Research Grants on Education: Large

Overview:

The Large Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived, with budgets ranging from $125,000 up through $500,000 for projects ranging from one to five years.

This program is “field-initiated,” meaning that proposal submissions are not in response to a specific request for a particular research topic, discipline, design, or method. Our goal for this program is to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education. We seek to support scholarship that develops new foundational knowledge that may have a lasting impact on educational discourse.

We recognize that learning occurs across the life course as well as across settings—from the classroom to the workplace, to family and community contexts and even onto the playing field—any of which may, in the right circumstance, provide the basis for rewarding study that makes significant contributions to the field. We value work that fosters creative and open-minded scholarship, engages in deep inquiry, and examines robust questions related to education. To this end, this program supports proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, both domestically and internationally, from scholars at various stages in their career. We anticipate that proposals will span a wide range of topics and disciplines that innovatively investigate questions central to education, including for example education, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, law, economics, history, or neuroscience, amongst others.

Moreover, we expect and welcome methodological diversity in answering pressing questions; thus, we are open to projects that utilize a wide array of research methods including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, ethnographies, design-based research, participatory methods, historical research, to name a few. We are open to projects that might incorporate data from multiple and varied sources, span a sufficient length of time as to achieve a depth of understanding, or work closely with practitioners or community members over the life of the project. In addition, we welcome proposals submitted by multidisciplinary and multigenerational teams who are positioned to both contribute to the project as well as contribute to the teaching and learning of fellow team members.

Finally, we encourage teams to thoughtfully consider and describe plans regarding the trajectories of their project’s findings, implications, and potential effects, especially how the knowledge may be shared and utilized across the field in practice, policy making, or with broader publics

Solicitation limitations:

Projects proposed may not be longer than 5 years in duration.

PIs and Co-PIs may only hold one active research grant from the Spencer Foundation at a time. (This restriction does not apply to the administering organization; organizations may submit as many proposals as they like as long as they are for different projects and have different research teams.)

PIs and Co-PIs may not submit more than one research proposal to the Spencer Foundation at a time. This restriction applies to the Small Grants Program, Large Grants Program, Racial Equity Research Grants Program, and Research-Practice Partnership Program. If the PI or any of the Co-PIs currently have a research proposal under consideration in any of these programs, they are required to wait until a final decision has been made on the pending proposal before they can submit a new proposal

Other information:

The application process begins with an Intent to Apply form. Once your Intent to Apply form has been submitted, you will have access to the Full Proposal application on your Workbench. 
Intent to Apply Deadline: May 14, 2025, 12:00 PM noon (Central/Chicago Time)
Full Proposal Deadline: June 17, 2025, 12:00 PM noon (Central/Chicago Time)

We accept applications twice a year.

We anticipate awarding grants with budgets across each of the following funding tiers -- $125,000 to 250,000; $250,001 to $375,000; and $375,001 to $500,000

U.S. Mission to Germany, Transatlantic Partnership Program

Overview:

The Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. Mission to Germany is offering funding through the Transatlantic Partnership Program. This program aims to strengthen transatlantic relationships by promoting mutual understanding and collaboration between the United States and Germany.

The program focuses on three main objectives: 
•    Sustaining and Expanding Transatlantic Networks. 
•    Fostering Democratic Civil Societies. 
•    Building Equitable and Sustainable Economies. 

Eligible projects must feature U.S. elements, have a clear audience focus, and include a strategic implementation plan. They should enhance target audience awareness, inform attitudes, or improve skills, and include a monitoring and evaluation plan. 

The program emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion [MLFC’s editor note: confirm with agency PO prior to applying], ensuring that all activities are accessible and representative of the diverse political, social, and cultural life in the U.S. and abroad. Proposals should demonstrate how they will engage diverse and underserved communities and maintain a non-political character.

The Public Diplomacy Section will consider proposals from Germany-based applicants, including: 
•    Registered not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations with a presence in Germany; 
•    Non-profit or governmental educational institutions; 
•    Governmental institutions and other public entities. 

Non-German organizations are required to partner with a German institution. We will not entertain applications from U.S. or third-country organizations that cannot show evidence of a German partner institution.

Sample Projects which could be eligible for funding: 
•    Workshops for experts/practitioners/educators and youth audiences (high school through university students and young professionals) focused on countering malign influence, countering extremism, or media literacy. 
•    Trainings or activities to empower advocacy for shared democratic values. 
•    Youth leadership and civic engagement programs. 
•    Green innovation and energy transformation hackathons for German students. 
•    Digital economy and innovation summits bringing together young innovators, policymakers, and business leaders from the United States and Germany.

