Research Grants on Education: Small
Forecasted
Research Grants on Education: Small supports researchers pursuing field-initiated studies across learning settings to build knowledge that can improve education and shape educational discourse.
Funder: Spencer Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): March 2027 (application deadline) | September 2027 (second biannual deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $50,000 for one to five years; up to $10,000 additional for an eligible course release
Summary: Supports field-initiated research that builds knowledge to improve education, broadly conceived.
Key Information: PIs and Co-PIs need an earned doctorate, and a qualifying organization must administer the grant.
Description
The Spencer Foundation’s Small Research Grants on Education program funds research intended to improve education. It is field-initiated: applicants are not responding to a prescribed topic, discipline, research design, method, or location. The program seeks rigorous, intellectually ambitious, technically sound studies that address pressing questions and develop foundational knowledge with the potential to shape educational discourse.
Education may be studied across the life course and in classrooms, workplaces, families, communities, and other learning settings. The program welcomes varied disciplinary and methodological perspectives, including studies using multiple data sources or working closely with practitioners and community members.
