FIRE expands Free Inquiry Grant, commits $250k to support research on free speech

FIRE is proud to announce that we are accepting proposals for the third cycle of our Free Inquiry Grant program, supporting research that advances the understanding of free speech and academic freedom. 

We are excited to announce that we have expanded the program to $250,000, with a maximum grant size of $50,000.

Faculty, Ph.D. students, and postdocs at accredited universities, as well as researchers at governmental and independent scholarly institutions like laboratories and think tanks, are eligible to apply. We accept proposals in a wide range of fields of study, including education, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology.

Detailed eligibility information is available on the Call for Proposals page.

FIRE is conducting this free speech grant program in partnership with our faculty network. More than 120 members of the FIRE Faculty Network have volunteered to review applications for relevance and to ensure grant-receiving projects meet the standards for methodological rigor in the applicant’s field.

“Free inquiry is the foundation of academic pursuits and is essential for the growth and transmission of knowledge. We are proud to be able to expand our support for research in this area,” said FIRE Vice President of Research Angela Erickson.

Applications are now open, and submissions for the 2024 grant program will be accepted until the deadline of September 15, 2024. 

Questions that are not answered in the call for proposals can be directed to FIRE Director of Research Ryne Weiss at ryne.weiss@thefire.org.

SUBMIT PROPOSAL