$10,000 Horowitz Dissertation Research Grant

The Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, gives small grants to PhD candidates whose dissertation research has a social policy application, at a global or local level. Around 20 scholars a year receive $10,000 each, and the foundation has made 441 awards to students around the world since 1999. Applicants can be at any university in any country, and the money goes to the student, not the university.

What you get:

• A $10,000 grant: $7,500 paid up front and $2,500 when the project is completed
• Freedom to spend the money on your project as needed, with no budget required
• Automatic consideration for two special awards: the Irving Louis Horowitz Award for the most outstanding project (an extra $5,000) and the Trustees' Award for the most innovative approach in theory or methodology (an extra $3,000)
• Five years from the award announcement to complete the project and claim the final payment
• Publicity on the foundation's website, in professional media and through a press release to university media offices

What you'll do:

• Create an account on the foundation's application portal and complete a short eligibility form
• Write a 150 word project overview (50 words on purpose, 25 on methodology, 50 on policy relevance) and a project description of up to 750 words
• Upload your CV and name two recommenders, who must submit their forms through the portal before the deadline
• To claim the final $2,500, show acceptance of your dissertation, a peer reviewed journal acceptance, or an invitation to publish a book chapter based on the research

Key dates:

• Applications opened July 1, 2026
• Applications and both recommendation forms due December 1, 2026 (see the caveat on the closing time)
• Award winners announced in June 2027
• Grants are usually paid in June of the year they are decided

More information:

• Full eligibility and conditions on the foundation's Grant Information page
• Answers on word limits, recommendations and the portal on the foundation's FAQ page
• Past funded projects are listed under Previous Recipients on the foundation's site

• Current PhD or DrPH candidate actively working on your dissertation
• You must not already hold a PhD
• Your dissertation proposal must be defended, or your topic formally approved by your department, before December 1
• Open to applicants from any country and any university; US citizenship or residency is not required
• You may apply only once if you have applied in 2023 or later; applicants from before 2023 may apply again
• The application, recommendations and all documents must be in English
• Two recommendation forms are required, and the application cannot be considered until both are in