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Mittal Institute Faculty Grants

Mittal Institute Faculty Research Grants 2024–25

Submission Deadline: December 13, 2024 – the Faculty Grants will reopen in the fall of 2025

Program Details

​The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University supports faculty research projects with grants. Faculty members at Harvard are eligible for grants that bring together scholars from different fields and regions whose scholarship relates to South Asia. Traditionally, the Mittal Institute has prioritized interdisciplinary research, as well as trying to catalyze connectivity between scholars at Harvard and those in South Asia.

Grants are available from both the Cambridge and New Delhi offices of the Institute.

Read about previous faculty grant recipients.

Funding

Maximum award:

  • $15,000 for U.S.-based Faculty Grant Awards.
  • INR 10,65,000 available in India through the Mittal Institute, an office of Harvard Global Research Support Centre India, for research focused solely on public good of India and with activities based in India. Funds must be utilized mandatorily within India.

Period of Performance: April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

Duration: Up to 1 year, with the possibility of a no-cost extension for an additional year.

The Mittal Institute funding for the recipients of U.S.–based Faculty Grant Awards will be transferred to and managed by the PI’s department/center.

The Mittal Institute will provide funding for the following types of Research Projects:  

Exploratory Research Projects

The Exploratory Project Program provides funding to Harvard faculty who are looking to perform an interdisciplinary exploration of new project ideas for South Asia. This grant would provide seed funding for new projects in the initial stages of planning and development, aiming to bring together like-minded scholars from beyond Harvard and from the region to develop new areas of research.

Advanced Research Projects

The Advanced Project Program provides funding to Harvard faculty who seek to turn their ongoing, original research or projects into a defined outcome, including but not limited to a publication, policy recommendations, peer-reviewed journal articles, course curriculum, and more.

Eligibility

  • Open to all Harvard University faculty members. The Applicant must hold a full-time Harvard faculty appointment, preferably be a ladder faculty in any Harvard Department or School, to be eligible for these grants. Please note that while there are no explicit term limits, the review committee will prioritize new research proposals related to South Asia.
  • Projects must have a direct connection to South Asia.
    Note: South Asia encompasses Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.
  • Provide a statement on how these funds will help leverage future funding.

Faculty Grants 2024-25 Timeline

Grant announcement: November 1, 2024

Application deadline: December 13, 2024

Grant awardees notified of selection decisions: February 1, 2025

U.S. and India grant cycle begins: April 1, 2025

Note: Funding will be disbursed following the completion of any necessary administrative processes.

Application Requirements

Complete and submit your application using the Application Form, which should include the following:

  • Abstract: Limited to 2 paragraphs.
  • Narrative: (2-4 pages long), describing the proposed project including research questions, methodology, impact, proposed outcome (ex. a book, a journal article, etc.) project timeline, and any collaboration across Harvard and/or collaboration with researchers in the region. Please be sure to discuss how the work will lead to new scholarships, support early ideas, and creatively enhance research or teaching at Harvard. Demonstrate a seasoned understanding of the problem and show prior preparatory work in this area. Advanced Research Projects should include a few paragraphs that describe how the use of this grant will advance the existing project. For India-based projects, in addition to the above, please describe how your project facilitates, advances, and/or encourages research, training, and support to programs in India that are for the benefit of the public good of India. Please also describe how this will be disseminated to the general public in India. Priority will be given to projects with a clear pathway to practical application, as well as innovative proposals with the potential to be transformative over time. Recipients of the grant are expected to present their work at key events hosted by the Mittal Institute.
  • References Cited and Related Bibliography: Up to 2 pages of additional materials (citations, images, bibliography etc.) may be included, if necessary.
  • Brief Bios of the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigators: Please limit team bios to 2 pages.
  • Detailed Budget: Funding requests involving travel must adhere to Harvard University’s travel policies and guidelines. If you are requesting a grant for US-based projects, the total requested amount should not exceed $15,000. If you are requesting a grant for India-based projects, the total requested amount should not exceed INR 10,65,000. Budget by expense categories such as personnel, materials, hardware, software, equipment, travel etc. (Please refer to the “India-based projects” section regarding management of expenses and restrictions on personnel-related funds).
  • IRB Approval and other Clearances, where applicable: Proposals involving human subjects will require institutional review board approval. The Principal Investigator(s) is solely responsible for securing IRB approval and other research clearances before commencement of the project. Proof of IRB approval and other clearances must be submitted to the Mittal Institute prior to fund disbursement. Please indicate in your application, the status of your IRB and other research clearance requests

For India-based Projects:

For faculty grants awarded in India, the Mittal Institute’s India office, through Harvard Global Research Support Centre India, can either manage funds in-house or provide a grant to an Implementing Partner organization(s) based in India to undertake research activities. Funds must mandatorily be utilized within India.

Award funds managed by the Mittal Institute’s New Delhi office:

Award funds managed by the Mittal Institute, an office of Harvard Global Research Support Centre India, can only be used towards the appointment of Independent Contractor(s) (ICs) to undertake research activities. All proposed Independent Contractors (IC) should fulfill hiring requirements as laid out in Harvard’s Independent Contractor Policy, and also be compliant with Indian labor and employment laws. N.B. IC stipends/fees will be subject to applicable local taxes and the IC is solely responsible for taxes. The Mittal Institute’s India office cannot manage funds related to other budget categories such as materials, hardware, software, equipment, travel etc. Additionally, funds cannot be used to hire staff at the Mittal Institute’s India office.

Award funds contracted to an Implementing Partner:

In cases where project implementation entails expenses related to materials, hardware, software, equipment, travel etc., the Principal Investigator(s) is required to identify a partner organization(s) who can receive a grant from the Mittal Institute’s India office, through Harvard Global Research Support Centre India, and serve as the Implementing Partner(s) for the project.

Only India-based entities can serve as an Implementing partner/grantee organization. Grants to an implementing partner can cover expenses related to personnel, materials, hardware, software, equipment, travel etc., and will be based on budgets provided by the Principal Investigator(s). Please note that a grantee organization’s actual indirect overheads are an allowable expense. Fund transfers are within India, and a grantee organization will not require FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) clearance to serve as an Implementing Partner. However, a tax exemption certificate from Indian tax authorities is required in order for the transfer to be considered a grant. Grantee organizations are solely responsible for any applicable taxes. Grantee organizations are required to provide a ‘Fund Utilization Certificate’ at the end of the grant period.

Terms

Recipients will draft a brief report and shall provide relevant documentation (e.g., papers published, media content, etc.) that can be disseminated by the Mittal Institute upon completion of their project, summarizing the work made possible by this grant. Recipients of the grant are expected to participate in relevant activities of the Mittal Institute and may be requested to present their work in a public seminar or closed group meetings.

If you have any questions regarding projects and funding in South Asia, write to Mirela Vaso, Director of Business Operations and Finance, at mirela_vaso@fas.harvard.edu, and to know more about funding and support in India, please contact Monika Setia, Associate Country Director, India at monika_setia@harvard.edu.