Mittal Institute Faculty Grants
Mittal Institute Faculty Research Grants 2023-24
Submission Deadline: November 30, 2023
Program Details
The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute 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 LMSAI’s 2023-24 class of Faculty Grant recipients.
U.S.-based Faculty Grant Awards:
For performance period, February 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025.
Three Faculty grant awards of up to $15,000 each are available for research focused on South Asia and with activities based in the U.S. as well as in the region.
India-based Faculty Grants:
For performance period, April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025.
Three Faculty grant awards of up to INR 10,65,000 each are available in India through the Mittal Institute’s New Delhi office for research focused solely on India and with activities based in India. Funds must be utilized mandatorily within India.
LMSAI 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
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.
Faculty Grants 2024-25 Timeline
October 2, 2023: Grant announcement date
November 30, 2023: Application Deadline
January 15, 2024: Grant awardees notified of selection decisions
Feb 1, 2024: U.S. grant cycle begins
April 1, 2024: India grant cycle begins
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 question(s), methodology, impact, proposed outcome (ex. a book, a journal article, etc.) and any 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 missions 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 and are for the benefit of general public in India.
- References Cited and Related Bibliography: Up to 2 pages of additional materials (citations, images, bibliography etc.) may be included, if necessary.
- Brief Bios of Team Members: Please limit team bios to 2 pages.
- Detailed Budget: Budget by expense categories such as personnel, materials, hardware, software, equipment, travel etc. (For projects based in India, see note below regarding management of expenses and restrictions on personnel-related funds). 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.
- 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 New Delhi office, through Harvard Global 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’s New Delhi office, through the Harvard Global Research Support Center 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. The proposed IC engagement will be thoroughly reviewed by the School’s HR department and Harvard Global, as described in the Harvard Independent Contractor Policy, section III: Independent Contractor Review and Approval Procedure. HR approval of the classification of a proposed independent contractor is not guaranteed and must be received before a contract is signed and before any work is performed. IC stipends/fees will be subject to applicable local taxes and the IC is solely responsible for taxes. The Mittal Institute’s New Delhi 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 New Delhi 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 New Delhi office, through the Harvard Global Research Support Center 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 LMSAI upon completion of their project summarizing the work made possible by this grant. They will 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 Finance and Administration, 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.