Global Initiatives Grant

The Global Initiatives Grants fund innovative, collaborative initiatives that build capacity in anthropology. Since the program's launch in 2020, the Wenner-Gren Foundation has funded a small number of initiatives that meet a need not already addressed by their other programs. These grants help support innovative projects that benefit the discipline as a whole by creating the conditions for anthropologists to do better work. From 2026–2030, Global Initiative Grants will give priority to innovative projects in public anthropology that are designed to reach broad, general audiences. Applicants may draw on any combination of anthropological tools, theories, and methods to share disciplinary knowledge in ways that are accessible, pioneering, and socially consequential. Competitive proposals might include a social media campaign addressing misinformation, racism, health inequities, or water insecurity; curriculum partnerships for K–12 teachers incorporating anthropological thinking; training for scholars to master public speaking and media skills; or an applied anthropology incubator to inform government policies. Initiatives may be designed as targeted short-term high-impact interventions responding to emerging crises and opportunities, or as efforts to create lasting infrastructure capable of sustaining public engagement well beyond the grant period. Successful projects will expand anthropology's footprint by providing a new platform for public communication, while building the skills anthropologists need to reach non-academic audiences. Applicants of any nationality or country of residence may apply. Applicants must have a PhD in anthropology at the time of application and be affiliated with a school or organization that can carry forward the lessons learned through the project. The foundation is eager to receive applications from individuals based in countries, regions, and communities where anthropology is disadvantaged or under threat.