A key element of the University's strategic framework, the Democracy Initiative works to establish Notre Dame as a leader in the study of democracy both in the U.S. and worldwide, as a convenor for conversations about and actions to preserve democracy, and as a model for the formation of civically engaged citizens and public servants.
The Democracy Initiative is soliciting Democracy Catalyst Grant proposals from across the University for research projects, programming and events, and new course development related to the study of democracy, including thematic areas of Democracy & Culture, Democratic Institutions, and Democracy & Religion. The funding is explicitly aimed at catalyzing new areas of inquiry and formation and will not fund ongoing extant projects.
This grant opportunity is open to Notre Dame faculty from any discipline, graduate students, and recognized student groups. A list of previous Democracy Catalyst Grant recipients is available here.
Project funding requests can range from $5,000 to $50,000 and can be for up to two years. The application deadline is October 17, 2025.
Originally published at strategicframework.nd.edu.