Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO). Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity.

While the MacArthur Foundation doesn't limit the number of applications per institution, the internal process aims to identify the project team(s) that will receive full endorsement and support from campus-level resources.

All prospective applicants should first complete MacArthur鈥檚鈥� to ensure your project is a fit.

Program Summary

Solving society鈥檚 biggest problems is not easy, but it can be done. 100&Change is a for a $100 million grant to fund a single proposal that will make measurable progress toward solving a significant problem. 100&Change will select a bold proposal that promises real progress toward solving a critical problem of our time. And it will award a $100 million grant to help make that solution a reality. Proposals focused on any critical issue are welcome.

  • No single field or problem area is designated 鈥� proposals from any sector are encouraged.
  • Proposals should articulate both the problem and the proposed solution and must have a .
  • Competitive proposals will be impactful, evidence-based, feasible, durable, and just.

For the third round of the 100&Change competition, we revisited the application criteria to align with MacArthur鈥檚 Just Imperative rooted in the value of As a result, we have added 鈥渏ust鈥� as a criterion. In doing so, we sought to frame the five criteria as a whole so that any applicant can see their project reflected. We ask applicants to demonstrate a commitment to equity, inclusion, and accessibility and provide a solution that benefits different populations equitably. We believe there is no topic that is exempt or excluded from these commitments, and so this criterion is not a barrier to entry.听

Based on information from the Industry & Foundation Relations (IFR) team, the MacArthur Foundation encourages applicants to explore leveraging global technologies, employing case-based learning methods and incorporating program evaluations to establish models applicable for other contexts. Topics of interest for 2024 include but are not limited to:

  • AI for social change
  • Oceans
  • Human trafficking
  • Gulf Coast resilience

The program is not intended to fund basic or clinical research.

Award recipients from previous 100&Change calls can be found .

Deadlines

CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST July 1, 2024

Sponsor Application Deadline: 4:00pm MST September 5, 2024

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

  • Organization Readiness Tool Certification: All prospective applicants should first complete MacArthur鈥檚 to ensure your project is a fit.
  • Project Overview (4 pages maximum) including: 1) Executive Summary (250 words): summarize the problem you're addressing, your solution, and the intended outcomes, particularly for marginalized populations; 2) Challenge Statement (300 words): describe the challenges faced, who is impacted, why they exist, influential ways to bring about change, and potential for broad-scale impact; 3) Solution Overview (500 words): explain how your solution addresses the challenges, its impact over five years, target communities, benefits, and outcomes, along with your progress monitoring approach; 4) Team Overview: provide details about your team, including lead and partner organizations, leadership, members, and their relevant experience and skills.
  • Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required. The budget should be divided into three phases spanning five years. For example, phase 1 could cover one year, while phases 2 and 3 each span two years, totaling five years.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

There are no special eligibility requirements.

Award Information

$100M over 5 years

Review Process and Criteria

The internal process will follow the same evaluation criteria as reflected below.

MacArthur will review each 100&Change submission to ensure it meets the requirements and rules before advancing to the next stage. During the participatory review process, applicants will score and provide feedback on each other鈥檚 proposals using our established criteria outlined in the scoring rubric. A Wise Head Panel of external judges will then review and score submissions using the same criteria and (see below). 听听

MacArthur's Board of Directors will then select up to five finalists. Over the next several months, the finalists will work with an expert team to strengthen their proposals, present a preliminary plan for monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and show authentic engagement with communities of interest before submitting revised project plans.

The selection of the final award recipient rests with .

  • Impactful: Does the proposal describe an urgent problem worth solving, and will the solution have a transformative impact? Is the proposal sufficiently ambitious either in its progress toward a solution; the size and number of communities served; the size of the geography served; or intensity of impact on a small but vulnerable population or geography?
  • Evidence-Based: Does the proposal present evidence that the solution or its critical components have previously yielded practical and concrete results? Does the evidence suggest that the solution can be adapted to other contexts, such as expanding to new populations or geographies or to reach a greater number of people over time, and still retain its effectiveness?
  • Feasible: Does the team have the skills, capacity, relationships, and experience to deliver its proposal? Do the budget and plans represent a realistic understanding for successful implementation? Does the mitigation plan address changes in key personnel and political, market, or social environments? Is community input incorporated throughout the design, implementation, and evaluation?
  • Durable: Will the solution have a sustained impact? Does the solution either expect to solve a problem in five years or create a pathway to solving the problem over time? Will the project elicit support from other sources鈥損rivate, philanthropic, or public? Has the team advanced a clear, cogent, and compelling vision for the future?
  • Just: Has the team demonstrated a commitment to equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the ideation and design of the solution and in its staffing and operations? Will the solution benefit different populations equitably 鈥� particularly historically marginalized people or populations with the greatest needs, both human and nonhuman?

Award recipients from previous 100&Change calls can be found .