Stanford Impact Labs Stage 3: Amplify Impact Call for Proposals (LOI)
Stanford Impact Labs’ mission is to enable teams of Stanford scholars to work with the public, social, and private sectors to tackle social problems using human creativity, rigorous evidence, and innovative technology. We advance this mission by catalyzing rigorous, problem-focused research and training on a diversity of social problems with the goal of achieving broad public impact. We call the teams that do this work: “Impact Labs.”
LOI deadline: October 24th
Stage 3: Amplify Impact
Stage 3: Amplify Impact provides long-term flexible funding based on an established track record of successful solutions-focused R&D cycles.
After first discovering an insight and testing a solution, we’ve seen successful teams in the past pursue one of at least two directions:
- Some teams take a specific insight or solution and put it to use at scale
- Other teams run multiple R&D cycles to generate different insights as part of a coherent R&D agenda focused around a common theme (see case studies below)
Stage 3: Amplify Impact gives teams the flexibility to apply for the track that most fits the needs of the field and their vision for impact. This funding window is split into two tracks:
- Track A: Scaling Insights supports teams to take a specific insight or solution to scale. Applicants should apply to this track if their primary focus is scaling a solution with a strong basis in evidence. This track is open to Stanford faculty and also to government agencies and non-profit organizations that have a Stanford faculty member sponsor.
- Track B: R&D Agenda supports an impact-focused R&D agenda for teams that already have a demonstrated track record of putting social science to use for society. This track is open to Stanford faculty.
While these two tracks provide flexibility to teams to pursue slightly different goals, core commitments to science and partnership remain important on both paths. For example, teams applying for Track A: Scaling Insights will need to demonstrate that impact can be sustained at scale across many contexts (including potentially by validating this through further R&D). Teams applying for funding for Track B: R&D Agenda will need to demonstrate a compelling case that the partnerships are in place to co-design the strategy and put their findings to use.
Stage 3: Amplify Impact is part of a staged and sequenced approach to putting insights to use for society. While we fund approximately six investments per year in Stage 2: Test Solutions, we expect that only the most exceptional teams will meet the criteria for Stage 3: Amplify Impact and plan to make only one or two awards per year through a competitive process. Importantly, you do not need to have been previously funded by SIL to apply for funding under this stage.
Please note that external entities applying for Stage 3 Track A: Scaling Insights funding should apply using this Qualtrics form, as opposed to the Seed Funding application form.
More information
- Find the full RFP here.
- More detailed considerations are contained in the FAQ.
- Sign up for our information sessions on September 28th, October 4th, or October 7th.
- Sign up for office hours with the investments team.
- We encourage you to learn more about our staged and sequenced approach, as well as which stage is right for you.
Stage 3 is open to applications from Stanford PI-eligible faculty and their teams.
Under Track A: Scaling Insights, Stanford faculty may also sponsor an outside non-profit organization or government agency to directly apply for funding from SIL to put the insights developed by or with the Stanford faculty to use at a larger scale. As a sponsor, you must have previously worked with the external entity and recommend their work. More detailed considerations are contained in the FAQ.
SIL’s investments under this stage are flexible, long-term funding. Applicants should propose a budget and timeframe appropriate to achieve the intended aims of their proposal. Budgets will be evaluated proportionately to the likely contributions of the proposed work, meaning that, all else equal, larger budgets will be met with greater scrutiny and a more intensive investigation. Proposals may not be more than $5m or greater than 5 years, however, we expect that many Track A: Scaling Insights proposals will be under $5m.