Funding

Discipline(s): All

The Illinois Innovation Network aims to advance collaborative research within the state with its Social Innovation and Impact seed grant program. Social Innovation and Impact grants can be used to pursue a wide variety of projects that directly affect lives, address critical social problems, and build trusted partnerships in a given community.

The project must represent a “seed” concept not previously funded by this program or the IIN Sustaining Illinois program, or in later stages of project development regardless of “seed” funding source.  Social Innovation and Impact elements may involve creative and disruptive problem-solving around the type of example issues identified below. These are intended as examples and not an exhaustive list.

1. Education and Workforce Development: developing and sustaining the education of its citizens, and developing a productive and inclusive workforce for the 21st century
2. Economic Development: sustaining and developing the economy of the state, including understanding how best to support the growth of diverse entrepreneurship, business formation and non-profit capacity-building in Illinois
3. Health and Wellness: sustaining and improving the general health and social wellness of all Illinois citizens, including local and regional communities
4. Water, Food, and Agriculture: sustaining the water supply, with 20% of the world’s freshwater supply in the shores of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basin – the largest in the U.S. and second largest in the world – and enhancing the home to a national leader in food and agriculture
5. Computing and Data: under the umbrella of Social Innovation and Impact, there is a foundation of computing, big data, and artificial intelligence. This is an important area in its own right as Illinois develops its high- tech industry, but in this context, it is seen as an enabler for all other aspects of sustainability as articulated above
6. Environmental Justice and Sustainability: applying a social innovation lens to the transition to and use of clean energy technologies, mitigating environmental social impacts on communities, or otherwise addressing socio-environmental challenges to livable and healthy communities
7. Arts and Humanities: creating community arts or historical projects that orchestrate social action such as documentaries, built environmental beautification, preservation of landscape, mural projects, and similar projects to celebrate the health and cultural wealth of communities and create change through the arts
8. Social Justice: fostering racial justice, compassionate immigration, community policing, reduction of recidivism, access to critical services, etc.
9. Other: could be a combination of themes or an area of focus within social innovation and impact not listed above.

Additional Details

• The Lead PI must be from an IIN Hub and at least two IIN Hubs must be involved significantly in the project with at least one Co-PI from a second IIN Hub.  SIUE and SIUC are considered separate hubs. 
• Projects must also include a co-PI or collaborator from at least one Illinois community-based organization.
• The proposed start date is anticipated to be as early as August 1, 2026, and no later than October 30, 2026. 
• Project must be completed in either one or two years of funding (interim performance periods, such as 18 months, not permitted). 
• It is anticipated that 204 awards will be made under the Spring 2026 application cycle with up to $100,000 will be available for a two-year project and up to $50,000 will be available for a one-year project. 
• Previously submitted but unfunded projects to this program or the IIN Sustaining Illinois Seed Grant program may be re-submitted a maximum of three times in a three-year period.
• Proposals for the IIN Social Innovation and Impact seed grants are due by Thursday, May 21. 

Interested in applying? Click here to contact ORP