Deadlines

Eligibility

Projects must include at least two co-organizers:

1. The lead co-organizer(s) must be affiliated with an incorporated community- or place-based nonprofit organization
   1. Note: Organizations must have a 501(c) designation or its international equivalent.
   2. Note: The definition and boundaries of a community and membership are at the applicants’ discretion. The grant review committee recognizes and respects the historical and political complexities of community and identity. We kindly ask the applying organization to explicitly identify the community they belong to.
2. The secondary co-organizer must be a student or full-time employee (faculty, administrator, postdoc, researcher, undergraduate or graduate students) at Columbia University, Teachers College, or Barnard College.
   1. Note: If the secondary applicant is a Columbia student, they must be enrolled at Columbia during the entire grant period through fall 2027. If students graduate before this time, an additional Columbia partner who can meaningfully assist in the project is required.

Amount

Up to two awards are available in amounts up to $10,000. Funds will be directly awarded to the community partner organization, which will oversee the distribution and administration of the grant.

Spending Requirements

• Project funds must be expended within two years of the award
• Funds can only support direct costs. Examples include meals, supplies, materials and other meeting costs; fieldwork costs; travel; accommodation; publication fees; support for student researchers; or public-facing event fees
• Funds cannot be used for lobbying or political activities.
• Honoraria cannot be provided to any Columbia University faculty, student, or staff. Honoraria are permitted for community participants only.

Description

The Co-Production of Knowledge Initiative at the Center for Science and Society is accepting applications for projects led by community groups in collaboration with Columbia University affiliates. This Initiative intends to help overturn hierarchies of knowledge and extractive relationships through which communities may have been exploited for their local and experiential knowledge by researchers. By centering the needs of community organizations and placing Columbia affiliates in a supporting role, this grant program looks to redistribute power and resources to counteract historically unequal research dynamics.

Recognizing that developing and sustaining equal and respectful collaborations takes time and commitment, the Center for Science and Society would like to emphasize that initiating the practice of co-production as a process is just as important as any products resulting from the collaborations.

Examples of projects include: advocacy efforts, community-building activities, digital projects, events, pilot studies, or training development (not a comprehensive list). Any discipline, subject, and topic area will be considered, though projects engaged in environmental and epistemic justice are of particular interest.

Apply

To apply, please submit the following as a single PDF document by 11:59PM ET on October 27, 2025 to [email protected] with “Co-Production of Knowledge Grant” in the subject line of the email:

• Cover page including:
  • Title of proposal
  • Applicants, their affiliations, and email addresses
  • Executive summary or abstract of the project
  • Total funding amount sought
• Proposal narrative of no more than two pages (single-spaced, 12-point font). The narrative should include:
  • A description of the project and how it furthers co-production of knowledge and efforts to redistribute power and resources. Note: There is no singular definition of co-production of knowledge; we are looking to learn more about applicants’ viewpoints and understandings of this method to produce knowledge collaboratively.
  • Project’s broader impact and how both co-organizers would define success. Note: applicants are encouraged to think beyond the traditional academic and metric-driven definition of impact.
• Timeline of research and/or activities
• Budget with a line-by-line breakdown and justification of all expenses and list of any outside support (if applicable)
• Participant section, which should include:
  • CVs or short biographies including relevant professional, academic, and lived experiences (no more than a paragraph each) for co-organizers and other major participants.
  • A brief summary of the organization’s mission, goals, relevant activities, and the date of incorporation. Please include a website link, if available.
  • The reciprocally beneficial responsibilities and impacts expected through the activities of the grant for each collaborator (no more than two paragraphs).

Application Assistance

All prospective applicants are invited to attend our co-production introductory webinar for information about grant guidelines, project narratives, and budgets. This webinar will take place on June 25th, 2025 at 12pm. Registration is required; learn more via the event webpage. This webinar be recorded for future reference. 

Community organizations who wish to apply but do not have a Columbia-affiliated co-organizer can receive assistance in being matched with one. Please email [email protected] with a brief description of your project and ideal collaborator background to begin this process by July 31st, 2025. Note: We can not guarantee a Columbia co-organizer match.