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Description of Research Stipends
Research AnnouncementIndividuals receiving research stipends will be responsible for producing a 30- to 40-page research report in one of the areas presented in the Research Announcement. The manuscript must be submitted no later than six months after the start of the project. Recipients will select the start and end dates of their research project. The reports should be written for government leaders and should provide practical knowledge and insights.


Who is eligible?
Individuals working in universities, non-profit organizations, and journalism.

Size of Research Stipends
$20,000 for each research paper.

Who Receives the Research Stipends?
Unless otherwise requested, individuals will receive the research stipends. Review our research stipend recipients.

Application Deadlines
There are two funding cycles, with deadlines of:

  • October 1, 2008
  • March 2, 2009

Applicants will be informed of a decision regarding their proposal no later than eight weeks after the deadlines. Applications must be received online (by midnight EST) or postmarked by the above dates.

Application Process
Interested individuals should submit:

  • A three-page description of the proposed research (please include a 100-word executive summary describing the: (a) purpose, (b) methodology, and (c) result of the proposed project)
  • A resume (no more than three pages)

Submitting Online Applications
Apply online here. Submitting Hard Copy Applications
Hard copies of your application may be sent to (if you are applying online, you need not send a hard copy of your application):

Jonathan D. Breul
Executive Director
IBM Center for The Business of Government
1301 K Street, NW
Fourth Floor, West Tower
Washington, DC 20005



Can the proposal or resume be more than three pages each?
No.

Do you need to itemize a budget in the proposal or describe how the $20,000 research stipend will be used?
No. The research stipend can be used as deemed appropriate by the researcher.

Does IBM give research stipends larger than $20,000?
No.

Does the research stipend include overhead for the individual's institution?
No.

Can the recipient's institution receive the research stipend?
Yes. Individuals receiving a research stipend have the option of requesting that the stipend be paid directly to their institution. As noted above, however, no overhead costs will be included in the research stipend.

Can I submit more than one proposal at a time?
No. Researchers are asked to submit only one proposal per review cycle.

Can independent researchers or consultants apply for research stipends?
Independent researchers or consultants must have an affiliation with a nonprofit organization, an academic institution, or a journalistic institution. A letter from one of those organizations describing the affiliation must be included in the proposal.

Can graduate students apply for research stipends?
If the proposed research is part of a graduate student's doctoral dissertation, he or she may apply for a research stipend. The proposal should include a letter of endorsement from the individual's dissertation director.

How quickly must the research project be completed?
Recipients will be asked to select the start and end dates of the research project. Recipients are asked to submit a completed manuscript no later than six months after the selected start date. The research projects should be started no later than three months after the research stipend is awarded.

How long is the research report?
Research reports should be 30-40 pages in length.

How will the report be published and disseminated? Can recipients publish research from the report in other publications?
IBM will publish the report and disseminate it to government managers. Recipients retain all rights to the research and can publish research findings anywhere they wish. The IBM Center must be cited, however, for providing support for the project.

Who is the audience for completed reports?
Reports should be written primarily for government managers, with the goal of providing them with practical knowledge and insights. It is hoped that the reports will also prove useful to those in the academic community who wish to gain current knowledge about government management.

What criteria are used in reviewing research proposals?
  • Will the proposed project be of high value and timely to government managers?
  • Will the proposed project add new knowledge and understanding to the topic to be addressed in the study?
  • Does the proposal demonstrate outstanding command and knowledge of the topic?
  • Does the proposal demonstrate the potential for the final report to be clear, understandable, and highly communicable?