Stage 1: Seed Partnerships

NOTE: Stage 1 Funding has been updated and replaced by Track 1 Funding.

Solutions-focused research in the social sciences requires a deep, context-specific understanding of the problem being addressed. No remedy to a challenge confronting society can have real impact unless it considers who is affected by it, how they’re affected, and what else has been done (or is underway) to exacerbate, shift, or resolve it. 

This vital early-stage work takes time and coordination, and greatly increases the likelihood that research and insights, once shaped into solutions, will yield practical action that benefits society.

SIL's Stage 1: Seed Partnerships funding provides support for new and established partnerships to conduct research that deepens understanding of their chosen problem and sets the stage for testing solutions. Successful applicant teams are able to demonstrate:

• A demand for the research
• Collaboration with key stakeholders and end users
• A clear path towards developing and testing solutions