Stanford Impact Labs Track 2: Call for Proposals (2027)

Track 2

Stanford Impact Labs' (SIL) mission is to put social science to work for society. We support PI-eligible Stanford faculty engaged in social science research that directly responds to social needs. When we invest, we expect a return measured not in money but in outcomes that improve people's lives.

We look for work that is aligned with our three pillars:

• Science: We believe best-in-class scientific knowledge is a key input to addressing society's most pressing challenges. We therefore support frontier social science that provides rigorous, actionable answers to urgent social questions.
• Impact: We focus on research that has a clear and direct path to impact,  including through developing and/or testing specific solutions or interventions, as well as generating insights that can shape policy or other key decisions.
• Partnership: We believe that science can address social challenges most effectively when researchers engage with stakeholders beyond the university—both those who are affected by the issues at hand, and those who may not be directly affected but who have the ability to influence change. We encourage ongoing collaboration with partners throughout the research process—in defining questions, gathering background information, designing studies, interpreting results, and scaling up impact.

Different projects will naturally incorporate these pillars in different ways. We do not seek to promote a single model of research practice. Rather, we prioritize teams whose research designs, paths to impact, and forms of engagement/partnership are chosen to most effectively advance the ultimate goal of putting research to work to improve people’s lives.

Please visit our website to learn more about our Investment Strategy.

Core Funding Opportunities

Stanford Impact Labs’ (SIL) 2026-2027 investment cycle includes three funding opportunities, defined by progressively larger budget amounts, durations, and research scope. Larger investments are matched by higher expectations for the magnitude of scientific contribution, the impact a team is positioned to achieve, and level of engagement and partnership. Each window of funding is open to different types of engagement and partnership, from deep collaborations with a small number of partners to broader public engagement that emphasizes meaningful consultation with key stakeholders. To be competitive, applicants must describe why their proposed engagement approach is the best fit for their research and impact goals. 

This funding opportunity is our Track 2. Track 2 funding offers research teams between $350,000 and $650,000 over a period of up to three years. It also supports individual research projects as well as multi-project agendas. The larger investment amounts carry higher expectations for the scale of scientific contribution, impact, and partnership.

To learn more, check out our RFP here.