Funding Opportunities
Research Grants
The IARC Research Grants Program supports individual scholars and research teams working on questions related to the life, teachings, and legacy of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (A.S.), early Islamic history, and the development of Shia intellectual tradition. Grants are awarded annually through a competitive review process evaluated by our Academic Advisory Board.
We welcome proposals from a wide range of disciplines, including Islamic philosophy, theology, jurisprudence, historical studies, manuscript studies, and comparative religion. Projects that bridge traditional Islamic scholarship with contemporary academic methodologies are especially encouraged.
Grant recipients are expected to acknowledge IARC support in any resulting publications, deliver at least one public presentation of their findings, and submit a final research report to the Center upon project completion.
Grant Types
Our Programs
Seed Grants
Seed Grants of up to $5,000 support researchers at early stages of a project — for preliminary archival visits, translation of key primary texts, or development of a larger grant proposal. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Full Research Grants
Full Research Grants to support sustained individual research over one or two academic years, covering researcher stipends, travel for archival work, translation assistance, and publication subvention costs.
Collaborative Research Grants
Collaborative Grants to support multi-investigator projects involving two or more researchers from different institutions — ideal for comparative studies, critical editions requiring multiple language experts, or interdisciplinary team-based research.