Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy Grant Program

The Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy is a private nonprofit organization established in 1997 by Irving Louis Horowitz and Mary Curtis Horowitz, with formal nonprofit status granted in 1998. The foundation was created to address financial barriers faced by doctoral students conducting dissertation research in the social sciences. Its mission is to advance understanding in key social science fields by supporting emerging scholars whose work contributes to social policy issues. The foundation’s programs are funded through contributions from its founders and are administered by a board of trustees composed of academic and policy leaders from major institutions. The primary purpose of this grant program is to provide small, merit-based awards to PhD and DrPH candidates at the dissertation stage. The funding supports research projects that have clear social policy relevance, whether addressing global or local issues. The foundation emphasizes projects that demonstrate strong theoretical grounding or empirical rigor, and that contribute to contemporary debates in the social sciences. The grant is intended to offset research-related expenses and assist scholars in completing their dissertation work. Each award totals 10000 dollars, distributed in two installments. An initial payment of 7500 dollars is provided upon award acceptance, while a final payment of 2500 dollars is contingent upon evidence of project completion. Acceptable evidence includes dissertation approval, publication of research findings in a peer-reviewed journal, or an invitation to contribute a book chapter based on the research. Awards are nonrenewable, and recipients have up to five years from the award announcement to fulfill the requirements necessary to receive the final payment. Eligibility is limited to current doctoral candidates who have not yet earned a PhD and who have reached the dissertation stage. Applicants must have defended their dissertation proposal or received departmental approval of their research topic. The program is open globally, allowing applicants from any country and institution to apply, without restrictions related to citizenship or residency. However, individuals who already hold a PhD are not eligible, and applicants are restricted to a single application if they have previously applied starting from 2023. Applications are evaluated based on overall merit, with no single criterion weighted more heavily than others. Trustees assess proposals on factors such as feasibility, originality, methodological soundness, policy relevance, and the strength of recommendation materials. The foundation encourages applicants to review previously funded projects to better understand the types of research that align with its priorities. Two additional discretionary awards may be granted annually for exceptional submissions, including one for the most outstanding project and another for innovation in theory or methodology. The application process requires submission through the foundation’s application system by the stated deadline. For the 2026 to 2027 cycle, the submission deadline is December 1, 2026. There are no required preapplication steps such as letters of intent indicated in the available materials. Awards are typically decided and administered in June following the application cycle. Successful applicants must accept the award formally, after which funds are disbursed. Recipients are expected to acknowledge the foundation in any resulting publications and provide updates on their research outputs. The program operates on an annual cycle and has been issuing grants since 1999. While specific opening dates are not stated, the consistent annual deadline suggests a recurring opportunity. The foundation does not specify a formal performance period beyond the five year completion window. Contact information is limited to a mailing address, and no direct email or phone contact is provided in the available materials. The grant program remains a competitive but accessible funding source for doctoral researchers seeking support for socially impactful scholarship.

Ensure strong methodological design and clear social policy relevance with well supported recommendations