Bikes Belong Foundation Research Grants
The Bikes Belong Foundation aims to support its mission and programs by funding a limited number of research grants each year. Research grants of $5,000 to $10,000 each will focus on two priority areas:
- Economic Impact: Research that examines the economic impact of additional or improved bicycling facilities or bike-related events.
- Special Opportunities: Innovative or unique research on the benefits of bicycling will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants interested in this priority area should contact the Research Analyst before submitting an application.
Examples of research that has particular interest for Bikes Belong include:
- Economic benefits of bicycling facilities
- Economic benefits of removing parking and adding bicycle infrastructure
- Economic benefits of Sunday Streets/Ciclovía events
- Quantitative trails to sales studies (bike businesses only)
- Savings for businesses that promote bicycling among employees
- Academic performance of children who bike to school
- State, regional, or city-level studies of the economic impact of bicycling
For information about Bikes Belong Community Grants, funding bicycle facility and advocacy projects, visit our Grants page.
Eligibility
Applicants are limited to U.S. colleges, universities, or other institutions of higher education and non-profit research organizations. Individuals will not be considered for funding.
Schedules and deadlines
Bikes Belong Foundation reviews applications twice per year. Applications must be emailed by the due date in order to be considered during that grant cycle.
Applications emailed by: Committee decision by:
March 30, 2012 June 4, 2012
September 28, 2012 December 3, 2012
Application
In an effort to green our grants process, the Bikes Belong Foundation does not accept hard-copy applications. Applications are accepted via email only. View and download the Research Grant Application.
The completed application consists of three parts. Please submit the following material via email in one individual PDF file with your research title in the subject line. Your email message should not exceed 10 MB.
- Cover letter: The letter should introduce your organization and research proposal. It should appear as the first page of the .pdf.
- Application: This section includes the Administrative Information Form and the Grant Application Narrative found in the application. It should not exceed seven pages.
- Supporting materials: Curriculum vitae for all key personnel, project budget, organization or department budget, letter from institution verifying sponsorship of this project (if college or university) or IRS 501(c)3 determination letter (if non-profit organization) complete the application.
**Please note that the maximum overhead rate that can be applied to Bikes Belong Research Grants is 10%.
Additional information is not encouraged unless it is absolutely essential to our understanding of your project. We will contact you should we need further information. Questions about the grant application may be directed to the Research Analyst or Grants Manager.
We do not accept mailed or faxed applications. All application materials must be submitted together, via email, as one individual PDF file. Incomplete or excessively long applications will not be considered.
Send completed applications to grants@bikesbelong.org. You will receive a response acknowledging receipt shortly thereafter.
October 2011 Research Grant Awards
Benefits of the Swamp Rabbit Trail - Greenville, SC
Upstate Forever is partnering with a professor of health and exercise at Furman University in Greenville to measure the impact of the Swamp Rabbit Trail development on communities surrounding it. Bikes Belong’s grant of $10,000 will enable researchers to examine real estate values, interview business owners, real estate agents, transportation professionals, and local government officials, and conduct intercept surveys of trail users. The organization hopes to use this study to promote greenway and trail development across the region and the country.
Bike-Share Station Local Economic Activity Study - Minneapolis, MN
This study will analyze the impact of Nice Ride station usage levels on local consumer-oriented business activity. With the help of this $7,500 grant, University of Minnesota researchers will survey and interview businesses within a quarter-mile of selected stations for information about changes in sales and in the number and type of customer visits. They will also include questions in the Nice Ride subscriber survey about expenditures and use of the bike share system. The data will help the team evaluate bike share station impact on local businesses and, more broadly, in the Twin Cities area.
April 2011 Research Grant Awards
York Boulevard Road Diet Economic Impact Study - Los Angeles, CA
With the help of an $8,000 grant from Bikes Belong, researchers from the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition will compare economic activity between two halves of a transportation corridor: one with car lanes reduced by half and bike lanes added, one unchanged. The study will look at commercial and residential property sales, number of new businesses, and perceptions about how the road diet may have affected property values and commerce.
Economic Impact of Bicycling in Iowa - Coralville, IA
This $6,000 grant will help the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, in partnership with the University of Northern Iowa Sustainable Tourism and Environment Program, study the statewide economic impacts of bicycling by looking at retail sales, tourism, and bicycling-related events. With the goal of completing the study by the end of 2011, the Coalition will use the results to guide policy development and spur investments in bicycle transportation and infrastructure.
Raystown Lake Economic Impact and Visitor Use Research Study - Raystown Lake, PA
A research team from Southern Illinois University is collaborating with the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) to conduct a two-phase study of the Raystown Lake mountain bike trail system. Part one will count trail users and part two will assess the regional economic impact of the trail system. A Bikes Belong grant of $6,000 will fund equipment and analysis during the first phase.
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