Spencer Foundation presents the Research Grants on Education, inviting scholars to pursue ambitious studies that advance understanding and improve educational practice and policy. Beginning in 2026, the program transitions to a single annual funding cycle and expands the number of projects supported. Grants range from $125,000 to $500,000 and cover research durations from one to five years. Applicants are encouraged to request a budget that genuinely fits the scope of their work rather than pursuing the highest tier.

Program Overview, Scope, and Expected Impact

Spencer Foundation’s Research Grants on Education are designed to support field-initiated investigations that push knowledge boundaries and inform educational practice and policy. The switch to a single annual funding cycle beginning in 2026 aims to streamline the process while increasing opportunities for researchers to secure support. Funded projects are expected to address meaningful questions within education and produce findings with lasting value for practitioners, policymakers, and the broader public.

Projects may explore learning across the lifespan and in diverse settings, spanning classrooms, workplaces, homes, communities, and recreational spaces. The program emphasizes depth of inquiry, intellectual ambition, and rigorous design, seeking studies that advance understanding in substantive, practice-relevant ways. Multidisciplinary, cross-cutting, and long-term inquiries are encouraged, with attention to how results could inform real-world educational practice and policy development.

• Grant range: $125,000 to $500,000.
• Duration: 1 to 5 years.
• Focus: Education research across a broad spectrum of topics and settings.
• Approach: Fully field-initiated with researchers proposing topics, methods, and designs.
• Impact expectations: Influence practice, inform policy, and contribute to broader public understanding; dissemination plans envisioned from the outset.

Disciplines welcomed include education and related fields such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, law, economics, philosophy, history, neuroscience, and others. Methodological diversity is valued, spanning quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, ethnographic, design-based, participatory, and historical research. Projects may incorporate multiple data sources, extended time frames, and collaboration with practitioners or community members, with recognition that such collaboration can enhance relevance and impact. Multidisciplinary and multigenerational teams are encouraged, reflecting the program’s commitment to broad expertise and inclusive inquiry.

Researchers are expected to articulate how their findings may influence practice, inform policy, or contribute to broader public understanding. A thoughtful consideration of long-term impact and dissemination strategies is anticipated, recognizing that the ultimate value of work resides in its ability to reach stakeholders beyond academia.

Post Date: December 11, 2025. Apply through the program’s portal for large research grants as part of the annual funding cycle.

Eligibility and Eligible Applicants

Eligibility criteria define who may lead and contribute to funded projects. Principal investigators (PIs) and co-investigators must hold a doctoral degree and be affiliated with a nonprofit or public institution capable of administering a grant. Projects must focus on education research and cannot include program development, formal evaluations, technology development, or other non-research activities.

Applications may be submitted from anywhere in the world, provided proposals are written in English and budgets are in U.S. dollars. Projects may not exceed five years in duration, and applicants may not hold more than one active Spencer research grant at a time. This structure ensures a broad and diverse applicant pool while maintaining a manageable portfolio of ongoing research.

• Education research focus: Proposals must address scholarly questions within education rather than program creation or evaluation.
• Academic qualifications: Doctoral degree required for PIs and co-PIs.
• Institutional affiliation: Nonprofit or public organizations capable of grant administration.
• Geographic scope: Worldwide eligibility, with English-language submissions and USD budgets.
• Project duration and grant load: Up to five years; one active Spencer grant per investigator.

Given its commitment to high-quality, original research and substantial funding, the program represents a significant opportunity for scholars seeking to advance education on a global scale.

Funding Details, Scope, Methods, and Collaboration

With a shift to a single annual funding cycle starting in 2026, Spencer Foundation aims to provide steady opportunities for researchers while expanding the number of funded projects. The program supports a wide array of topics, approaches, and team configurations, as long as the work meets rigorous educational research standards and contributes new knowledge to the field.

Funding amounts cover a broad spectrum—from modest inquiries to large-scale investigations—affording researchers flexibility to align budget with the scope of their study. Applicants are encouraged to request a budget that accurately reflects the design and data needs of their work rather than defaulting to the top funding tier.

Research designs may include quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, ethnographic, design-based, participatory, and historical approaches. Projects may integrate multiple data sources and extend over multiple years. Collaboration with practitioners, schools, communities, or other stakeholders is encouraged, as such partnerships can deepen relevance and facilitate practical uptake of findings. The program welcomes multidisciplinary and multigenerational teams, recognizing the value of diverse perspectives and expertise in tackling complex educational questions.

• Disciplinary breadth: Education-related research across sociology, anthropology, psychology, law, economics, philosophy, history, neuroscience, and more.
• Methodological diversity: Quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, ethnography, design-based, participatory, historical approaches.
• Collaboration: Encourages working with practitioners, community members, or other real-world partners to enhance impact.
• Timeframe flexibility: Projects may span one to five years, with budget aligned to scope.
• Dissemination and impact: Emphasis on long-term results, practical implications, and public understanding of education research.

Eligibility and program design together create a robust pathway for researchers to pursue ambitious questions with significant potential to influence how education is practiced, governed, and studied across settings and populations.

Application Process, Support Resources, and Next Steps

Applications welcome researchers from a broad spectrum of disciplines, reflecting the program’s emphasis on methodological and epistemological diversity. Submissions travel from anywhere in the world, provided English-language materials and USD budgets accompany proposals. Beginning in 2026, the program consolidates into a single annual cycle, simplifying timelines while increasing the number of awards available each year.

For prospective applicants, the portal for the large research grant serves as the primary pathway to submission. The application process invites researchers to present a coherent plan detailing theoretical framing, study design, data sources, analytic strategies, and anticipated contributions to education practice and policy. Strong proposals clearly articulate how findings will be disseminated to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers over the long term.

• Application portal: Large Research Grant submission page through Spencer Foundation.
• Languages and currency: English submissions; budgets in USD.
• Support resources: Guidance on grant writing and tools to filter grants by country.
• Post-application expectations: Proposals should demonstrate potential for practical impact, policy relevance, and public engagement.

Helpful resources emphasize grant writing best practices and offer account-based tools to tailor grant opportunities by country. Researchers are encouraged to prepare thoughtful, well-justified proposals that align with program aims, including clear dissemination plans and anticipated pathways to impact beyond academia. The program recognizes the value of collaboration, scalability, and cross-disciplinary inquiry in producing meaningful educational insights.

Impact, Dissemination, and Long-Term Value

Foundational to the program is the expectation that research findings influence practice, inform policy, and contribute to broader public understanding of education. Proposals should incorporate dissemination strategies from the outset, detailing how results will reach teachers, administrators, policymakers, researchers, and communities. Long-term impact is a central consideration, with emphasis on sustained visibility and applicability of findings beyond the life of the grant.

Multidisciplinary and multigenerational teams are especially well-suited to produce rich, nuanced insights that address complex educational questions. Collaboration with practitioners or community members enhances the relevance, relevance, and accessibility of results, increasing the likelihood that research will translate into meaningful change. The funder’s emphasis on theoretical rigor, methodological rigor, and practical significance guides reviewers toward proposals with clear pathways to real-world impact.

• Impact pathways: Practice change, policy influence, and broader public understanding.
• Dissemination plan: Integrated from project outset, targeting multiple stakeholder audiences.
• Team composition: Encourages multidisciplinary, multigenerational collaborations for richer inquiry.

Overall, the Spencer Foundation Research Grants on Education offer a structured yet flexible opportunity for scholars worldwide to pursue rigorous research with the potential to reshape educational practice and policy. The shift to a single annual cycle in 2026, coupled with substantial funding ranges and diverse methodological options, supports a broad and dynamic portfolio of high-quality education research projects.