Availability of Research Funding for Social Impact Collaboratives

As we continue to develop ways to support UCLA’s strategic plan, the Office of Research and Creative Activities and the UCLA Center for Community Engagement are pleased to announce the availability of a funding opportunity to advance our goal of deepening UCLA’s engagement with Los Angeles through Social Impact Collaboratives. These new mechanisms for supporting interdisciplinary community-engaged research and creative activities aim to further equity-achieving social impact in Los Angeles.

This new research funding program will provide three types of grants:

Social Impact Collaborative Exploratory Grants
(up to $10,000)

This grant focuses on initial relationship building for starting a new collaborative team.

Social Impact Collaborative Seed Grant
(up to $50,000)

This grant will support a newly formed or existing interdisciplinary group working with a Los Angeles community partner(s) on an equity-advancing topic to conduct early-stage research and/or creative activity. Seed grants provide an opportunity to test how the research/creative activity collaboration contributes to a theory of change to address the equity issue.

Social Impact Collaborative Full Grant
(up to $250,000)

This grant will support an interdisciplinary group with a demonstrated track record of work with a Los Angeles community partner(s) on an equity-advancing topic to conduct advanced research and/or creative activity. Proposals at this level have successfully completed one or more research projects or creative activities together, and now seek to expand their scope or scale of work, add new partners or add a new dimension to their collaborative efforts. At this stage, social impact collaboratives must be able to articulate how the research/creative activity collaboration contributes to a theory of change to address the equity issue.

Starting immediately, this grant program will fund exploratory grants. In the 2024–25 academic year, seed and full funding categories will be available, along with ongoing funding for exploratory grants.

UCLA Senate faculty are eligible to apply. Further details on the Social Impact Collaboratives Grant Program and the application process can be found on the grant program website. Principal investigators are required to submit a “statement of intent to apply” by March 15, 2024. Applications will be due April 15, 2024.

For questions about this funding opportunity, please contact Shalom Staub at SStaub@college.ucla.edu, or Center for Community Engagement Associate Director Erica Yamamura at EYamamura@college.ucla.edu.