Objectives/funding priorities: “The Spencer Foundation seeks to provide scholars and collaborators with the time, space, resources, and support to plan a large-scale study or program of research: geared toward real-world impact on equity; drawing on research across disciplines and methods; reliant on meaningful and equitable collaboration with practitioners, policymakers, communities, and other partners; and focused on transforming educational systems.” (Spencer Foundation, 2024). In sum, this grant is used to promote the development and planning of an equity focused project that incorporates several entities.
Types of grants funded: They fund the Vision Grant. This grant is a planning grant and supports the development of a large-scale education project the supports equity in education. The planning grant is awarded for a 6 month-1 year timeline. This grant is a prerequisite for their larger transformative grant which is awards up to 3.5 million dollars.
Eligibility:
- Must be for the planning of a research project focused on educational equity
- PI or Co-PI’s must have experience in their field or earned a terminal degree (PhD)
- Graduate students can be on the research team, however, they cannot be listed as a PI
- Must be part of a non-profit organization or public/governmental institution
- Examples include non-profit private or public colleges, universities, school districts, and research facilities, as well as other non-profit organizations with a 501©(3) determination from the IRS.
- Proposals are accepted from the United States and internationally, but the proposal must be in English and the budget in U.S dollars.
Level of funding provided: 75,000$ for a 6 month-1 year period. There are two award cycles per year for the grant.
How to Apply:
- Applications open early December, intent to apply deadline: Feb 11 2025 noon central time, full proposal deadline: March 11 2025 noon central time.
- Intent to apply form
- No more than 200-word statement stating your intent to apply for the grant
- MUST submit to be eligible to apply
- Must include project personnel, proposal summary, and project data – check off in the online portal.
- PI must create an account here: https://spencer.smartsimple.us/s_Login.jsp
- Submit CV of PI
- Proposal Elements
- Project personnel
- Proposal summary
- Proposal narrative (2000 words)
- Empirical rationale
- Description of the team and their expertise (previous work, methodologies, area of interest)
- A process or plan for collaborative work on developing the research design
- Reference List, word count, 12-point font, double spaced, APA style.
- Project Timeline
- Not to exceed one page, no smaller than 9-point font
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Salaries, benefits, other collaborators outside the research team, travel, equipment and software, project expenses such as supplies, communications, transcription, learning and professional development, and other.
- Optional Appendix A:
- “If you choose, you are invited to upload a one-page appendix in your Vision Grant proposal to elaborate on the theoretical, methodological, and partnership structures, or other dimensions you deem as relevant to conducting ethical and just research.” (Spencer Foundation, 2024).
- “If your work engages with Indigenous communities, you may want to elaborate on the project leadership’s histories and engagement with Indigenous communities, any formal agreements (e.g., Tribal IRB or approvals), or the use of Indigenous methodologies in the project.” (Spencer Foundation, 2024).
- Optional Appendix B:
- Approval letters from organizations (IRB, Tribal approvals, community approvals, school district approvals, etc.)
Website: https://www.spencer.org/grant_types/vision-grants
Recent Funded Projects: https://www.spencer.org/transformative-research-program/awardees
- I was not able to obtain any materials of journal articles or description/summaries. This grant is very new with the pilot cycle occurring in Spring 2023.