Any applications submitted during or after June 2024 require a mandatory LOI submission. LOIs will be used to determine which applicants are asked to submit a full application.

We require that the organization receiving the majority of the funding submits the application.

Three types of proposals are accepted, each with funding ranges.

• Proposal development (typical award size around $10,000 of direct costs);
• Pilot studies (typical award size around $75,000 of direct costs); and
• Full research project (awards range from $75,000 to $250,000 of direct costs).

Proposal development and pilot study grants are one-year grants. Full research projects are one- to three-year grants.

Budgets must be submitted using the templates provided for each grant type. We will not request a detailed budget at the time of LOI submissions. We provide example expenses in the budget template and would be happy to discuss budget questions with applicants invited to submit full applications.

Please budget direct costs only. Indirects will be 10-15%, depending on the final funding sources. You can budget up to the maximum direct costs outlined in the proposal types and application guidelines.

There is no limit to the number of proposals an individual or organization can submit.

After each RFP period, a Blueprint-appointed review board evaluates proposals. The review board includes Josh Angrist, Carycruz Bueno, Sarah Cohodes, Drew Jacobs, Constance Jones, Jack Mountjoy, Parag Pathak, and Karega Rausch.

Applicants who receive a grant will be subject to the following requirements: 

1. Grantees will be required to obtain IRB approval or exemption before MIT can establish a subaward agreement to set up funding.
2. MIT requires an official acceptance of the proposal and budget by your institution to set up the subaward. Applicants are encouraged to submit the proposal to their office of sponsored programs or contracts department prior to the award decision to avoid delays and ensure that your institute will accept your proposal and proposal budget.
3. Once all materials have been received, it can take up to 60 days to establish the subaward. The award is paid on a cost-reimbursable basis, and spending can usually be backdated through the date of the Blueprint award letter or date of IRB approval (whichever comes later). Funds are to be used for the purposes described in the proposal narrative and proposal budget. Significant changes to the project scope, design, or budget must be pre-approved by Blueprint Labs.
4. The terms of the award will be further specified in the award letter and in any subaward established with MIT. Acceptance of funding from Blueprint Labs signals your consent to these requirements. Non-compliance with these requirements could affect your eligibility for future funding from any Blueprint Labs Collaborative.
5. Grantees will typically be required to submit several reports, including a brief annual progress report and a final report, both including financial data.

The next request for proposals (RFP) cycle will occur in late 2024 – early 2025.

There will generally be two requests for proposals (RFPs) per calendar year. Under exceptional circumstances, Blueprint will consider off-cycle proposals for all three types of proposals when researchers face time constraints due to factors outside of their control. Off-cycle proposals will face the same scrutiny as proposals submitted during the RFP round and must include a justification for off-cycle submission.

The Collaborative funds casual, descriptive, mixed methods, and qualitative research. The research question of interest should drive the methodology.