About the NIF

About the New Ideas Fund

The New Ideas Fund (NIF) was founded to counteract decades of conservative dominance of thought generation by identifying and supporting the approaches, frames, and policies that will invigorate US leadership, restore confidence in principles Americans share with the world, and inspire bold, progressive action. The many challenges facing the U.S. have clarified the need for new strategies, developed by visionary thinkers.

The NIF supports projects with the potential to define the course of future American foreign policy. A project might be as broad as re-conceptualizing globalization, or a new interpretation of U.S. international relations, or as specific as a step-by-step plan for reducing the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Submissions that link disregarded phenomena to large scale strategic matters are also encouraged. Above all, NIF proposals should articulate a bold vision for how to shape American foreign policy. We do not fund esoteric research or investigations of narrow topics. Potential NIF Scholars must demonstrate innovative, ambitious thinking in order to receive support.