The major funders of research in the U.S. are the government through agencies like the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, industry led by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and private foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation. Think tanks and advocacy groups also fund research. However, action research which directly addresses real-world problems through participatory and cyclical methods may be less likely to receive funding from these sources.

1. Major Funders of Research in the U.S.
Government
National Science Foundation (NSF); National Institutes
of Health (NIH); National Humanities Endowment (NHE)
Industry
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of
America (PhRMA)
Private Foundations
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation,
Kellogg Foundation
Think Tanks/Advocacy Groups

2. What’s Missing Here?
What kind of research might not
get funded?

3. ACTION RESEARCH
• addresses real-world problems
• pursues action and knowledge at once
• is participatory, blurring the line in social
sciences between researcher & researched
• is cyclical in order to increase situational
understanding and improved action
(from The Social-Science Jargon Buster, Credo
Reference Online – NYCCT library source)