Community Action Research Initiative Grants

Scholarship Sponsored by American Sociological Association

Applications will open in Spring 2026.

Overview
The American Sociological Association (ASA) is accepting proposals for the Community Action Research Initiative (CARI) grants. These awards support projects that apply sociological knowledge and methods to address issues faced by community-based organizations and action initiatives. Applicants must be engaged with a community organization or community action effort and either hold a PhD in sociology or be enrolled in a sociology PhD program.

Eligibility and applicant settings
- Eligible applicants: individuals with a PhD in sociology or currently enrolled in a sociology PhD program. Graduate students may apply, but grant funds may not be used to support dissertation research.
- Applicants may be based in universities, research centers, nonprofit or private organizations, or government agencies.
- Membership in ASA is not required to submit an application, but recipients must be ASA members to receive funding. All grantees are expected to adhere to the ASA Code of Ethics. Where applicable, awardees must provide relevant IRB documentation prior to receiving funds.

Award amount and allowable uses
- Grants provide up to $3,000 for direct project costs.
- Funds cannot be used for institutional indirect costs (overhead), expenses for attending scholarly meetings, or the principal investigator’s salary.

Congratulatory note
Congratulations to the current CARI grant recipients.

How to apply (online submission)
Applications are submitted through Foundant, ASA’s grants management system. You will need to create a Foundant profile if you do not already have one. If you have applied to ASA grants before, sign in with your existing username and password. New users must complete the registration form, including a valid email address, and confirm the registration via the confirmation email sent by the system. Please ensure your spam filters allow messages from Foundant so you receive notifications. A video walkthrough showing how to create an account and submit an application is available on the ASA grants page.

Required application components
A complete submission must include the following:
- Contact information: name(s) of Principal Investigator(s), current institution or organization, mailing address, and email address.
- Project title.
- Project description (up to 500 words): objectives, methods for achieving those objectives, and the sociological relevance to a policy issue.
- Community partner description (up to 500 words): identify the community organization or action initiative you will work with and explain how the proposed project aligns with that partner’s mission.
- Expected outcomes and dissemination plan (up to 500 words): describe tangible project results and how you plan to share findings (dissemination may take place after the grant period).
- One-page letter of support from the partnering community organization or initiative.
- Curriculum vitae for each Principal Investigator.
- Detailed project budget and project timeline.

Deadlines and notifications
- Applications open: Spring 2026
- Application deadline: August 28, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
- Award notifications: by December 31, 2026

If you have questions about the application process, consult the ASA grants page or the Foundant help resources.