Field-Initiated Research Grant Programs (Research Grants)

About this program

The Spencer Foundation's Field-Initiated Research Grant Programs fund rigorous, innovative education research that addresses pressing questions and develops foundational knowledge with potential long-term impact on policy, practice, or educational discourse. Program tracks include Racial Equity Research Grants, Research Grants on Education (Large and Small), Research–Practice Partnerships, and Vision Grants, each supporting technically sound, intellectually ambitious projects and operating with distinct deadlines and submission formats. Applicants are typically scholars or research teams with institutional affiliation proposing field-initiated projects; several tracks require an intent-to-apply or pre-proposal and invite only selected applicants to submit full proposals, so consult the specific program page for eligibility and deadlines.