The recipients of the 2025-2026 President's Global Innovation Fund have been announced! Their five projects focus on advancing understanding of the building blocks of just and collaborative societies and how to support them. Learn more about their work.
The Columbia Global Innovation Awards Request for Applications is now open!
Learn more about this new opportunity, including how to apply.
The President’s Global Innovation Fund supports innovative projects enriched by the infrastructure, expertise and connections of the Columbia Global Centers.
Since 2013, more than 123 grants have been issued under the President's Global Innovation Fund to foster new, interdisciplinary collaborations among Columbia faculty/researchers and schools.
They have accelerated innovation through collaborative research and global knowledge exchange; and have provided rich new learning opportunities for students at all levels. Read more about the fund and its history.
Types of Awards
There have been two funding levels for PGIF awards:
- Early Concept Awards support projects that aim to host novel convenings to advance the discourse or build productive partnerships for pursuing collaborative efforts. Available funding for early concept awards ihas been $10,000-$25,000 (per award) over a period of 1-2 years.
- Innovation Awards support projects that show significant promise for building toward a fundable, larger-scale initiative. Projects may include basic, applied, translational, humanities, and/or social science research. The maximum award amount has been $100,000 (per award) over a period of 2-3 years.
Round 11 Theme
This year, the President’s Global Innovation Fund (PGIF) is supporting projects that advance understanding of the building blocks of just and collaborative societies, as well as innovative ideas to take practical action to support them.
There is no one understanding of the concept of just and collaborative societies that is accepted across all cultures, and there are ongoing debates about how ideology and culture shape these understandings. Yet such societies are often characterized by higher degrees of social trust; resilience to violence of all kinds (including political, interpersonal, and gender-based violence); trustworthy and inclusive local and national institutions to manage emerging conflicts; opportunities for participation, dialogue, and communication; and the fair and equal treatment of citizens; among many other factors.
For this PGIF round, examples of issues of focus include, but are not limited to:
- Youth-led and intergenerational approaches
- Dialogue, communication, and people-to-people initiatives
- Digital spaces, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies (including artificial intelligence)
- Arts and culture
- History, memory, and archives
- Mediation and conflict resolution
- Civic engagement and social movements (including indigenous peoples’ movements)
- Local and global institutions and governance
- Justice (including climate justice)
- Media and the public sphere
- Economics, labor, and private sector roles
- Health and health inequities
Grants Awarded by Year
News on projects funded by the President's Global Innovation Fund
Columbia Global is now accepting applications for a suite of funding opportunities for faculty and researchers.
He presented the tool during the Chilean Association of Desalination and Reuse (ACADES) congress, attended by more than 500 participants.
A look back at the global impact of Columbia faculty research through this innovative fund.
The event was part of a PGIF research project led by Page Fortna, Columbia Professor of US Foreign and Security Policy.
REACH aims to bridge the gap in health literacy and health care access among refugee and local youth in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.
“Youth-led Advocacy Initiative for Global Citizenship, Responsibility, and Cooperation”
This one-day Conference is part of the Columbia-China Musculoskeletal Genetic Project led by Columbia Engineering Professor Edward Guo.