Other information:

Programs starting August 1, 2025: Submit by May 30, /2025
Length of Performance Period: Up to 24 months with options for non-competitive continuation (NCC) subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the program, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the U.S. Department of State.
Cost Sharing or Matching: Applicants are not required to include third-party funding in their project proposals, but applications with cost-sharing will be given special consideration during merit review.

Internationalizing Teacher Prep & Innovations in Internationalization

Overview:

The Longview Foundation builds purposeful partnerships between state government, NGOs, colleges of education, and communities to integrate global competence into teacher and student experiences to prepare them for tomorrow. The tradition of supporting teachers and working with myriad policy and non-governmental partners to deliver high-quality international educational experiences to students.

As a small foundation, the Longview Foundation must focus its resources in order to have impact. Trustees have identified K-12 education in the U.S. as their area of interest and only fund projects that directly support building global perspectives in teachers and students. Proposals funded will advance the field or impact significant numbers of students.

Longview funds proposals for one-year grants focused on increasing global dimensions within K-12 education in the U.S. submitted using one of the following strategies. Successful applications will contribute to the field and/or will impact significant numbers of students.

We are placing a priority on applications that support professional development for teachers, globalizing career pathways, using AI to bring the world into your classroom, fostering civic discourse, and access to strong on-line global content in the categories as described below.

Innovations in Internationalization -- We seek to weave global competence into the fabric of school and teacher experiences to engage and inspire the people living in them to want to connect more meaningfully to the world.

We believe that there are many catalysts for public dialogue and that making global–local connections and encouraging shared cultural experiences contribute to a sense of place and communal identity.

Our innovations work specifically supports strategic, field–building activities that help address gaps in knowledge or capacity. Advancement of global education in new and creative mechanisms is particularly of interest. Previous grants in this field have ranged from connecting schools with communities around international children’s literature to building professional development resources for teachers that internationalize the U.S. History perspectives taught in middle and high school.

Learn more about the work we have supported and about current funding strategies in the innovations category.

Internationalizing Teacher Preparation -- As economic, social, and technological transformations link us in unprecedented ways, the critical role of teachers in preparing young people for a new global reality has never been clearer; yet, few teachers begin their careers with the deep knowledge and robust skills necessary to bring the world into their classrooms.

In February 2008, the Longview Foundation brought together leaders in education, government, and other sectors to examine what is currently being done in schools, colleges, and departments of education to prepare future teachers for the new global reality and to generate momentum to do more. The result was the commissioning of a new report and funding stream for Longview.

Teacher Preparation for the Global Age: The Imperative for Change, highlights promising practices identified during this meeting and subsequent discussions and suggests a framework for internationalizing the education of all pre–service teachers and increasing the number of world language teachers, especially in less commonly taught languages.

Teacher preparation programs that have been comprehensively internationalized ensure that the following actions occur:

• General education coursework helps each prospective teacher to develop deep knowledge of at least one world region, culture, or global issue, and facility in one language in addition to English.

• Professional education courses teach the pedagogical skills to enable future teachers to teach the global dimensions of their subject matter.

• Field experiences for faculty and students support the development of pre–service teachers’ global perspectives and contribute the broader research base of the aligned strategic plan.

• More teachers are prepared to teach less commonly taught languages and language education pedagogy is updated based on current research and best practice.

• There are incentives, not barriers, to faculty at all levels engaging in this work.

In addition, since the publication of the report, the following elements have been identified as critical to comprehensive, sustainable internationalization for today’s teacher education programs:

• Programs and courses are creating and utilizing formative and summative assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of new strategies in developing the global competence of prospective teachers.

• Technology is integrated into the student experience to enhance instructional practice and to facilitate connections to the world.

• Prerequisites for language study are in place and opportunities to build further proficiency and language application exist during students’ course of study.

• Key partnerships locally, regionally, and nationally exist and larger reform initiatives tie back to campus and college’s strategic plans.

• All work aligns to the global aspects of the college and campus strategic vision.

Though the strategies outlined in this report have begun to represent a consensus on the best way forward, we hope they will continue to inspire and challenge teacher preparation to embrace its pivotal role in educating teachers to better prepare tomorrow’s citizens for their roles in the world. We know this is just a beginning. Please share your ideas and examples with us!

Learn more about our fellows program, other work we have supported and about current funding strategies in the teacher preparation category.

