Decision Making in Context
• Future of Work
• Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
• Social, Political, and Economic Inequality

In addition, it supports research under the following time-limited co-funded research priorities:

• Immigration and Immigrant Integration
• Implications of the 2023 Supreme Court Decision to Ban Race-Conscious Admissions at Colleges and Universities for Educational Attainment and Economic Mobility
• Causal Research on the Criminal Justice System

Overview of Core Research Grants

All research grant applications must be preceded by a letter of inquiry (LOI). RSF has 3 funding cycles per year and only considers proposals that are invited following review of an initial letter of inquiry. After peer review, about 15% of those who submit an LOI will receive an invitation to submit a full proposal. RSF rarely considers projects for which the investigators have not already fully-developed the research design, the sample framework, access to data, etc. Investigators are encouraged to submit an LOI after they have developed and pre-tested survey instruments, completed preliminary data analyses if the data are publically-available or conducted some preliminary interviews for qualitative studies.

Funding

There are two levels of funding for core grants, Trustee-approved grants and Presidential-Authority grants. The maximum grant amount for a Trustee grant is $200,000, including 15% indirect costs. Grants up to $75,000 are considered Presidential-Authority grants. RSF has 3 funding cycles per year and only considers proposals that are invited following review of an initial letter of inquiry. After peer review, about 15% of those who submit an LOI will receive an invitation to submit a full proposal. The final funding rate for core research grants is approximately 6-10% of submitted LOIs.

Implications of the 2023 Supreme Court Decision to Ban Race-Conscious Admissions at Colleges and Universities for Educational Attainment and Economic Mobility - Request for Proposals

The Russell Sage Foundation, in collaboration with the Hewlett, Spencer, and William T. Grant foundations, seeks to support innovative research on the effects of the Supreme Court decision on a diversity of outcomes—from who attends college and where and the extent to which alternatives to race-conscious policies contribute to educational attainment and economic mobility among different groups in the population. Our interests extend beyond the effects on applications, admissions, enrollment, and degree completion and include the downstream effects, including whether and how the decision alters the college-to-career pipeline that many employers rely on to diversify their workforce, and the factors associated with public opposition to and support for race-conscious policies. We are particularly interested in analyses that make use of newly available data or demonstrate novel uses of existing data. We also support original data collection and encourage methodological variety and inter-disciplinary collaboration. 

Read the full RFP for this time-limited co-funded research priority here.

Arnold Ventures

Arnold Ventures (AV) is a philanthropy dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through evidence-based policy solutions that maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. We focus on improving systems where outcomes are falling short, incentives are misaligned, and the time is right for change. To advance this mission, we invest in rigorous research to strengthen the evidence base on what works to improve outcomes for individuals, families, and communities, and to inform policy and practice at scale.

AV’s Higher Education team seeks to fund rigorous, causal research on programs, policies, and practices that improve student outcomes and deliver stronger returns on investment for students and taxpayers. Our work focuses on strengthening the evidence base on effective student success models and aligning policy and funding incentives to support their adoption and scale.

Causal Research to Improve Outcomes for Part-Time Students

Purpose of the RFP

This RFP seeks to fund rigorous causal research that builds the evidence base on effective programs and policies for part-time students and identifies scalable, cost-effective approaches to improve completion and labor market outcomes. Findings should generate actionable insights to inform institutional practice, system-level decision making, and state policy, with the goal of improving outcomes and maximizing return on investment for students and taxpayers.

Population of Interest

Because enrollment intensity is fluid, proposals do not need to limit eligibility to students who are enrolled part-time at baseline. Instead, studies should focus on interventions that primarily serve or are expected to meaningfully impact students who are more likely to enroll part-time, including:

• Adult learners (age 25+)
• Student parents and caregivers
• Working adults

Interventions may serve mixed-enrollment populations, so long as the proposed study is clearly designed to improve outcomes for these populations.