Deadline: 1 November 2019
Spencer Foundation has announced the Small Research Grants Program to support education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived, with budgets up to $50,000 for projects ranging from one to five years.
This program is “field-initiated” in that proposal submissions are not in response to a specific request for a particular research topic, discipline, design, method, or location. Foundation goal for this program is to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education.
The Spencer Foundation has been a leading funder of education research since 1971 and is the only national foundation focused exclusively on supporting education research.
Foundation Goals
- Invest in education research that is transformative, methodologically rigorous, and helps create a better society.
- Support high-quality education research training.
- Broaden the diversity of scholars and scholarship in education research.
- Strengthen the impact of education research for improving educational practice.
- Make education research more accessible to public audiences.
Core Commitments
They support education research that is:
- Rigorous: Intellectually ambitious, innovative, and methodologically sound.
- Relevant: Touching on the most pressing questions and opportunities in education and learning, wherever it occurs.
- Equitable: Representing a diversity of scholars and scholarship and contributing to more just learning environments.
- Collaborative: Engaging multiple voices and disciplinary perspectives.
- Transformative: Reaching beyond academic audiences and leading to lasting improvement in education and learning.
Funding Information
- Proposed budgets for this program are limited to $50,000 total and may not include indirect cost charges per Spencer’s policy.
- Projects proposed may not be longer than 5 years in duration.
Eligibility Criteria
- Proposals to the Research Grants on Education program must be for academic 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). 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 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 colleges, universities, school districts, and research facilities, as well as other non-profit organizations with a 501(c)(3) determination from the IRS.
- 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.
How to Apply
Applicants can apply online via given website.
For more information, please visit https://www.spencer.org/grant_types/small-research-grant