American Political Science Association (APSA)

APSA has several diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) grantmaking programs that provide scholarships, funds fellowships, and fund the travel of recipients. Its DEI programs fund the research and study of race, gender, socioeconomic status, and sexuality within the field of political science. ²

Background

Founded in 1903, the American Political Science Association is a membership-based political science association that consists of teachers, students, researchers, and political scientists. APSA funds research, hosts conferences and workshops, and publishes research produced by members. It promotes the use of its publications in political advocacy. ^{3 4}

For an additional fee, as of 2026 APSA was offering members the option to join subsections that focus on particular topics within political science, with over 50 categories. Available sections included women, gender, and politics research; critical political science; race, ethnicity, and politics; sexuality and politics; and class and inequality. ⁵

As of March 2026, APSA claimed over 11,000 members. ³

DEI Initiatives

The American Political Science Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Advancing Research Grants program has funded political science research that studies “phenomenon affecting underserved communities and underrepresented groups.” Eligible research topics have included: race, ethnicity, and politics; so-called racial justice and left-wing conceptions of social equality; systemic racism, inequality and inequity; gender, sexuality and politics; LGBT politics; and “accessibility politics.” It has also made grants for research under the topics of indigenous studies, indigenous political science, indigenous sovereignty, tribal governance, and native studies. ⁶

APSA’s APSA Diversity Fellowship Program (DFP) takes place annually in the fall, funding between 12 and 14 doctoral program applicants who are paid $5,000 over a two-year period. It also includes an annual spring program for pre-dissertation doctoral students, awarding fellows a one-time $2,000 grant. ⁷

APSA’s Fund for Latino Scholarship program makes grants to individuals, institutions, and projects to increase the enrollment of political science students who research so-called Latino politics. ⁸

Founded in 1992, APSA’s Critical Political Science membership subsection promotes what it calls egalitarianism in political science and political advocacy. It includes a Caucus for a Critical Political Science that it founded in 1967, formerly named “the Caucus for a New Political Science,” which argues that political science “should be committed to advancing progressive political development.” Exclusive to members, the caucus and section publish the New Political Science: A Journal of Politics and Culture. ⁹

Grantmaking

The American Political Science Association’s top grantmaking programs in 2024 were the Congressional Fellowship Program which covered stipends and travel costs, consisting of $430,761 in cash grants to 21 individuals; cash grants for National Science Foundation (NSF) dissertations, distributing $340,089 to 41 recipients; and $195,618 in cash grants to 230 recipients for “organized section awards” and travel costs. ¹⁰

APSA also reported distributing $161,000 in cash payments to 90 individuals that were listed as “diversity & inclusion” grants, its fourth-largest grantmaking program in 2024. ¹⁰

In 2024, APSA made $296,156 in foreign grants to fund leadership workshops, “mentorship,” conferences, and in support of newsletters. ¹¹

Leadership

As of 2026, Kimberly Mealy was the executive director and co-principal investigator for the doctoral dissertation research improvement grant of the American Political Science Association. Mealy previously worked as APSA’s senior director of diversity, equity, inclusion and strategic initiatives and had worked for APSA since 2007. Prior to joining APSA, Mealy was a political science professor at Wellesley College. ¹²

Financials

In 2024, the American Political Science Association reported $9 million in total revenue, including $2.1 million in revenue from conferences and meetings, making up 23.2 percent of its total revenue, and $1.9 million in membership dues, making up 21.9 percent of its total revenue. ¹³ APSA also reported $9.9 million in total expenses, including $4.1 million for salaries and compensation of employees, $1.4 million for domestic grants, and $1.1 million for conferences. ¹⁴