Best Public Policy Grants in Northern Mariana Islands

The BJA FY 2026 Capital Case Litigation Initiative aims to enhance legal representation in state capital cases. By providing essential funding, this initiative supports both prosecutors and defense attorneys to ensure equitable legal processes for indigent defendants. The U.S. Department of Justice emphasizes the importance of upholding the rule of law and protecting citizens' rights. Applications are due by November 5, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. ET, marking a critical opportunity for improvement in capital case litigation.

Graduate students in Earth system sciences working on public policy or related fields can receive US $40,000 plus travel and professional development support while studying at universities in Canada, the U.S., or Mexico. Grants from University Corporation for Atmospheric Research help future public policy leaders explore science–society intersections, which may benefit those serving Northern Mariana Islands communities.

Public policy researchers and institutions in the Northern Mariana Islands can seek support to run randomized controlled trials evaluating social programs and policies. Focused on evidence-building across public policy and governance, Arnold Ventures funds rigorous RCTs that test what works and inform government decision-making; large proposals over $500,000 may need extra approval time.

With a mission to improve public policy, Arnold Ventures provides Northern Mariana Islands researchers and institutions with support to conduct rigorous quasi-experimental evaluations of social programs and policies. Projects must examine causal impacts in areas such as higher education, workforce training, infrastructure, reproductive health, or public finance, helping build evidence that informs government decision-making.

Agronomy, crop, and soil scientists with a completed Ph.D. can apply for a one-year public policy fellowship in Washington, D.C., working in a Congressional office or committee. Grants from Crop Science Society of America help U.S. public policy professionals, including those from the Northern Mariana Islands, gain legislative experience at the national level.

Nonprofits and advocacy organizations working on early childhood development, literacy, and education policy can apply for Ohio Children’s Foundation grants, with awards up to US $20,000. Programs in the Northern Mariana Islands that support at-risk children ages 0–5 or advance public policy for quality early learning may be eligible for funding and technical assistance.

Nonprofit and academic institutions working on public policy and U.S.-Japan relations, including those in the Northern Mariana Islands, can seek funding for arts and culture, education and public affairs, exchanges and scholarship, or global challenges projects. The Japan-United States Friendship Commission supports institutional programs that deepen cross-cultural understanding between the two countries.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charities and research institutions working on pollinator conservation, sustainable agriculture, and related public policy can apply for funding up to US $75,000 from One Hive Foundation. Organizations in Vermont, the broader Northeast, and across the U.S. and Canada, including those serving Northern Mariana Islands, may be eligible for research, advocacy, education, and capacity-building projects.

Law and public policy students committed to improving access to justice for Muslims in America can receive US $5,000 - US $10,000 scholarships for study at accredited U.S. universities. The Islamic Scholarship Fund supports U.S. citizens, DACA recipients, and permanent residents, including those from Northern Mariana Islands, who maintain a 3.0 GPA and meet its field-of-study criteria.

Northern Mariana Islands public policy and law students who are active in the Muslim community can access funding for unpaid judicial internships through the ISF Judicial Internship Scholarship. Islamic Scholarship Fund provides a US $3,000 stipend to eligible first- or second-year U.S. law students interning at least eight weeks with state or federal judges.

Muslim undergraduate and graduate students in film, theater, or public policy-related majors can receive US $3,000 - US $5,000 to advance their studies and careers in the U.S. Focused on media and policy impact, Islamic Scholarship Fund invites eligible American Muslims to apply for scholarships that support education and professional development in these ISF-supported fields.

Nonprofit organizations and educational institutions working on food system transformation and public policy, including those in the Northern Mariana Islands, can seek US $2,500 - US $10,000 to support systemic change efforts. Grants from Stray Dog Institute help NGOs advancing farmed animal protection, sustainable agriculture, environmental policy, labor organizing, and food justice, with both project-based and unrestricted annual funding available.

Northern Mariana Islands public policy and science-focused graduate students can access funding through Harvard Kennedy School’s Charles Edison Fund Fellowship to support study in its Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program. This merit- and need-based fellowship may benefit those seeking advanced training to improve public policy and leadership in technology and science fields, including students from or serving the Northern Mariana Islands.

