Research Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence
Funds research to develop and test strategies for improving the use and impact of research evidence in decisions affecting U.S. youth ages 5–25.
Funder: William T. Grant Foundation
Due Dates: January 7, 2026 (Letter of Inquiry) | July 29, 2026 (Letter of Inquiry)
Funding Amounts: Major Research Grants: $100,000–$1,000,000 over 2–4 years; Officers’ Research Grants: $25,000–$50,000 over 1–2 years; both include up to 15% indirect costs.
Summary: Funds research to develop and test strategies that improve the use and impact of research evidence by decision-makers to benefit U.S. youth ages 5–25.
Key Information: Applicants may submit only one application per cycle as Principal Investigator.
Description
This program supports studies that advance understanding of how to improve the use, usefulness, and impact of research evidence in decisions affecting young people (ages 5–25) in the United States. The foundation seeks proposals that build or test strategies to integrate research evidence into policy or practice, particularly by policymakers, agency leaders, organizational managers, intermediaries, community organizers, and other key decision-makers shaping youth-serving systems. The program prioritizes interdisciplinary, theory-driven, and methodologically rigorous research, especially studies addressing research use in politically charged or polarized contexts. Both descriptive and impact studies are welcomed, as well as measurement studies that develop and test tools for assessing research use.
