Up to $500,000 available in Spencer education research grants

The Spencer Foundation is now accepting applications for its Research Grants on Education, offering scholars the opportunity to pursue ambitious studies that deepen understanding and strengthen educational practice and policy.

Contents

Aim Funding details Eligibility Proposal requirements Application process Deadline

From 2026, the programme will run a single annual funding cycle while supporting a larger number of research projects.

Aim

This is a fully field-initiated programme, allowing researchers to define their own questions, designs, and methodologies.

The goal is to support rigorous research that addresses significant issues in education across diverse settings — including schools, workplaces, homes, communities and informal learning environments. Proposals should demonstrate intellectual ambition, strong theoretical grounding and clear potential to contribute lasting knowledge to the field.

Funding details

Grants range from $125,000 to $500,000 USD, supporting projects lasting between one and five years.

Applicants are encouraged to request funding that accurately reflects the scope and needs of their research rather than targeting the maximum award.

The programme values methodological diversity and welcomes studies that use multiple data sources, engage communities or span extended time periods.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

Hold a doctoral degree (for the Principal Investigator and any Co-Principal Investigator).
Be affiliated with a nonprofit or public institution capable of administering the grant.
Propose a project focused on education research.
Submit all materials in English, with budgets in U.S. dollars.
Have no more than one active Spencer research grant at any time.
Ensure the project duration does not exceed five years.

Applications are open to scholars worldwide and across disciplines, including sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics, philosophy, law, history and related fields.

Proposal requirements

Strong proposals clearly explain the importance of the research question, justify the chosen methods, and demonstrate the relevance of the anticipated findings.

Applicants must outline how their research could inform educational practice, shape policy debates, or contribute to broader public understanding. The programme does not fund curriculum development, technology creation, programme evaluations or other non-research activities.

Application process

All proposals must be submitted online through the Spencer Foundation’s application portal. Submissions include a full project narrative, budget, timeline and institutional approvals.

With its substantial funding range and emphasis on originality, the programme offers a significant opportunity for scholars to advance education research on a global scale.