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NJSPL Announcements
October 6, 2025

Call for Seed Funding Research Proposals – Due October 17th

The New Jersey State Policy Lab (NJSPL) is excited to announce that we will once again be seeking proposals for seed funding* to support research projects that focus on a wide array of policy challenges impacting New Jersey.  This seed funding is intended to support preliminary work such as data collection, proof-of-concept studies, proposal development, and/or innovative research demonstrating a societal impact. In fostering innovation, the NJSPL intends to support proposals that seek to advance research beyond the initial concept stage (i.e., research that can be scaled as part of a larger project with other sources of funding). Please note that the New Jersey State Policy Lab should be incorporated into subsequent research proposal(s) seeking continued funding related to this initial seed funding.

Project requirements:

  • Research projects must seek to identify potential policy solutions to challenges confronting New Jersey.
  • Project leaders must ensure that all work meets the highest standards of academic integrity and excellence.
  • Project leaders must oversee the development of research blogs every eight weeks for the duration of the project’s funding, as well as a final report which includes an executive summary and potential policy recommendations.
  • Project leaders must provide the NJSPL with interim reports on the status of their research projects.

Preference will be given to research projects that:

  • Support students working as research assistants.
  • Demonstrate a path to external funding.

Timeline for applying:

  • Download and complete the seed funding research proposal at this link.
  • Save your proposal using the following naming convention:
    • “LastName_FirstName_NJSPL_Seed_Funding_Proposal_Fall_2025.”
  • Grant recipients will be notified by Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
  • Target completion of your seed funding project by August 31, 2026.

Email your completed proposal and a copy of your resume or CV to policylab@ejb.rutgers.edu by 11:59pm on Friday, October 17, 2025.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Executive Director Elizabeth Cooner at Elizabeth.Cooner@Rutgers.edu.

* The funding range for this call for proposal has been intentionally left open-ended, with the hope that proposal submissions will include a compelling case for the scaling of their research project.