Spencer Foundation – Large Research Grants on Education
The Spencer Foundation has launched the "Large Research Grants on Education" to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious, and technically sound academic research projects that contribute to the improvement of education. As a "field-initiated" program, it is open to a wide range of disciplines (such as anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, economics, neuroscience, etc.) and welcomes methodological diversity (qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, ethnographies, etc.) to investigate questions central to education across various settings—from the classroom to the workplace, family, and community contexts.
📅 Call Timeline
- Applications Open: December 10, 2025
- Pre-Proposal Deadline: February 24, 2026 (21.00)
- Full Proposal (By Invitation) Deadline: June 23, 2026 (21.00)
✅ Eligibility
- Must have an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field (Graduate students may be on the team but cannot be PI/Co-PI).
- The PI must be affiliated with a non-profit organization or public/governmental institution (e.g., universities, research facilities).
- International applications from outside the U.S. are accepted.
- Proposals must be for academic research studying education.
- Program evaluations, curriculum development, scholarships, or tech/AI tool development are not eligible.
- PIs and Co-PIs may only hold one active research grant from the Spencer Foundation at a time and may not submit multiple proposals simultaneously.
📂 Support Scope and Duration
- Project duration ranges from 1 to 5 years.
- Salaries (PI, researchers, graduate students, etc.), benefits, external collaborators/consultants, travel (project or dissemination), equipment and software, project expenses (supplies, transcription), and subcontracts are covered.
💶 Funding Opportunities
- Budget totals must be between $125,000 and $500,000 (including up to 15% indirect costs).
Funding Tiers:
- 125.000 – 250.000 USD
- 250.001 – 375.000 USD
- 375.001 – 500.000 USD
📌 The foundation strongly encourages applicants to carefully consider what level of funding makes the most sense for their project and design, rather than automatically reaching for the highest budget category.
📌 Useful Links
