Human Capital Initiative 2026 Incubation Grants

The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for faculty-led research projects in human capital and development.

Established in 2017, HCI generates rigorous evidence-based insights on the impact of human capital on development. Outputs under this initiative serve to inform policy and programmatic solutions to global challenges including poverty, women’s well-being, and sustainable economic growth. The initiative recognizes the importance of human capital (health, education, empowerment, and productivity) to be an essential part of human well-being and the role that human capital, broadly defined, plays in shaping the social, political, and economic opportunities of individuals and communities in low- and middle-income settings around the world.

To date, HCI has fostered intra-university collaboration and has directly supported cross-pollination efforts between scholars from multiple schools across the university. The outputs that have been produced under this initiative are commensurate with the GDP Center’s aims to actively support, promote, and disseminate policy-oriented research on human development and well-being. HCI has increased the profile and policy impact of human capital and development research at BU. Looking ahead, we aim to build on these successes by further expanding our cutting-edge research capacity and intellectual synergies within BU.

Through this request for proposal (RFP), HCI will award seed funding for up to three collaborative or individual research projects that help advance the initiative’s mission.

Awardees will be provided with:

  • Financial support of up to $15,000 for collaborative projects involving several faculty members, or $5,000 for non-collaborative projects involving a single faculty member, to conduct research and engage with policy makers and the public, to be spent by June 2026. Several awards ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 will be granted.
  • Outreach support through the GDP Center to promote the work through the production of academic working papers, policy reports, and other activities (e.g. workshops, dissemination meetings, etc.).

The goal of this RFP is to encourage HCI’s Core Faculty members and affiliates to engage in policy oriented collaborative research through the initiative.

Eligibility:

  • This RFP is open to all HCI Core Faculty and affiliated faculty. Those who are not affiliate faculty may make proposals with existing HCI Core Faculty or apply to join the affiliate program. Grants may be awarded to individual faculty projects or collaborative projects.
  • While this is not a requirement to apply, priority will be given to collaborative proposals originating from more than one HCI affiliated faculty and/or representing faculty from different units, departments, or schools within Boston University.

Proposal Format:

Interested applicants must submit a proposal to Victoria Puyat (mmvp@bu.edu) by Monday 5 January (5pm EST). Proposals should be no more than three pages in length (including the supporting budget information) and must meet the following guidelines:

  • Outline the policy arena(s), problem(s), or research question(s) that the project seeks to address.
  • Justify how the project’s proposed scope of work is commensurate with the HCI mission (stated above).
  • Describe the composition of the project team. Successful applications will be able to demonstrate why the team is well positioned to complete the proposed scope of work and will be able to articulate the gains from collaboration with faculty from different units.
  • Identify the target publication outlets and audiences that the project will seek to reach.
  • Discuss the potential for engaging with multiple audiences (researchers, practitioners, policymakers, other relevant stakeholders) through the project.
  • Provide a project plan that includes a timeline and budget for all activities. The project plan should clearly articulate the key deliverables that are to be produced within the project period and should also include a plan for the development of subsequent proposals as a means to grow the scope of the project. A requirement is that all proposed activities must be completed within six months from receipt of the award.
  • All collaborative awards will be capped at $15,000. If relevant, please highlight the core activities that will be prioritized if the amount awarded is below $15,000. Non-collaborative awards will be capped at $5,000.

For any further information, please do not hesitate to contact:

  • Victoria Puyat, Associate Director for Finance and Administration at the Boston University Global Development Policy Center (mmvp@bu.edu)
  • Rachel Brulé, Associate Director of the Human Capital Initiative (rebrule@bu.edu)
  • Ben Marx, Associate Director of the Human Capital Initiative (bmarx@bu.edu)