Research Bounties combine an online project clearinghouse with a prize system for research ideas. We encourage submissions of 'open' projects and responses to those submissions, but the program is no long funding additional proposals. See all Open Projects.

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Process:

•  Research users in the public interest media sector are encouraged to post research needs on the Collaborative Grant page.  These can range from narrow factual questions to broader, to targeted policy research, to longer-term requests for assistance. 
• The SSRC selection committee (or other funders), in turn, can place monetary prizes on these requests, varying according to the project, urgency, estimates of supply and demand, and other factors.  The preferred model involves rapid turnover, small awards under $10,000. 
• Researchers can comment on the projects--either refining the research question, suggesting a methodology, or pointing out relevant work.
• Or they respond with a research proposal to address the problem.   This response involves (1) a description of how the researcher would conduct the proposed project; (2) a CV.  (Site visitors must be logged in in order to submit a response).   Researchers may also contact the group or the SSRC for further information.
  
• SSRC staff mediates this process and the selection committee vets and signs off on brokered matches, ensuring quality and compatibility. 
• Bounty projects are public at all stages of the process, although submissions can include confidential information.  Researcher responses, in contrast, are private.
• Bounties are claimed when the plan of research is agreed to between the submitting organization, the researcher, and the SSRC.
  

Other Details:

• Research bounties are submitted via the main Collaborative Grants page. They may be submitted at any time and will be published to the grants page by SSRC staff.  
• Research responses are submitted on the individual project's page.
• Not all submitted proposals receive bounties.  Those that don’t receive a bounty remain posted as 'Open Projects'  for the research community for as long as they are useful.  These can also be taken up by researchers.  Third parties may also place bounties on projects (contact SSRC project staff).
  
• Committee deliberations on bounties take place several times per year, as the submission of proposals and responses requires. 
• Because most proposals are tied to particular advocacy or policy purposes, proposals have 'deadlines' for response, after which they will be taken down. 
  
• Bounties and Open Projects will remain open for at least one month in order to give researchers time to respond.  Receipt of research responses and the resulting deadline will be noted in comments on the proposal.