[Spencer Foundation](https://www.spencer.org)

April 15, 2026 (Full Proposal Deadline)

Up to $50,000 for 1–5 years; up to $10,000 supplemental for course release (total max $60,000)

Supports rigorous, field-initiated research projects that advance foundational knowledge and address pressing questions in education.

No indirect costs allowed; PI/Co-PI must have doctorate and be affiliated with a non-profit or public institution.

--- ## Description The Small Research Grants on Education Program is designed to support high-quality, innovative research projects that contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived. This field-initiated program welcomes proposals from diverse disciplinary and methodological perspectives, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, ethnographies, computational modeling, and more. Projects may focus on any aspect of education, from classroom learning to community or workplace settings, and are expected to develop new foundational knowledge with potential for lasting impact on educational discourse and practice. The program is open to scholars at any career stage and accepts applications from both U.S. and international researchers. --- ## Due Dates - April 15, 2026: Full Proposal Deadline (by 12:00 noon Central time/North America) --- ## Funding Amount - Maximum award: $50,000 (for projects 1–5 years in duration) - Eligible investigators may request up to $10,000 in supplemental funds for a course release (total maximum request: $60,000) - No indirect costs are permitted for this program --- ## Eligibility - Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI(s) must hold an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field - PI must be affiliated with a non-profit organization or public/governmental institution willing to serve as the administering organization (e.g., university, college, research organization, school district, 501(c)(3) non-profit, or international equivalent) - Graduate students may be part of the research team but cannot serve as PI or Co-PI - Only one active Spencer research grant per PI/Co-PI at a time; may not submit more than one research proposal at a time to Spencer research grant programs - Proposals must be for research projects focused on education; non-research activities (e.g., program development, capital projects, software development) are not eligible - International organizations must provide an Equivalency Determination certificate if selected for funding --- ## Application Process - Applications must be submitted via the [Spencer Foundation online portal](https://spencer.smartsimple.us/) - Required components: - Project personnel details (PI, Co-PI, research team roles) - Proposal summary (project title, dates, research questions, 200-word summary) - Detailed budget and budget justification (no indirect costs; see above for supplemental course release funds) - Proposal narrative (max 1800 words, plus references) - Project timeline (max 1 page) - Project team description (max 250 words) - Optional: Supplemental course release rationale and supporting letter (if applying for additional funds) - Acknowledge and agree to Spencer Foundation's AI policy - All proposals must be in English and budgets in U.S. dollars - Proposals exceeding word/page limits or missing required documents will not be reviewed --- ## Additional Information - Projects may last up to 5 years - Teams should plan to begin project activities no sooner than 8 months after the proposal deadline - Proposals from both U.S. and international organizations are welcome - Only one supplemental course release per grant is permitted, and additional documentation is required if requested - Full applicant resources, FAQs, and guidelines are available on the [Spencer Foundation application portal](https://spencer.smartsimple.us/) --- ## External Links - [Program Page: Small Research Grants on Education](https://www.spencer.org/grant_types/small-research-grant) - [Applicant Information & Policies](https://www.spencer.org/resources/Applicant-Information-and-Policies) - [Spencer Foundation Research Grants Overview](https://www.spencer.org/research-grants) - [Applicant Portal (Apply/Manage Proposals)](https://spencer.smartsimple.us/) - [Funding Guidelines & Eligibility (PDF)](https://www.spencer.org/grant_types/small-research-grant.pdf) - [Spencer Foundation AI Policy](https://www.spencer.org/resources/policy-on-the-use-of-generative-ai-at-the-spencer-foundation) --- ## Contact Information | Purpose | Contact | |-------------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | General Inquiries | [info@spencer.org](mailto:info@spencer.org) | | Program-Specific Questions | [smallgrants@spencer.org](mailto:smallgrants@spencer.org) | | Phone | +1 312-337-7000 | | Contact Form | [Spencer Foundation Contact Page](https://www.spencer.org/contact) |

Research Grants on Education: Small

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