Social Science Research Council

Small Grants of $7,500 fund research that supports public-interest efforts to change media/telecommunications infrastructure, practices, policies or content. The grants are intended for short-term, advocacy-centered research, completable and usable by advocacy, organizing, or community partners within a time frame of 4-12 months.


Fifth round Small Grant recipients were announced October 27, 2008.

There are no further Small Grant rounds scheduled for this phase of the program. Please continue to visit the Media Research Hub for other news and opportunities.

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Applicant Criteria


Proposals must be:

Submitted by a US-based nonprofit advocacy, organizing or community group working on media and/or telecommunications issues. Groups with nonprofit fiscal sponsorship are also eligible. (A limited number of international non-profit organizations will be solicited by invitation only.)

Structured as a partnership with an academic researcher based at a university, college or other research institution. This can include advanced graduate students.

There are no citizenship requirements for participants in these projects.

Project Criteria


All projects must:       

• Be strategically useful in their proposed advocacy and/or organizing context.
• Produce scholarship that meets academic standards.
• Have a realistic workflow and timeframe.

• Address issues of disparate impact on communities on the basis of race, class, gender, ethnicity, age or other identity/status category.
• Build capacity—skills, tools, experience, access to data sets—within the "user" organization and/or community.
• Have a clear plan for the dissemination of the research to target audiences.
• Have uses outside the immediate intended context.
• Use methods or models of research that have proved effective in similar contexts.
• Reflect diversity in the staff or group involved with the project.

• Involve collaboration between two or more advocacy/community groups in the project design and the plan of use for the research.
• Use participatory methods to engage community and/or advocacy group members in framing the questions, data collection, and/or analysis.
• Map the people, institutions, and writings associated with the project topic into the online Resource Database of the Media Research Hub -- to reflect a clear understanding of relevant existing research on the topic 

• A short description (max. 100 words) of how the research will be used to advance public-interest change in the media/communications arena.
• A description of the research project (max. 1000 words). This should cover both process and outcomes, and address the criteria above. Describe the final product you will deliver to the SSRC upon completion of the study and how you see other organizations potentially using the findings and products of the research project.
• A description of the proposing organization (max. 200 words), including mission, constituency, geographical scope of work, and annual budget.
• The name, institutional affiliation(s) and research experience of the academic partner.
• A project timeline.

• The researcher’s CV.
• A budget of up to $7500, with itemized major expenditures.  If the project draws on other resources or financing, please indicate them.  

• Measure the success or failure of mainstream media in advancing different public interest goals or values.
• Measure the impact of existing “alternative”/ community media systems on communities, public discourse, or democratic processes.
• Develop better, actionable accounts of the role of ‘new media’ in people’s lives. 
• Analyze policymaking and/or regulatory systems.
• Analyze emerging systems, frameworks, or models of media and communications that transcend the current regulatory framework.
• Analyze economic models, industry structure, markets, or audiences for different kinds of media
• Create analytical tools or research resources for use by advocates, communities, or the public.
• Document or evaluate advocacy or organizing strategies around communications and media issues.