Other information:

The grant application process has three stages:
1) an eligibility quiz, 2) a short form Letter of Intent, 3) and a Full Proposal by invitation only. 

The foundation is interested in supporting activities that have other sources of funding and can demonstrate sustainability beyond the grant period.

Most grants will be between $15,000 and $25,000.

U.S. Mission New Zealand APS 

Overview:

PDS New Zealand welcomes Statements of Interest from eligible parties from New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau for programs up to 24 months in duration that focus on certain priority areas. Proposals should focus on enhancing existing relationships and creating new pathways for engagement between the United States and the Pacific Region. All programs must include an American cultural element or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institutions/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of United States policy and perspectives.

The following organizations are eligible to apply: 

• Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/non-governmental organizations from New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and the United States. 
• Public and private educational institutions in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and the United States. 
• Individuals from New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and the United States. • Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions from New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau. 

Goals and Objectives
PDS New Zealand invites Statements of Interest for projects that address and advance the following Mission priorities in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau.

• Connecting Creatives: Elevate the voices of emerging and established cultural leaders from indigenous communities in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and the United States working in creative industries. Engage artists and experts to educate and share talent, expertise, culture, and democratic values. Enable creation of inclusive and collaborative professional and social networks and opportunities for artists and institutions that build lasting and meaningful connections.
• Enhancing Economic Resilience through Diversification and Innovation: Create opportunities for partnerships between individuals and organizations in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and the United States. in the field of critical and emerging technologies, creating opportunities for innovation, diversification, growth, and collaboration in the tech sector.
• Leveraging the Full Potential of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education Opportunities: Expand STEM education focus and encourage the creation of more job opportunities in STEM fields within New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau to increase pathways to future employment for New Zealanders to ensure economic prosperity and global competitiveness.
• Conservation for Prosperity: Advance efforts to protect the unique biodiversity and ecology of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau, including sustainable ecotourism.

Priority Program Areas: 

1. Connecting Creatives: Elevate the voices of emerging and established cultural leaders from indigenous communities in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and the United States working in creative industries. Engage artists and experts to educate and share talent, expertise, culture, and democratic values. Enable creation of inclusive and collaborative professional and social networks and opportunities for artists and institutions that build lasting and meaningful connections. 
2. Enhancing Economic Resilience through Diversification and Innovation: Create opportunities for partnerships between individuals and organizations in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and the United States. in the field of critical and emerging technologies, creating opportunities for innovation, diversification, growth, and collaboration in the tech sector. 
3. Leveraging the Full Potential of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education Opportunities: Expand STEM education focus and encourage the creation of more job opportunities in STEM fields within New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau to increase pathways to future employment for New Zealanders to ensure economic prosperity and global competitiveness.
4. Conservation for Prosperity: Advance efforts to protect the unique biodiversity and ecology of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau, including sustainable ecotourism. 2025-01

Other information:

Program Performance Period: Proposed projects should be completed in 24 months or less.

Upcoming Deadlines: 
May 1, 2025 – Results advised by June 9, 2025
August 1, 2025 – Results advised by September 8, 2025

Social, Political and Economic Inequality (SPEI)

Overview:

The Russell Sage Foundation’s (RSF) program on Social, Political, and Economic Inequality supports original research on the factors that contribute to social, political, and economic inequalities in the U.S., and the extent to which those inequalities affect social, political, psychological, and economic outcomes, including educational and labor market opportunities and consequences, social and economic mobility within and across generations, and civic participation and representation.

We seek innovative investigator-initiated research that will expand our understanding of social, political, and economic inequalities and the mechanisms by which these inequalities influence the lives of individuals, families, communities, and the country. We welcome projects that explore the relevance of socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, gender, geographic, immigration or other statuses for the distribution of social, political, and economic outcomes within and across different status groups.

RSF prioritizes analyses that make use of newly available data or demonstrate novel uses of existing data. We support original data collection when a project is focused on important program priorities and conducts surveys, survey experiments, field experiments or qualitative studies. RSF encourages methodological variety and inter-disciplinary collaboration. Proposed projects must have well-developed conceptual frameworks and rigorous research designs. Analytical models must be well-specified and research methods must be appropriate.

RSF priorities do not include analyses of health or mental health outcomes or health behaviors as these are priorities for other funders. For the same reason, RSF seldom supports studies focused on educational processes or curricular issues. RSF does however, support research that examines the causes and consequences of inequalities in student achievement or educational attainment.

