Early Stage Urban Research: Request for Proposals

The Initiative on Cities invites Boston University faculty and doctoral students to apply for seed funding through our Early Stage Urban Research Awards. These awards support research addressing urban challenges and urban populations in the U.S. and abroad.

Information Overview

      Spring 2026 Request for Proposals

      This year, we invite research proposals that explore pressing challenges and solutions facing cities—past, present, and future. Projects may focus on urban places and populations at the local, national, or international level.

      We especially encourage proposals that bring together scholars across disciplines, schools, and colleges at Boston University to study urban issues from multiple perspectives. We also welcome (though do not require) projects that engage community partners, use innovative or mixed-methods approaches, and/or address questions of urban displacement.

      Strong proposals will clearly show how this seed funding will help advance the project, such as by leading to external grant funding, publications, policy-relevant findings, or other forms of public impact.

      Eligibility & Stipulations

      • BU faculty are eligible to apply for funding up to $10,000. Adjunct faculty are not eligible to apply as lead PIs on projects.
      • BU graduate students, with faculty oversight, are eligible to apply for funding up to $5,000.
      • Grant awards should be used within one calendar year. Past awardees are eligible to apply for new research projects unrelated to prior awards.
      • We cannot cover fringe costs, with the exception of student fringe costs. Conference travel can not be covered. However, faculty may be permitted to receive partial summer salary if it is included in the budget justification.
      • Funds will be provided through faculty research accounts or department accounts.

      How to Apply

      Please follow our RFP Application Guidelines for all submissions. If applicable, please click to download the templates for the Organization Support Letter.

      All proposals must be submitted as a single PDF and include the listed relevant documents. Submissions should not exceed four pages, excluding letters of support and references.

      The application deadline is Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

      Please submit your completed PDF RFP application titled “2026 Early Stage Urban Research RFP” to Ting Wei Li at liting@bu.edu. You will receive an email confirmation within 1-2 business days.

      For additional inquiries regarding the application or if you have not received an email confirmation, please contact Ting Wei Li at liting@bu.edu.

      Recently Awarded Projects

      Since 2015, we have awarded 110 projects with seed funding.

      From 2023-2025, we funded 8 projects that catalyzed original urban research aligned with the three core themes of IOC’s Urban-H initiative: housing, heat, and health. These projects spanned a diverse set of topics, from occupational heat exposure and cooling strategies, housing and neighborhood determinants of sleep and mental health, to neighborhood-scale evaluations of urban heat mitigation strategies.

      In 2022, we funded 11 projects, including 7 led by BU graduate students and 4 by BU faculty. Topics include air pollution in cities, air quality in Boston Public Schools, health services for tiny-home housing for formerly homeless residents, the experiences of pretrial detainees, gentrification’s effects on social networks, and the characteristics of informal settlements facing eviction in India.