Call for The Small Research Grants on Education Program is now open!!
The Spencer Foundation invests in education research that cultivates learning and transforms lives. Since 1971, the Spencer Foundation has been a leading funder of education research and remains the only national foundation focused exclusively on supporting education research.
The Small Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived, with budgets up to $50,000 for projects ranging from one to five years. Applications are accepted three times per year.
This program is “field-initiated,” meaning that proposal submissions are not in response to a specific request for a particular research topic, discipline, design, method, or location. The goal of this program is to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious, and technically sound research relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education.
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The Small Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that aim to improve education with budgets up to $50,000 for projects ranging from one to five years. Eligible investigators may also request additional supplemental funds for a course release. Applications are accepted three times per year.
The program is “field-initiated,” meaning proposal submissions are not in response to a specific request for a particular research topic, discipline, design, or method. The goal is to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious, and technically sound research relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education. The foundation seeks to support scholarship that develops new foundational knowledge with a lasting impact on educational discourse.
The foundation recognizes that learning occurs across the life course and various settings, any of which may provide the basis for rewarding study that makes significant contributions to the field. They value work that fosters creative and open-minded scholarship, engages in deep inquiry, and examines robust questions related to education. To this end, the program supports proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, both domestically and internationally, from scholars at various stages in their career. They anticipate proposals spanning a wide range of topics and disciplines that innovatively investigate questions central to education, including education, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, law, economics, history, neuroscience, among others.
The foundation also welcomes methodological diversity in answering pressing questions. They are open to projects utilizing a wide array of research methods, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, ethnographies, computational modeling, design-based research, participatory methods, and historical research, to name a few. They are open to projects that might incorporate data from multiple and varied sources, span a sufficient length of time to achieve a depth of understanding, or work closely with practitioners or community members over the life of the project.
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Benefits
- Funding Support: Grants of up to $50,000 for education research projects ranging from one to five years.
- Supplemental Funds: Eligible investigators can request additional funds for a course release.
- Field-Initiated Research: Researchers can propose projects on any topic, discipline, design, method, or location, fostering innovation and diverse perspectives.
- Long-Term Impact: The program aims to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious, and technically sound research relevant to pressing questions and opportunities in education, with the potential for lasting impact on educational discourse.
- Methodological Diversity: The program welcomes a wide array of research methods, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, ethnographies, computational modeling, design-based research, participatory methods, and historical research.
- Broad Scope: Projects can address learning across various settings and life stages, from classrooms to workplaces, families, communities, and more.
- Career Development: Supports proposals from scholars at various stages in their careers, both domestically and internationally.
- Interdisciplinary Approach: Encourages proposals from multiple disciplinary perspectives, including education, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, law, economics, history, neuroscience, and others.
- Collaboration Opportunities: Encourages researchers to work closely with practitioners or community members over the life of the project, promoting practical application and community engagement.
- Application Frequency: Researchers have three opportunities per year to apply, providing flexibility in timing for proposal submission.
Eligibilities
- Proposals to the Small Research Grants on Education program must be for research projects that aim to study education. Proposals for activities other than research are not eligible (e.g., program evaluations, professional development, curriculum development, scholarships, capital projects, software development). Additionally, proposals for research studies focused on areas other than education are not eligible.
- Principal Investigators (PIs) and Co-PIs applying for a Small Research Grant on Education must have an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field, or appropriate experience in an education research-related profession. While graduate students may be part of the research team, they may not be named the PI or Co-PI on the proposal.
- The PI must be affiliated with a non-profit organization or public/governmental institution that is willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded. The Spencer Foundation does not award grants directly to individuals. Examples include non-profit or public colleges, universities, school districts, and research facilities, as well as other non-profit organizations with a 501(c)(3) determination from the IRS (or equivalent non-profit status if the organization is outside of the United States).
- Proposals are accepted from the U.S. and internationally, however, all proposals must be submitted in English and budgets must be proposed in U.S. Dollars.
Application Process
The application process begins with a full proposal; there is no requirement to submit an intent to apply form. Full proposals for a Small Research Grant on Education are due by 4:59pm UTC+0 time on the deadline date.
Full Proposal Guidelines
Small Grant proposals must be submitted through an online application form following the guidelines below.
- Registration: Note: This application is configured for the Principal Investigator (PI) on the project to register and submit the form. If someone other than the PI will be completing the online application (e.g., an administrative assistant), the PI should register as described in Step 1 below, then provide their username and password to the person assisting them with the application. If you (the PI) have never accessed the Spencer Foundation online portal, you must register and create a profile by going to https://spencer.smartsimple.us and clicking the “Register Here” button. Follow the guidelines on the registration page to create your profile. If you already have an account, log on to update your profile and access the application.
- My Profile: After logging in, follow the directions to complete the information requested on the My Profile page and upload your current CV (10-page limit). The My Profile page is your online account with the Spencer Foundation whether you are applying for a grant, reviewing a proposal, or submitting a grantee report. Note: If you will have Co-PIs on your project, they must also register and complete their profile information if they wish to be included on the application.
- Start a Proposal: To fill out the application, go to your Workbench and click the Apply button for the Small Research Grants on Education. Your draft application can be saved so that you can return to it at a later time and continue working on it. Once you save a draft application, you can find it again on your Draft Proposals list on your Workbench.
More details about the application process can be found on their official website.
Application Deadline: September 11, 2024
Application ClosedOfficial link