The kinds of questions that are of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Economic Wellbeing, Equality of Opportunity, and Intergenerational Mobility
• Inequality and Policymaking
• Political Institutions and the Democratic Process
• Climate Change and Natural Disasters
• Neighborhoods and Communities
• Crime, Criminal Justice & the Legal System
• Psychological and Cultural Changes
• Educational Achievement and Attainment

Solicitation limitations:

All applicants (both PIs and Co-PIs) must have a doctorate. In rare circumstances, RSF may consider applications from scholars who do not hold a doctorate but can demonstrate a strong career background that establishes their ability to conduct high-level, peer-reviewed scholarly research.

Other information:

Funding can be used for research assistance, data acquisition, data analysis, and investigator time for conducting research and writing up results for publication. Trustee Grants are capped at $200,000, including 15% indirect costs, over a two-year period. Presidential Awards are capped at $50,000 (no indirect costs) over a two-year period. However, when research projects have special needs for gathering data (e.g., qualitative research or survey experiments), gaining access to proprietary or restricted-use data, or when the proposal budget includes salary support for multiple assistant professor PIs, applicants may request up to $75,000 (no indirect costs).

A brief letter of inquiry (LOI; four-page maximum excluding references) must precede a full proposal to determine whether the proposed project is in line with the Foundation's program priorities and available funds.

Future of Work

Overview:

The Russell Sage Foundation’s program on the Future of Work supports innovative research on the causes and consequences of changes in the quality of jobs for low- and moderately paid workers and their families in the U.S. We seek investigator-initiated research proposals that will broaden our understanding of the role of changes in employer practices, the nature of the labor market and public policies on employment, earnings, and job quality. We are especially interested in proposals that address questions about the interplay of market and non-market forces in shaping the wellbeing of workers.

RSF prioritizes analyses that make use of newly available data or demonstrate novel uses of existing data. We support original data collection when a project is focused on important program priorities, projects that conduct survey or field experiments and qualitative studies. RSF encourages methodological variety and inter-disciplinary collaboration. Proposed projects must have well-developed conceptual frameworks and rigorous research designs. Analytical models must be well-specified and research methods must be appropriate.

RSF priorities do not include analyses of health or mental health outcomes or health behaviors as these are priorities for other funders. For the same reason, RSF seldom supports studies focused on educational processes or curricular issues but does prioritize analyses of inequalities in student achievement or educational attainment.

The kinds of topics and questions of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Emerging Technologies and the Future of Work and Workers
• “The Big Shift”? Changes in Labor Force Participation and Increased Turnover During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Labor Market Power and Institutions
• Workforce Development, Training, and the 21st Century American Workplace
• Changes in Employer Practices and Alternative Work Arrangements
• Changing Economies, Changing Families and Policy Responses

Solicitation limitations:

All applicants (both PIs and Co-PIs) must have a doctorate. In rare circumstances, RSF may consider applications from scholars who do not hold a doctorate but can demonstrate a strong career background that establishes their ability to conduct high-level, peer-reviewed scholarly research. Students may not be applicants.

Other information:

A brief letter of inquiry (LOI; four-page maximum excluding references) must precede a full proposal to determine whether the proposed project is in line with the Foundation's program priorities and available funds. 

Funding can be used for research assistance, data acquisition, data analysis, and investigator time for conducting research and writing up results. Trustee Grants are capped at $200,000, including 15% indirect costs, over a two-year period. Presidential Awards are capped at $50,000 (no indirect costs) over a two-year period. However, when research projects have special needs for gathering data (e.g., qualitative research or survey experiments), gaining access to proprietary or restricted-use data, or when the proposal budget includes salary support for multiple assistant professor PIs, applicants may request up to $75,000 (no indirect costs).

Kentucky Fried Wishes: Improving Health & Wellbeing

Overview:

Kentucky Fried Wishes is a quarterly grant opportunity through the KFC Foundation. Non-profit organizations can apply for a $10,000 grant to fund an actionable project on their wish list.

For the current grant cycle, eligible projects must focus on improving health and wellbeing. See kfcfoundation.org/wishes for the full list of quarterly grant cycles and project categories.

Examples of possible projects include:

• Mobile health clinic creation
• Playground improvements
• Domestic violence shelter upgrades
• Accommodations for individuals with disabilities

We’re looking for tangible, actionable projects that are feasible to accomplish with the $10,000 grant and will make an immediate impact in your community.

Solicitation limitations:

Non-profits may submit one grant application per quarterly cycle. Non-profits can win one $10,000 grant per calendar year.

