Young Scholars Program (YSP)

Overview

The Young Scholars Program (YSP) supports scholarship for early-career researchers. The program funds implementation research that is policy- and practice-relevant and that examines the preparation, competency, compensation, well-being, and ongoing professional learning of the early care and education (ECE) workforce.

Diversity is an asset for building a strong and productive society. The Foundation is committed to diversity and equity in our work and through our grantees. To increase the diversity of research perspectives, the Foundation encourages applications from:

• Scholars who are from underrepresented groups that have historically experienced poverty, racism, xenophobia, prejudice, and discrimination. Such groups include, but are not limited to, researchers of color, first-generation college graduates, and researchers from low-income communities and/or immigrant families
• Scholars who represent a variety of disciplines and methodological approaches

The Foundation believes that a deeper understanding of the role of ECE professionals in enhancing young children’s early learning experiences can ultimately improve the chances for all children to reach their full potential.

All proposed research must have primary questions that are relevant to the ECE workforce. All supported research questions must support scientific inquiry into the implementation of specific ECE programs, policies, or practices. While substantial research has focused on examining what constitutes high-quality early learning experiences and the impact of policies and programs to identify “what works,” implementation research is needed to better understand how to bring about high-quality experiences for different groups of children, across different settings and contexts. Finally, all supported research must have a clear connection to programs, policies, and practices that have the potential to result in a positive impact on the ECE workforce and on the young children in the YSP priority populations.

Scholars will become part of a growing network of the next generation of researchers whose work has the potential to strengthen the ECE workforce and improve the quality of services provided to young children and their families.

• Eligible researchers must have received their doctoral degrees (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D., Psy.D., J.D., etc.) between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2022. Physician applicants must have received their M.D. degrees between January 1, 2011 and June 30, 2022. A minimum of one year must have elapsed since receiving their degrees before Principal Investigators may apply to the program.
• The affiliated nonprofit institution/organization must have a minimum operating budget of $2.5 million and a minimum three-year track record in conducting multi-year research projects (at least three over the last three years).
• As the sole PI, you must have complete control and decision-making authority over every aspect of your project. If you are unable to complete your project independently of another investigator, then you will not be considered a sole PI and will not be eligible for YSP.

• We strongly recommend that applicants view our Advancing Equity: Conducting Strengths-Based Research in Early Care & Education webinar.
• For proposed research projects involving either primary data collection or a combination of primary data collection and secondary data analysis, the maximum grant award, including indirect costs, is $225,000 to be used over a two- to three-year period. Grant funds are intended to support the PI’s salary and direct research expenses.
• For proposed research projects solely focused on secondary data analysis, the maximum grant award, including indirect costs, is $180,000 to be used over a two- to three-year period. 
• Grant funds are intended to support the Principal Investigator’s salary and direct research expenses. For all proposed research projects, the indirect and overhead costs are limited to 15% of the total personnel costs.
• Timeline:
  • June 13, 2023: LOI Deadline: Online LOI closes at 8 PM EDT | 7 PM CDT | 6 PM MDT | 5 PM PDT
  • August 2023: Latest notification of LOI status and invitations to submit a Full Application
  • October 19, 2023: Full Application Deadline: Online Full Application closes at 8 PM EDT | 7 PM CDT | 6 PM MDT | 5 PM PDT
  • Early April 2024: Latest notification of Full Application status