Jacobs Foundation Conference and Young Scholars
The Jacobs Foundation Conference and Young Scholars Program support collaborative, interdisciplinary research on child learning variability, with a focus on global, cross-cultural data through the LEVANTE initiative.
Funder: Jacobs Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): March 2026 (Young Scholars nomination/motivation statement) | June 2026 (LEVANTE Call for Proposals)
Funding Amounts: Up to CHF 60,000 per Young Scholar (individual); up to CHF 180,000 for joint projects (up to three scholars); conference attendance is by invitation only.
Summary: Prestigious, invitation-only event and grant opportunity advancing research and collaboration on child and youth learning variability, with a focus on the LEVANTE initiative.
Key Information: Young Scholars must be nominated by senior invitees; research grants available post-conference for selected participants.
Description
The Jacobs Foundation Conference is a highly selective, invitation-only three-day event convening top researchers globally to advance scientific understanding of child and youth development and learning. From 2025 onward, the conference centers on learning variability through the LEVANTE initiative, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and international representation. The event features presentations, discussions, and networking, fostering high-level scientific exchange and collaborative research.
A central feature is the Young Scholars Program: approximately a dozen outstanding postdoctoral researchers (within six years of PhD) are nominated by senior conference invitees. Young Scholars actively contribute to conference discussions and, following the event, are eligible to apply for collaborative research grants supporting projects aligned with the conference theme. The LEVANTE initiative, underpinning the conference, aims to build a global, multidisciplinary research community and generate open-access cross-cultural data on learning variability in children aged 2–12.