MPP students who are Harvard College graduates planning careers in U.S. or international institutions focused on international affairs can apply for Harvard Kennedy School’s John Berger Fellowship. This merit- and need-based support may benefit public policy students from or working in the Northern Mariana Islands pursuing advanced study in international and public policy.

Graduate students pursuing public policy or related higher education who are admitted to Harvard Kennedy School can receive Kennedy Fellowships and Presidential Scholarships to support their studies. Focused on academic excellence and leadership, these awards from Harvard Kennedy School may benefit future policymakers from the Northern Mariana Islands and beyond.

Graduate students pursuing public policy or related higher education who are committed to LGBT+ issues can apply for fellowship support from Harvard Kennedy School. Focused on leadership and policy impact, this opportunity may benefit students from the Northern Mariana Islands seeking funding to advance public policy studies and advocacy for LGBT+ communities.

Public policy and international affairs students from the Northern Mariana Islands who are alumni of a Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute can receive scholarship support for graduate study. Harvard Kennedy School offers these merit- and need-based awards to eligible U.S. and international PPIA alumni pursuing higher education in public policy and related fields.

The Robert C. Seamans, Jr. Fellowship in Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School supports students excelling in research and management at the intersection of technology and public policy. This fellowship fosters future leadership in these critical areas, ensuring a commitment to addressing pressing public challenges. Applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged, as the program is designed to promote inclusivity and recognizes the importance of varied perspectives in policy-making.

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.

Who is Stand Together?

Stand Together is a philanthropic community that helps America’s boldest changemakers tackle the root causes of our country’s biggest problems, from education to the economy, broken communities, and toxic division, among dozens of other pressing issues. We provide our partners with access to resources including funding, a unique network of peers, and a playbook for applying proven principles to transform lives and society.

Foreign Policy Grants

A government’s most important task is to secure the rights and liberties of its citizens—in part, by providing for the common defense. For this reason, the United States should maintain a strong military to keep America safe, prosperous, and free.

In recent decades, the United States has pursued an approach to foreign policy known as primacy or liberal hegemony. This foreign policy has required active and aggressive U.S. military engagement around the globe that has undermined our safety and imperiled our prosperity and liberties.

The Trust supports scholars and institutions interested in challenging the current approach, providing alternative visions for U.S. foreign policy, and engaging in research that can bridge the gap between ideas and policy. The Trust is especially interested in foreign policy research projects from political science, international relations, history, or economics. However, proposals from all fields will be considered on their merits.

Grant Info

We are especially interested in research that:

• Explores topics and issues related to a grand strategy of restraint.
• Examines the role of values and ethics in the formulation of U.S. foreign policy.
• Addresses the unintended consequences of U.S. military actions abroad and explores the costs and impact of engagements in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and other places where significant counterterrorism efforts have been conducted.
• Considers the impact of U.S. military engagement abroad on American society—for instance, the effect of our foreign policy decisions on civil liberties or the health and welfare of veterans.
• Explores the concept of threat inflation and problematizes theories of credibility and reputation in relation to U.S. foreign policy.
• Analyzes executive–legislative relations in foreign policy, including the constitutional division of war powers.
• Examines the impact of domestic interest groups, businesses, think tanks, and the permanent national security bureaucracy on U.S. foreign policy.
• Explores the growth of the intelligence and national security establishments since 9/11.
• Surveys the costs, risks, and impacts of foreign aid and alliance commitments.
• Studies the costs and benefits of burden-sharing and burden-shifting with current allies.
• Scrutinizes Pentagon spending, force structure, and the strategic demands of U.S. defense policy—including structural incentives for military expenditures.
• Considers the consequences of an increasingly multipolar world, especially as concerns principal geostrategic regions (e.g., Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and the Western Pacific).
• Explores how changes in technology (such as A2/AD) that impact the offense-defense balance can be leveraged to support a sound approach to grand strategy.

Grant Criteria

Please submit a brief of no more than 3 pages that details the scope of the project. We are open to any type of project: papers, communications campaigns, conferences and convenings, school tours, and much more (we welcome creative ideas).

Funding

Funding levels are commensurate with the requirements of the research and the potential for the research to advance an understanding of critical issues. Accepted proposals may also receive support to disseminate the research findings.