Racial Equity Research Grants
Funds innovative research to understand and disrupt racial inequality in education, supporting diverse methodologies and topics across global educational contexts.
Funder: Spencer Foundation
Due Dates: July 1, 2026: Full Proposal Deadline (12:00 PM Noon Central Time)
Funding Amounts: Up to $75,000 total per project; project duration 1–5 years; no indirect costs allowed.
Summary: Supports rigorous, field-initiated research to understand and disrupt racial inequality in education across all settings and methodologies.
Key Information: PI/Co-PI must have an earned doctorate and be affiliated with a nonprofit or public institution; only one active Spencer research grant per PI/Co-PI at a time.
Description
The program funds education research projects that advance understanding and disruption of racial inequality in education. It encourages innovative, ambitious, and technically sound research using any methodology (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods) and is open to all educational contexts and levels globally. Projects may address a wide range of topics but should focus on the most pressing questions related to racial equity, with particular interest in youth and educator mental health, community-based workforce development, and the intersection of quantitative methods and racial equity. The program is field-initiated, allowing applicants to define their own research questions and approaches.
