WorkRise aims to rebuild a more equitable and resilient labor market that expands worker opportunities and economic mobility.
To that end, WorkRise has issued an RFP for research projects and pilots that build actionable insights for improving United States labor market practices and policies. It is anticipated that up to $3 million in awards will be made under this RFP.
Projects that build meaningful engagements and partnerships with diverse stakeholder groups—workers, employers, organizers, community organizations and institutions, and public agencies at a local, state, and national level—to inform research designs, test approaches, disseminate findings, and build trust and consensus around findings are strongly encouraged. Collaborations that build the capacities of diverse scholars from less-resourced and traditionally underrepresented institutions will be received with particular interest. WorkRise funds scholars and practitioners on the frontiers of understanding and improving economic mobility in the U.S. labor force, particularly for Black workers and other historically disadvantaged segments.
To be eligible, applying teams should be led by a principal investigator(s) with research experience and an affiliation with an eligible organization, such as an academic institution, public entity, private nonprofit organization, state or local government agency, or a for-profit organization. All organizations must be based in the U.S. or its territories.
Letters of inquiry will be accepted via the WorkRise grants portal starting March 17, 2023, and are due April 7, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. ET. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to meet virtually with the WorkRise team and submit a full proposal providing additional details or revisions to their project and a revised budget in late May 2023. They will be invited to submit a full proposal by early July 2023.