Other information:

Each quarter, up to 25 organizations will be selected to receive a $10,000 grant. Projects must meet the following criteria:
    • Can be completed with a $10,000 budget*
    • Can be completed within a 6-12 month period

*If additional funding is needed, include plans for securing additional funds in your proposal. 

Your project may fall under several project categories. You may re-apply in another category if your project isn’t funded in one cycle.

All grant recipients will be expected to agree to and be responsible for:

• Signing a contract agreeing to grant requirements and completing a W-9 tax form
• Following through with the project as it was proposed, including spending funds as requested in the application
• Submitting photos/videos, a report of project expenses, and any unspent funds to the KFC Foundation within twelve months of the grant notification date (we prefer that the project use all the funds, but if that does not seem likely, please contact KFC Foundation staff to discuss the situation)
• Completing a grant report at both six months and twelve months after the project has been awarded
• Recognizing the KFC Foundation in the project and allowing it to be publicized and shared by the KFC Foundation

Letter of Inquiry

Overview:

Nathan Cummings Foundation (NCF) is on a learning journey, and we seek to connect with innovative partners and proximate change makers who are driving impact. We want to learn from, work with, and support organizations that share our commitment to advancing racial, economic, and environmental justice (REEJ). 

We support organizations based in the United States, its Territories, and Israel-Palestine. We are particularly interested in work focused on the U.S. South.

Racial Justice -- Our vision for racial justice is the removal of structural barriers and hierarchies based on race. It seeks to reimagine political, economic, and social systems in ways that allow all people to thrive, regardless of their racial identity.

Focus Areas: To advance racial justice, we support organizations that address the following focus areas:

• Civic Engagement: BIPOC and other marginalized communities face long-standing and concerted efforts to restrict and suppress their participation in the public sphere, especially in civic processes. We support efforts to ensure these communities have the access and capacity to participate freely in shaping the policies, practices, and institutions that impact their everyday lives.
• Racial Wealth Gap: As a product of centuries of policies and practices, extreme racial wealth inequality persists in the United States, especially among Black communities. We support efforts to repair this harm, build wealth, and address the root causes of the racial wealth gap.
• Racism + Oppression: White supremacy is at the root of our society’s most unequal systems, institutions, and policies. We support efforts to build the infrastructure and capacity necessary to create systems that are free from oppression and allow us all to thrive.

Economic Justice -- Economic justice means that everyone has opportunities to participate and thrive in the economy, including those who are marginalized by our current economic systems. The principles of economic justice create a stronger economy because prosperity and equity go hand in hand.

Focus Areas: To advance economic justice, we support organizations that address the following focus areas:

• Economic Security: Economic security is a necessary baseline for people to survive and thrive, especially amidst conditions of rising inequality. We support efforts that systemically mitigate economic precarity and secure a path to a more stable future for poor and low-income people.
• Access to Capital: Generations of discriminatory lending and investment practices have prevented BIPOC and women from accessing the capital required to bring their innovative ideas to the marketplace and profit from them. We support efforts to provide more access to capital for historically excluded entrepreneurs and to cultivate an ecosystem in which they can prosper.
• Monopoly Power: Monopoly power drives many of the corrosive and pressing problems in our political, economic, and social systems. We support efforts to decrease corporate power and create a level playing field for workers, marginalized communities, and small businesses.

Environmental Justice -- Environmental justice is the right of all people and communities to a clean, healthy, and safe environment. It promotes equal environmental protection under the law and in fact. It empowers all communities to make informed decisions and fully participate civically and economically in the creation of environmental solutions.

Focus Areas:  To advance environmental justice, we support organizations that address the following focus areas:

• Environmental Harms: BIPOC and low-income communities are disproportionately harmed by environmental hazards. We focus on efforts to prevent and repair these environmental disparities and ensure the affected communities can meaningfully engage in forging solutions.
• Inclusive Participation in the Green Economy: A Green Energy transition is well underway, but the economic opportunity that goes along with it is not distributed equitably. We focus on efforts to ensure that BIPOC-led environmental organizations and diverse companies can fully take advantage of the investments, benefits, and opportunities of the Green Economy.
• Regenerative Economic Models: Achieving environmental justice and addressing climate change requires a shift from extractive to regenerative economic models. We focus on social entrepreneurs and innovators who are building regenerative projects and models based on sustainability, ecological restoration, and community wealth-building and resilience.

Solicitation limitations:

[If planning on submitting an application, please alert Ashley O’Brion, ASUF.]

