Research Project (RP) & Existing Program Evaluation (EPE) proposals

Overview

The Brady Education Foundation seeks to improve educational outcomes for children, including those living in low-income communities. The Foundation pursues its mission by promoting collaboration among researchers, educators, and other stakeholders via the funding of Research Projects and Program Evaluations.

Research Projects
The Foundation supports research projects that have the potential to inform how to improve educational outcomes for children from birth through age 18. The Foundation is particularly focused on supporting research that is consistent with a strength-based perspective and has the potential to inform future educational research, practice, major philanthropic giving, and/or public policy.

Aims for Research Project (RP) proposals:

• Primary and secondary aims:
  • The Primary and any secondary aims must focus on developmental or educational research that will inform future education research, practice, philanthropic funding, and/or public policy.
  • Examples of this type of grant include (but are not limited to): measurement development, studies investigating factors associated with achievement outcomes, studies investigating strength families bring to the learning environment and how those can be capitalized upon to promote children’s learning and achievement outcomes, and policy studies.

Existing Program Evaluations
The Foundation supports the evaluation of programs that are feasible and sustainable (i.e., can work and be maintained in the real world of educational settings and systems), accessible (i.e., are available to and attainable by the families that need them), and strength-based (i.e., recognize the strengths that children and families bring to the learning environment that can be capitalized upon to promote strong academic outcomes). The Foundation also supports cost-benefit analyses of existing programs whose goals are to promote improved educational outcomes.

Aims for Existing Program Evaluation (EPE proposals):

• Primary aim:
  • What works: The primary aim must concern evaluating the effectiveness of programs designed to promote positive cognitive, achievement, and/or learning outcomes for children (birth through 18 years).
• Secondary aims may also focus on one or more of the following:
  • What works for whom, under what conditions: Investigate variations in program effects; that is, test for moderation effects that inform whether effects are stronger for certain groups and/or under certain conditions than other groups or conditions.
  • Reasons for effects: Investigate mechanisms through which effects occur; that is, test for mediation effects that inform why the program is effective.
  • Cost-benefit analyses: Compare the total costs of the program (start-up and ongoing operational costs) with its estimated monetary benefits to determine the net cost or benefit associated with the program.
• Primary and secondary aims:
  • The Primary and any secondary aims must focus on educational research that will inform future education research, practice, philanthropic funding, and/or public policy.

We do not limit the number of research grant applications by organization. We will accept Letters of Inquiry from multiple principal investigators at the same organization.

Applicants may submit more than one letter of inquiry. However, we encourage applicants to focus their resources on developing a few ideas well. 

LOI Submissions -- Due by 5 PM Eastern Time on the Last Day of the Open LOI Period*
1/15/27 – 1/30/27
5/15/27 – 5/30/27
9/15/27 – 9/30/27

LOIs are accepted during these dates until 5 PM Eastern Time on the last day of the open LOI period (January 30th, May 30th, or September 30th). It can take up to two weeks to receive a decision concerning your LOI. If invited to submit a Stage 1 application, applicant can submit for this cycle or any future cycle (i.e., an applicant can submit for this cycle or wait to submit their Stage 1 application in a later cycle). If they choose to wait and submit for a later cycle, they are NOT required to resubmit their LOI.