Please Note: While the MacArthur Foundation does not limit the number of applications from any institution, this submission process has been set up to select the application that will receive the full endorsement and support from Foundation Relations.
Before submitting any applications, we strongly recommend that all interested applicants review the Organization Readiness Tool and the application to understand characteristics of the most competitive organizations and proposals. Our submission process has been set up to align with the Organization Readiness Tool and the foundation's application.
About the competition:
The MacArthur Foundation's 100&Change competition will fund a single $100 million grant to the application that in their words "promises real and measurable progress in solving a critical problem of our time". The MacArthur Foundation seek proposals that articulate both a problem and its solution. Proposals from any field or problem area are welcome, and the most competitive proposals will address a significant problem and provide a solution that is impactful, evidence-based, feasible, and durable.
What makes a strong proposal:
- Intervention based and not research based
- Strong partnerships already in place
- The scope of the problem and solution are aligned
The MacArthur Foundation's Approach:
Some problems cannot be solved by grants of the size that foundations typically provide. By funding at a level far above what is typical in philanthropy, the foundation can address problems and support solutions that are radically different in scale, scope, and complexity. $100 million is a large enough sum to focus on a serious problem and its solution in a meaningful and lasting way.
The MacArthur Foundation's Selection Process:
The MacArthur Foundation designed a selection process that is fair, open, and transparent. Once the application period closes, MacArthur staff will work to review each 100&Change submission to ensure it meets the requirements and rules before advancing to the next stage. During the peer-to-peer review process, applicants within the same domain will score and provide feedback to each other’s proposals using our established criteria. Their “wise head” panel of external judges will then review and score submissions using the same criteria and trait scoring rubric. Based on those reviews, top scoring applicants will receive domain specific technical reviews in which proposals will be assigned to a technical reviewer with expertise in the field of the proposed project. They will seek to generate increased recognition and support for high-impact ideas designated as “Bold Solutions,” by featuring them in our online database of the strongest proposals. MacArthur's Board of Directors will then select up to ten finalists. Over the next several months, the finalists will work with an expert team to strengthen their proposals, present a preliminary plan for monitoring and evaluation and learning, and show authentic engagement with communities of interest before submitting revised project plans. Selection of the final award recipient rests with MacArthur’s Board.
Complete all fields of this this application
Attached a pdf (max 5 pages) with the following:
1). PI name(s) and team members (page 1)
2). Problem Description:
● Who is impacted by the problem?
● Why does the problem exist in the current environment?
● What are the most influential ways to effect the necessary change, and where are the leverage points where the smallest change can have the biggest impact?
3). Solution Overview:
● How does your solution meaningfully contribute to resolving the chosen problem?
● How will you know that you are making progress?
● Describe the impact that your solution will have on the chosen problem over a five-year grant period. Will it have broad impact on a large population or geography, or will it have deep and intense impact on a small population or geography?
● Describe who will benefit from your solution and the benefits or outcomes of your solution.
4). Theory of Change:
● Describe the logic of how your solution will lead to the desired outcome
5). Why your team is uniquely qualified to make your solution work
Formatting Guidelines and Page Limit:
Font/size: Times New Roman (12 pt.)
Document margins: 1.0” (top, bottom, left and right)
Standard paper size (8 ½” x 11)
Please contact Michelle Hutnik, mzh17@psu.edu or Alan Gibson, ajg6181@psu.edu, for more information.