Grant opportunity
Institutional Challenge Grant 2026
The Institutional Challenge Grant supports university-based research institutes, schools, and centers in building sustained research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organisations to reduce inequality in youth outcomes.
- Funder
- William T. Grant Foundation
- Application deadline
- Application deadline: Sep 9, 2026
- Award
- USD 650,000 over three years; possible two-year continuation grant
- Applicant
- University-based research institutes, schools, and centers
- Discipline
- Social Sciences and Policy
- Region
- United States
- Posted
- May 24, 2026
Call summary
Overview
The grant challenges research institutions to change policies, incentives, and practices so that sustained partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organisations can produce and use relevant research evidence.
Who can apply
- The Foundation makes grants only to tax-exempt organisations and does not make grants to individuals.
- Eligible applicants are university-based research institutes, schools, or centers. Research organisations and think tanks outside the academy are not eligible.
- The partnership must include an eligible public agency or nonprofit organisation serving young people ages 5 to 25 in the United States.
- Eligible principal investigators should be leaders at the research institution with influence, access to institutional resources, and the capacity to cultivate trusted relationships with public agency or nonprofit leaders.
What it supports
- Grow an existing institutional partnership with a public agency or nonprofit organisation.
- Pursue a joint research agenda to reduce inequality in youth outcomes in areas such as education, justice, child welfare, foster care, mental health, immigration, or workforce development.
- Create institutional change that values research-practice partnerships and reduces structural, motivational, and financial barriers to collaborative work.
- Build the capacity of both researchers and partner agencies or organisations to produce, interpret, and use rigorous research evidence.
Funding and duration
At least two awards will be made. Each provides USD 650,000 over three years, including up to USD 60,000 for planning, support for mid-career fellowships, partnership research and use activities, institutional change work, and indirect costs up to 15 percent of total direct costs.
Application deadline
Application deadline: Sep 9, 2026
How to apply
Use the official William T. Grant Foundation programme page and application system. The next deadline is 9 September 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST.
Call details
About the opportunity
The grant challenges research institutions to change policies, incentives, and practices so that sustained partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organisations can produce and use relevant research evidence.
William T. Grant Foundation lists this opportunity for University-based research institutes, schools, and centers, Social Sciences and Policy, United States.
This listing is written for researchers, students, universities, NGOs, research teams, policy professionals and academic institutions searching for Social Sciences and Policy grants, fellowships, scholarships, conferences, workshops and funding opportunities in United States contexts.
Eligibility
The Foundation makes grants only to tax-exempt organisations and does not make grants to individuals.
Eligible applicants are university-based research institutes, schools, or centers. Research organisations and think tanks outside the academy are not eligible.
The partnership must include an eligible public agency or nonprofit organisation serving young people ages 5 to 25 in the United States.
Eligible principal investigators should be leaders at the research institution with influence, access to institutional resources, and the capacity to cultivate trusted relationships with public agency or nonprofit leaders.
Funding and benefits
At least two awards will be made. Each provides USD 650,000 over three years, including up to USD 60,000 for planning, support for mid-career fellowships, partnership research and use activities, institutional change work, and indirect costs up to 15 percent of total direct costs.
Themes and supported activities
Grow an existing institutional partnership with a public agency or nonprofit organisation.
Pursue a joint research agenda to reduce inequality in youth outcomes in areas such as education, justice, child welfare, foster care, mental health, immigration, or workforce development.
Create institutional change that values research-practice partnerships and reduces structural, motivational, and financial barriers to collaborative work.
Build the capacity of both researchers and partner agencies or organisations to produce, interpret, and use rigorous research evidence.
Deadline and timeline
Application deadline: Application deadline: Sep 9, 2026.
Applicants should confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, required documents, portal steps and any institutional approvals on the official call page before submitting.
How to apply
Use the official William T. Grant Foundation programme page and application system. The next deadline is 9 September 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST.
Before applying, check eligibility rules, budgets, attachments, page limits, partner requirements, cost-share conditions and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration or nomination stage.