Apply for Direct Action Visionary Grant Program (US)

Deadline: 30-Oct-2026

The Direct Action Visionary Grant Program provides grants of up to $60,000 for innovative, evidence-based psychological interventions that address urgent community needs. The program prioritizes projects serving marginalized communities, reducing prejudice and stigma, preventing violence, and exploring mind-body health connections through interventions implemented in real-world settings.

About the Direct Action Visionary Grant Program

The Direct Action Visionary Grant Program supports innovative projects that apply psychological knowledge to pressing social and community challenges. The programme focuses on communities experiencing prejudice, bias, intolerance, and various forms of bigotry, including: Projects should demonstrate how psychological knowledge, interventions, or resources can be translated into practical action that produces meaningful benefits for communities. Visionary Priorities Projects must address at least one of the following four APF Visionary Priorities:

Ending prejudice and stigma: Addressing the psychological and social causes or effects of prejudice and stigma.

Preventing violence: Applying psychological approaches to reduce violence and related risks.

Exploring mind-body health connections: Examining or applying approaches that address connections between psychological and physical wellbeing.

Projects addressing multiple priorities may demonstrate broader community relevance. Grant Amount Eligible applicants can receive up to $60,000. Funding is intended for projects that implement evidence-based psychological interventions or resources in real-world settings. Particular emphasis is placed on: Adapting psychological resources for specific communities. Evaluating interventions in practice. Translating psychological resources into other languages. Conducting community outreach. Improving accessibility of psychological resources. Applying psychological interventions in community settings. Developing sustainable approaches for delivering evidence-based resources. Projects should clearly demonstrate how their activities will benefit the communities they intend to serve. Who Can Apply? Individuals and organizations from diverse backgrounds are eligible to apply. Applicants do not need to be psychologists or mental health professionals. However, an expert with appropriate knowledge of the relevant psychological intervention must be centrally involved throughout the project. Applicants should clearly explain the expert’s qualifications, responsibilities, and role in implementing and evaluating the proposed intervention. Real-World Implementation A major requirement is that projects must have a practical implementation component. The programme is intended to support interventions or resources that are being applied in real-world settings rather than ideas that are still at the proof-of-concept stage.

Projects should therefore demonstrate:

A clearly identified community need. An evidence-based psychological approach. A realistic implementation plan. Community relevance. Appropriate expert involvement. Methods for evaluating results. Potential for continued use after the grant period. Community and Non-Academic Projects The programme is not restricted to universities, research institutions, clinical facilities, or academic settings. Community organizations and other applicants can propose projects involving practical applications of psychological knowledge. Examples may include community outreach initiatives, adapting psychological materials for underserved populations, translating resources, or evaluating an existing intervention within a community setting. Ineligible Projects The programme does not support certain types of activities.

Ineligible projects include:

Facility renovations. Proof-of-concept interventions. Clinical trials for new applications. Pilot studies that are not currently implemented in real-world settings. Applicants should ensure that their proposal goes beyond simply testing whether a new concept might work. What Makes a Strong Proposal? A competitive proposal should establish a clear connection between the community problem and the proposed psychological intervention.

Applicants should demonstrate:

A clearly defined and significant community need. Alignment with at least one APF Visionary Priority. Evidence supporting the proposed intervention. Meaningful involvement of a relevant psychological expert. A practical implementation strategy. Community participation or engagement where appropriate. A clear evaluation approach. Potential for sustainability and wider impact. Key Facts at a Glance

Program: Direct Action Visionary Grant Program

Maximum grant: $60,000

Focus: Evidence-based psychological interventions

Priority communities: Marginalized and underserved communities

Key issues: Prejudice, stigma, racism, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny and violence

Visionary Priorities: Marginalized communities, prejudice and stigma, violence prevention, and mind-body health

Eligible applicants: Individuals and organizations

Psychologist required as applicant: No

Psychological expert required: Yes

Implementation: Real-world settings

Community outreach: Eligible

Translation of psychological resources: Eligible

Facility renovations: Not eligible

Proof-of-concept projects: Not eligible

Unimplemented pilot studies: Not eligible

Frequently Asked Questions What is the Direct Action Visionary Grant Program? It is a grant program supporting innovative psychological interventions that directly address pressing community needs, including prejudice, discrimination, stigma, intolerance, and violence. How much funding is available? The program provides grants of up to $60,000 per eligible project. Do applicants need to be psychologists? No. Individuals and organizations from diverse backgrounds can apply. However, a relevant psychological expert must be centrally involved throughout the project. What types of communities can benefit? The program part