Objective

The Large Research Grants on Education Program supports education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived. The program is “field-initiated” and supports rigorous, intellectually ambitious, and technically sound research relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education. Proposals are accepted from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, both domestically and internationally.

Application Deadline

Intent to Apply: May 14, 2025, 12:00 PM noon (Central/Chicago Time)
Full Proposal: June 17, 2025, 12:00 PM noon (Central/Chicago Time)

Eligibility Criteria

Proposals must be for academic research projects that aim to study education.

Principal Investigators (PIs) and Co-PIs must have an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or professional field.

The PI must be affiliated with a non-profit organization or public/governmental institution willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded.

Proposals are accepted from the U.S. and internationally.

All proposals must be submitted in English and budgets must be proposed in U.S. Dollars.

Eligible Countries

U.S. and international

Project Duration

Projects may not be longer than 5 years in duration.

Grant Amount

Between $125,000 and $500,000
(Funding tiers: $125,000 to $250,000; $250,001 to $375,000; $375,001 to $500,000)

Contact

largegrants@spencer.org

Additional Information

The program supports proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, including education, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, law, economics, history, or neuroscience, amongst others.

We welcome proposals submitted by multidisciplinary and multigenerational teams who are positioned to contribute to the project and to the teaching and learning of fellow team members.

No preference for individual researchers versus research teams.

Proposals should thoughtfully consider the trajectories of findings, implications, and potential effects, especially how knowledge may be shared and utilized across the field in practice, policymaking, or with broader publics.

Link to the Grant Website

See the call for proposals on Spencer Foundation’s website