Incite's new Hard Questions grants seed bold Columbia initiatives - Incite at Columbia University

Across disciplines, scholars are grappling with novel problems or previously unasked questions that require innovative, perhaps pioneering, approaches or analyses. Research of this sort carries a great risk of failure and, so, can be hard to gain funding.

In support of the Columbia University Arts and Sciences Hard Questions strategic priority, Incite Institute is announcing new seed grants for initiatives whose boldness carries the risk of such failure, whose further success requires the unlikely data collection, the untested method, the unexpected analyses in order for the project to be funded at scale.

The program acknowledges the funding challenges faced by researchers pursuing high-risk projects that may initially struggle to secure traditional funding sources. By providing seed grants of up to $75,000, the initiative aims to support the early stages of ambitious research that could later attract larger-scale funding.

These seed grants are designed to provide Columbia University Arts and Sciences scholars with the resources they need to gather preliminary data, test novel methods, or conduct unexpected analyses that will strengthen their position for future funding opportunities. The program specifically seeks projects whose boldness carries inherent risk of failure but whose potential breakthroughs justify the investment.

The application process begins with letters of intent due by April 1, 2025, with successful applicants invited to submit full proposals by July 15, 2025. Final selections will be announced by September 1, 2025.

Interested Columbia University Arts and Sciences researchers are encouraged to explicitly address the high-risk nature of their proposed work while demonstrating alignment with Incite's existing approaches and research areas.

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