The Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change welcomes inquiries for funding for up to $25,000 from Columbia Business School affiliated research faculty for research projects that are relevant to the Institute’s mission and goals. Both new and ongoing research projects are eligible. Original scholarship informs the direction of the Institute’s activities; therefore, the Institute aims to support cutting-edge research that charts new paths in the social enterprise and climate change domains with methodological rigor and creativity.
The Tamer Institute’s mission overlaps with research at the intersections of business, society, and the environment. Research topics can be focused on local, national, or international issues. Examples of relevant topics from recent projects include but are not limited to:
- AI safety and responsibility
- Business strategy and climate change
- Corporate responsibility
- Climate finance
- Climate resilience and risk management
- ESG and impact investing
- Financial inclusion and fintech
- Global migration and inequality
- Impact measures and accounting
- Inclusive entrepreneurship
- Local communities and small business growth
- Mass incarceration and fair chance employment/entrepreneurship
- Nonprofit and public sector management and governance
- Philanthropy
- Regulatory strategy related to social and climate impacts
- Renewable energy and energy transition strategies
- Stakeholder capitalism
- Social impact of technology
- Social entrepreneurship/ventures
- Sustainability and customer behavior
- Supply chains and reducing greenhouse emissions
A proposal should be no more than 1,000 words in length, and the following elements should be included:
- Research question and motivation;
- Literature review;
- Step-by-step plan for execution;
- Anticipated research contributions;
- Plan for distribution of findings (e.g., conference presentations, working papers, journal publications);
- A detailed budget and timeline, specifying the use of the requested funding (please take into account fringe if relevant), as well as the contact name of your divisional support person; and
- Suggestions for one CBS faculty member and one non-CBS faculty member, both of whom have expertise that would be relevant for reviewing the proposal. These two individuals should not be collaborators on the proposal. (The review process will not always involve the two suggested faculty members).
Each proposal will first undergo an initial screening by the faculty leadership of the Tamer Institute. Then the Institute will convene a panel of reviewers in consultation with CBS’s Vice Dean of Research, to evaluate the proposal for approval.
Uses of funds should be in accordance with all Columbia University and CBS policies. Proposed budget items may include: research analysts, support for PhD or post docs, software, data and data collection costs, travel related to the research project, conferences and seminars etc. Note that ineligible uses of this research funding include:
- course releases from teaching;
- support for general teaching or instructional needs;
- supplemental compensation;
- food and entertainment expenses; and
- projects that have previously received funding from the Tamer Institute.
If a proposal is approved, required deliverables due one year from the date of approval include:
- A working paper, or if not possible, a progress update of 1,000 words that describe the state of the research project along with anticipated findings and next steps;
- A clear accounting of spending, along with records (such as receipts) and references to the original budget; and
- A presentation of progress and findings at a minimum of one Tamer Institute event, such as an advisory board meeting, conference, external engagement, or workshop.