Other information:

Most of our grants range from about $50,000 – $250,000. We anticipate most PRIs will range from $250,000 to $750,000, typically to be repaid within three to seven years.

For FY 2025, the portal will be open from January 16, 2025, through June 30, 2025, and will reopen on October 1, 2025.

You can view a preview of the LOI Forms here: Grants LOI; PRI LOI.  

Racial Equity Research Grants

Overview:

The Racial Equity Research Grants program supports education research projects that will contribute to understanding and ameliorating racial inequality in education. We are interested in funding studies that aim to understand and disrupt the reproduction and deepening of inequality in education, and which seek to (re)imagine and make new forms of equitable education. Thus, we are interested in research projects that seek to envision educational opportunities in a multiplicity of education systems, levels, settings, and developmental ranges and that reach beyond documenting conditions and paradigms that contribute to persistent racial inequalities. 

Our goal for this program is to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious, and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in relation to racial equity in education. In this cycle of funding, we will continue to fund scholarship focused on a range of communities and issues with respect to equity. We encourage proposals from across the methodological spectrum, including qualitative methods, mixed-methods, and quantitative methods. We want to especially encourage Racial Equity proposals that focus on the following areas: (1) youth and educator mental health that explores possibilities that promote resilience, center healing, and foster well-being; (2) current political challenges in Pre-K-12 and higher education around diversity, equity, and inclusion; and (3) youth civic education and engagement across learning contexts. Additionally, and as part of The Spencer Foundation’s Initiative on AI and Education , we will fund an additional set of Racial Equity grants specifically focused on AI and racial equity. 

As with other Spencer grant programs, this program is “field-initiated” in that proposal submissions are not required to be developed around a particular research topic, discipline, design, method, or geographic location. 

Solicitation limitations:

PIs and Co-PIs may only hold one active research grant from the Spencer Foundation at a time. This restriction does not apply to the administering organization; organizations may submit as many proposals as they like as long as they are for different projects and have different research teams. 

PIs and Co-PIs may not submit more than one research proposal to the Spencer Foundation at a time. This restriction applies to the Small Grants Program, Large Grants Program, Racial Equity Research Grants Program, and Research-Practice Partnership Program. If the PI or any of the Co-PIs currently have a research proposal under consideration in any of these programs, they are required to wait until a final decision has been made on the pending proposal before they can submit a new proposal. 

Note that an exception to both of these restrictions is the Spencer Vision Grants program. PIs and Co-PIs may apply for a Vision Grant if they have another active research grant from the Spencer Foundation or if they have another Spencer grant proposal in review. However, the projects proposed in a Vision Grant proposal and in another Spencer grant program proposal must be distinct.

Other information:

The application process begins with an Intent to Apply form. Once submitted, you will automatically have access to the Full Proposal application in our online portal. 

We accept Intent to Apply forms once a year. We will be accepting applications for projects ranging from one to five years with budgets up to $75,000.

Proposals to the Racial Equity Research Grants program must be for academic research projects that will contribute to understanding and ameliorating racial inequality in education, broadly conceived.

Read about recent awardees in the PDF download here.

Community Impact Grants

Overview:

The APS Foundation supports programs that enhance academic achievement in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Since 1981, the Foundation has invested more than $44 million in projects throughout Arizona that help prepare students to compete in a 21st century economy.

A workforce proficient in STEM skills is critical to attracting and retaining high-quality businesses and industries to the state. The APS Foundation targets projects that help educators increase content knowledge in STEM subjects as well as the ability to transfer this knowledge effectively to students.

Organizations must be registered as a 501(c)(3) public charity in good financial and public standing. Programs should demonstrate their ability to improve educational outcomes, increase access and/or offer an innovative approach to learning.

Solicitation limitations:

ASU may submit only one (1) application to the sponsoring organization. After the posted internal deadline, this opportunity will be first come, first served. If you would like to apply, please submit an application in InfoReady as soon as possible—and alert Ashley O’Brion (ASUF) of your intent.

Other information:

All grantees will have specific reporting requirements and must submit a final evaluation before they can be considered for additional funding. The APS Foundation accepts grant requests during two cycles each year.

All applications are required to be a onetime all-inclusive annual request for an organization and we respectfully ask that requests seeking event sponsorship be submitted at least 90 days prior to the event date. We are committed to reviewing all grant requests within 60 days of submission. Please note all notifications about your grant will come from mail@grantapplication.com. Please add this email address to your safe sender list to receive communications.