Graduate Research Grants

The Ronald and Maxine Linde Institute of Economic and Management Sciences awards grants to Caltech graduate students to provide seed money for experimental and empirical research projects in the social sciences. The connection between theory and data has always been a hallmark of the Caltech approach, and proposed projects should follow this tradition and advance the dialog between different parts of our disciplines. Each year, there will be two calls for grants with proposals due by December 1 (decision by December 15) or by May 1 (decision by May 15).

Proposal Terms

Proposals can be for either solo work or for team research. The requested amount should be limited to $5,000 per grant. Proposals in which most or all of the proposed budget is for data acquisition will be prioritized. Student grants from The Linde Institute may not be used for computer equipment or software costs at this time.

IMPORTANT: All Linde Institute student grants expire on September 30 each year, with no extensions allowed under The Linde Institute endowment. Any grant for a project not completed by September 30 will lapse, and the student may re-apply for completion funds in the next funding round.

Final Report

Each grant recipient is expected to provide a 200-word final report detailing their work under the grant and the paper(s) that follows from the research funded. The report is due to The Linde Institute director no later than 90 days from the grant's expiration.

Proposal Requirements

Each proposal should be no longer than four pages (single-spaced 12pt font) and must include:

One (or more) clearly specified research question(s)
The potential contribution to the literature
A proposed budget (up to $5,000) with a paragraph explaining how funds will be spent
A timeline of the work (Note: timeline should be consistent with the mandatory September 30 end date)
A co-signature from a faculty member who is willing to be the formal Principal Investigator of the project

Experimental proposals should also include:

Details about the experimental design
Logistical details about the experiment (place, subject pool, etc.)
Analysis plans

Empirical proposals should also:

Address the specifics of research design