Faculty RFP

Deadline Extended to July 15, 2022

The Payne Center will award four (4) research grants to HBCU-based researchers for up to $25,000 per grant.

In partnership with

Organizational Overview and Background

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) created the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice to serve as a nexus in advancing social justice for Black Americans. The Payne Center is a non-profit national think tank and research center, rooted in the Black community, drawing together top scholars from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), national thought leaders, community advocates, and on-the-ground solution-makers. The Payne Center identifies, evaluates, and scales new evidenced-based programs and policies designed to create sustainable change to the fabric of Black life in American society.

Project Goals

Housing and real estate markets have a long history of racial discrimination in the United States that can only be addressed through intentional policy change. The Payne Center seeks proposals for new research related to equity in real estate investment, gentrification, affordable housing, real estate disparities in Black communities, barriers that people of color face when entering the commercial real estate profession, or other related topics. This research should seek to highlight the disparities in the real estate industry including the housing market and the impact of those disparities, while pointing toward policy solutions that promote racial, economic, and social justice. This research will be supported by a grant to the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice from CBRE, Inc., a national real estate services firm.

Proposal and Project Timeline

The Payne Center’s partnership with CBRE, Inc. will take place during the 2022-2023 academic year, in conjunction with TMCF.

  1. Submission of proposals: Due July 15, 2022
  2. Notification of accepted and declined proposals: August 15, 2022
  3. Research work and development of original insights: August 15, 2022 – March 1, 2023
  4. Editing and refinement period for report drafts and other materials: March 1st, 2023 -April 30th, 2023
  5. Official, public publish of research reports and accompanying materials: May 1st, 2023
  6. Continued promotion of findings as well as ongoing collaboration with the Payne Center to optimize research impact.

Proposal Outline

Research proposals should be no more than ten (10) pages, and include the following elements:

  • Project Title
  • Project Summary (350 words)
  • Project Narrative, no more than ten (10) pages, single spaced, 1” margins, 12-point font.

The Project Narrative should include:

  • Description of need for research/rationale
  • Proposed research, including a question or hypothesis
  • Description of how the research fulfills the scope of the RFP
  • Research methodology
  • Key research personnel, including description of past research experience
  • Proposed dissemination process for research results
  • Budget Narrative (included in 10-page limit)
  • Project Timeline (not included in 10-page limit)
  • Project Budget (not included in 10-page limit)
  • TMCF will pay a maximum of 8% indirect fee, but prefers to pay 0% indirect

Reporting Requirements

All faculty whose proposals are accepted will be required to sign a grant agreement that outlines scope of research, budget, timeline, milestones, deliverables (reports), and payment schedule.

Evaluation Criteria

The following evaluation rubric will be used to review and assess submitted proposals:

Item Possible Points
Proposal Format 5
Budget (1 = unjustified; 10 = justified) 10
Scope of research identified 5
Alignment with Project Goals 10
Evaluation and accountability 10
Measurable outcomes identified 10
Feasibility of completion 10
Research focused on targeted issue to inform solutions to increase opportunity for fragile communities 30
Timeline (1 = unattainable; 5 = attainable) 5
Prior Research Experience 5
Total 100

Payment Structure

Successful grant awardees will receive two funding disbursements. The first disbursement will be upon receipt of finalized award agreement and invoice. The second disbursement will be upon receipt of final research report sharing research findings.

Proposal Format and Delivery Instructions

We welcome proposals of all formats. Please direct additional questions and deliver proposals electronically to:

Amy Goldstein, Vice President, Organizational Advancement & Capacity Building
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
[email protected]