Research Grants on Education: Large

• Preproposal PDF with narrative (1250 words max), references, team description, timeline, and budget
• Project summary (200 words) with title, duration, and research question
• Current CV (10-page limit) uploaded to profile
• For full proposals: narrative (5000 words max), detailed budget, project timeline, and team description
• AI policy acknowledgment and agreement

• Principal Investigator must have an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field.
• Proposal must be submitted by a nonprofit administering organization (university, college, research organization, school district, or 501(c)(3) organization).
• PIs and Co-PIs cannot hold more than one active Spencer research grant at a time.
• Only one research proposal can be submitted to Spencer at a time per PI/Co-PI.

Who is eligible?

• Universities
• Colleges
• Research organizations
• School districts
• 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
• International organizations (with equivalency determination)

Who is not eligible

• Individual applicants without organizational affiliation
• For-profit companies and businesses
• Organizations without nonprofit determination
• PIs currently holding another active Spencer research grant
• Applicants with pending Spencer research proposals (must wait for decision)

Eligible expenses

• Personnel salaries and benefits (PI, Co-PI, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, research assistants)
• Travel for project work and conference dissemination
• Equipment and software
• Project expenses including supplies, participant stipends, transcription, and communication costs
• Subcontracts and consultant fees

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Office rent and institutional infrastructure costs
• Grants and contracts office expenses
• Institutional and departmental administrative expenses
• Institutional information technology expenses
• Accounting and legal services

Eligible geographic areas

• United States (primary focus)
• International organizations accepted (with equivalency determination for funding)
• Canada (grants made only occasionally)

• Significance of the research problem and its relevance to education improvement
• Quality and rigor of theoretical and conceptual framing
• Soundness of research design, methods, and analytical approaches
• Potential scholarly contribution and impact on the field
• Feasibility and clarity of implementation plan

• Preproposals are reviewed to determine invitation to full proposal stage.
• All applicants receive light feedback on their preproposal.
• Applicants are notified if invited to submit a full proposal.
• Full proposals undergo peer review by field experts.
• Funding agreement required before disbursement of awarded funds.

• Preproposals are reviewed once a year; all applicants receive feedback.
• Research grants may include 15% indirect costs for budgets over $75,000.
• Projects can run from one to five years in duration.