Purpose
The purposes of the Foundation’s grantmaking in policy research and analysis are to: 1) advance the state of knowledge in select areas, with outcomes that benefit individuals, families and communities, and society as a whole; 2) promote understanding that contributes to improved decision-making at multiple levels; 3) strengthen the links among research, policy and practice, with each activity informing the others; and, 4) relate policy analysis to and foster transparency of complex political processes.
The Policy Research and Analysis area focuses its grantmaking on:

Institutional Support to Key Organizations
The Foundation provides general operating support to 10 organizations working on issues that cut across multiple areas of interest to the domestic program.  These policy organizations – eight national and two in Illinois – conduct research, examine data, and produce independent analyses designed for use by diverse parties, including public officials, corporations, nonprofit entities, the media, and the general public.

Special Policy Projects
The Policy area undertakes initiatives with broad implications for domestic policy.  Currently, there are three projects underway.

• The Role of Evidence in Making More Effective Social Policies. A motivating hypothesis of this new project is that effective social policies that invest in individuals who are in need or at-risk not only improve their life chances, but in many instances benefit the larger society and generate public returns long after assistance has ended.  Grantmaking in support of this project is intended to strengthen the case for a social policy-making process that is more firmly grounded in evidence-of-effectiveness and complementary benefits to recipients and society. 
• U.S. Fiscal Future and the American Social Contract. Grants in support of this project bring attention to the country’s current fiscal situation and to the long-run implications of demographic, social and economic trends on the nation’s fiscal future.  The Foundation also will consider support for research and analysis about the allocation of economic risk and responsibility among individuals, government, and employers to better meet 21st century challenges.  This effort will explore demographic, fiscal, economic, and political trends; issues such as the shifting allocation of risk in economic, health, and retirement security; and opportunities under current political conditions to develop a new social contract that supports individuals and families and promotes global competitiveness.
• Research in Regional Resilience.  This project aims to develop new knowledge that can be applied to building resilience in U.S. metropolitan regions.  The centerpiece of this project is the MacArthur Network on Building Regional Resilience, which is designed to help local, regional, and state leaders understand the dynamic demographic, economic, and technological changes affecting major metropolitan areas, and to provide new knowledge and effective, practical strategies to address challenges arising from them.

Funding
In general, the Foundation does not accept unsolicated proposals for work relating to policy research. Projects are identified through staff deliberations resulting from consultations with policy experts.  From time to time, the Foundation will consider support for projects that complement its existing investments in research on regional resilience.

Questions about this grantmaking area can be e-mailed to policy  at the MacArthur Foundation.