Best Public Policy Grants in South Carolina

Public charities and government units in South Carolina can seek funding for education, STEM learning, and environmental stewardship projects that strengthen local communities. Vulcan Materials Company Foundation supports K–12 and higher education initiatives, environmental programs, and efforts involving Vulcan employees in areas where the company operates, which include parts of South Carolina.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charities working in education, healthcare, human services, or Jewish values in South Carolina and North Carolina can seek program support and growth funding. With a mission to build self-sufficiency and lasting change, Leon Levine Foundation provides established Carolinas organizations with resources that may benefit public policy–related initiatives within these fields.

Nonprofit public charities serving adults in South Carolina with workforce development or small business support programs can apply for Truist Foundation grants of more than US $15,000. Truist Foundation provides U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organizations with funding for career pathways, reskilling and upskilling, and strengthening racially diverse and women-owned small businesses, including policy and systems-focused initiatives.

Public policy and higher education graduate students in South Carolina interested in LGBT+ issues can access fellowship support for study through Harvard Kennedy School. Harvard Kennedy School scholarships and fellowships, including the Margaret Traub and Phyllis Dicker LGBT+ Graduate Fellowship, are merit- and need-based and open to both U.S. and international students committed to the LGBT+ community.

Graduate students pursuing public policy or related higher education studies, including those from South Carolina, can apply for Harvard Kennedy School’s Kennedy Fellowships and Presidential Scholarships; awards vary by financial need for tuition support. Applicants must first complete an HKS admission application and demonstrate exceptional academic ability and professional distinction to be considered.

MPP students who graduated from Harvard College and plan careers in U.S. or international institutions focused on international affairs can receive fellowship support for public policy studies, including those from South Carolina. Harvard Kennedy School provides public policy students with merit- and need-based funding through the John Berger Fellowship.

Graduate students focused on public policy, science, and technology in South Carolina can access funding through the Charles Edison Fund Fellowship to support study in Harvard Kennedy School’s Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program. Grants from Harvard Kennedy School help U.S. and international students deepen their impact on public policy and leadership through advanced education and research opportunities.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations or fiscally sponsored groups in South Carolina working on food system public policy, farmed animal protection, or food systems transformation can apply for Stray Dog Institute’s grants, typically US $2,500 - US $10,000. Funding can be unrestricted or project-based and supports advocacy, research, movement-building, and related policy efforts in the U.S. and internationally.

Muslim undergraduate or graduate students in film, television, acting, or theater who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients can apply for the Islamic Scholarship Fund’s film scholarships, awarding US $3,000 - US $5,000 for their studies. Students in South Carolina pursuing ISF-supported majors related to public policy and media may be eligible.

Law students in the U.S. interested in public policy and judicial work can receive support for unpaid internships with state or federal judges through the Islamic Scholarship Fund’s Judicial Internship Scholarship. Eligible American Muslim 1L or 2L students, including those from South Carolina, may receive a US $3,000 stipend for at least eight-week judicial internships.

Law students focused on public policy and access to justice for Muslims in America, including those from South Carolina, can receive US $5,000 - US $10,000 for tuition support and related educational costs. With a mission to increase American Muslim representation, Islamic Scholarship Fund supports U.S.-based undergraduates (seniors) and 1L–3L students meeting its academic and citizenship criteria.

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

South Carolina public policy and international affairs nonprofits can access funding through the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission to run U.S.-Japan research, education, public affairs, and exchange programs. Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in the U.S. or qualified NPOs in Japan may apply for projects in arts and culture, exchanges and scholarship, education and public affairs, or global challenges.

South Carolina public policy and early childhood organizations can access funding through Ohio Children’s Foundation to support innovative programs for at-risk children ages 0–5. Grants up to US $20,000 back early learning, literacy, and advocacy initiatives that strengthen early brain and language development, reduce toxic stress, and expand high-quality preschool access.

Grants from Crop Science Society of America help South Carolina public policy professionals with PhDs in agronomy, crop, soil, or related sciences spend a year working in Congress. U.S. citizen fellows receive a stipend, relocation support, and intensive orientations while applying their scientific expertise to federal legislative issues that may impact the state.

Researchers conducting quasi-experimental evaluations of social programs and public policy in the U.S., including South Carolina, can apply for Arnold Ventures support. Grants fund rigorous causal studies in areas like higher education, workforce training, public infrastructure, reproductive health, and public finance that align with Arnold Ventures’ key policy priorities and evidence-building goals.

Researchers conducting randomized controlled trials of social programs and policies in the U.S., including South Carolina, can seek funding to rigorously evaluate public policy and governance interventions. Arnold Ventures supports RCTs that strengthen evidence on what works, helping inform government decisions and resource allocation across key social policy domains.

Graduate students in Earth system and atmospheric sciences attending universities in Canada, the U.S., or Mexico can receive US $40,000 over two years for research, policy, or convergence work through the UCAR Next Generation Fellowship. University Corporation for Atmospheric Research provides professional development, mentoring, and funded visits that may benefit students focused on public policy in South Carolina and beyond.

The Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Scholarship at Harvard Kennedy School is designed for alumni of the PPIA Junior Summer Institute. This scholarship aims to support both U.S. and international students by considering merit and financial need. Harvard Kennedy School is committed to fostering leadership and public policy expertise, making a significant impact on global societal issues. Recipients must have participated in the PPIA program to be eligible for this limited funding.

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.