The Law and Society Association invites applications for the LSA Advance Grant Program. This program is authorized by the policies for the use of funds generated by the Law and Society Association Endowment. LSA anticipates awarding at least $120,000 in this cycle. Please see the FAQ below for more about the LSA Endowment.
LSA Advance Grants are intended to provide LSA members with funding to enhance LSA learning opportunities in addition to the annual meetings and early-career workshops; and to provide the members with opportunities for LSA-programmed events throughout the academic year (as opposed to programming at the annual meeting). These funds are for programming for the benefit of many members of the Association and not for original research. Grant spending may begin October 1, 2025, and may not exceed a 2-year time horizon (the awarded grant should complete spending by September 2027). The most competitive proposals will include a plan to apply for outside funding to maintain or expand the programming, where appropriate. Applicants must be a current member of the LSA at the time in order to apply and award recipients must maintain membership throughout the term of the grant funding.
A list of previous awardees can be found here.
Applicants should submit a proposal of no more than 5 pages that describes the content and structure of the desired program and its anticipated benefits.
Please include the following in your proposal:
- Proposer(s) & their LSA membership status (Continuous LSA membership throughout the grant term is required for the proposer)
- Description of project
- Anticipated participants
- Anticipated benefits to the field of law and society and to the Law & Society Association
- Plan for evaluation (for example, participant surveys or other mechanisms to assess the impact of the programming)
- Proposed budget and timeline
- Do you need assistance from the LSA Executive Office? If yes, please describe the needed assistance.
- Do you have plans to expand the program, or continue it with additional sources of funding?
Proposals are due July 1, 2025 at 12pm ET. Applications can be uploaded here.
The applications will be evaluated by the membership committee of LSA which this year is composed of: Laura Beth Nielsen (chair), Zozo Dyani-Mhango, Lynette Chua, I. India Thusi and Steve Boutcher (ex officio).
Questions? Please email the LSA Executive Office at lsa@lawandsociety.org.
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FAQ:
Q: Will these be offered every year?
A: Yes.
Q: Do I have to be a member of LSA to apply?
A: Yes. Awardees will need to retain their LSA membership for the duration of the grant.
Q: Are these for original research?
A: Not fundamentally. They are for programming but that could include a small conference or get together on a certain topic which would advance your research (see what we did there?)
Q: What can I use the grant $$ for?
A: Programming opportunities available to LSA members. In theory, all members should be eligible to apply to participate in whatever you programing events are, but of course there can be selection criteria.
Q: What kinds of programing grants have received this funding in the past?
A: A list of previous awardees can be found here.
Q: If I get this grant, how long do I have to spend it?
A: You specify the length of your project up to 2 years. Fund distribution will be within the LSA fiscal year. The target dates for the 25-26 FY grant cohort are below and the annual schedule will generally follow a similar cycle.
LSA Advance Grant Schedule 25-26 | |
4/2025 | Call Goes out |
7/1/2025 | Apps Due |
8/1/2025 | Decision & Notification |
10/1/2025 | Spending Starts |
9/30/2027 | Spending Ends |
4/1/2028 | Report for Board Book Due |
Q: What are the reporting requirements?
A: If you are awarded a grant, we will let you know the details, but in short you will need to write a report toward the end of your grant period (up to 2 years) for distribution to the Board of Trustees.
Q: What are the crediting requirements?
A: If you are awarded a grant, we will let you know the exact wording, but yes, publications, op-eds, acknowledgements, or any other work that comes from the grant should include an acknowledgement to the LSA Advance Grant.
Q: Where does LSA get the money to support LSA Advance Grants?
A: Over the past 7 years, the LSA Boards of Trustees, Executive Committees, Treasurers, and Executive Officer have worked to institutionalize best financial practices for LSA modeled on best practices for membership non-profits. With that securely in place, LSA used the principle and returns raised in the 40th Anniversary campaign and long-term savings accrued over several years to establish the LSA Endowment in 2023.
Q: What is the purpose of the LSA Endowment?
A: The LSA Endowment is established to serve as a fund outside of LSA’s annual operating budget to support programs and activities that foster law and society as a field of study and as defined by our mission statement. The LSA Endowment serves as a reservoir of resources to be used for programs designed to support members of the Association and other initiatives essential to the continued growth and enrichment of our field.
Q: How does the endowment work? Will it ever run out of money?
A: This is much like a university endowment. Our financial planners, the best practices for non-profit endowments, and history tell us that we should be able to preserve the principle so that it will make money we can use!