Vision Grants, Spencer Foundation
The Spencer Foundation invests in research to improve education, broadly conceived. There is a critical need for innovative, methodologically and disciplinarily diverse, large-scale research projects to transform education systems for equity. Importantly, we believe that ambitious research must begin with the challenges, problems, and opportunities in education systems. To stimulate research that addresses this need, 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.
The Vision Grants program funds the collaborative planning of innovative, methodologically diverse, interdisciplinary research on education that contributes to transforming education systems for equity. Vision Grants are research planning grants to bring together a team, for 6 to 12 months, to collaboratively develop ambitious, large-scale research projects focused on transforming educational systems toward greater equity. This program takes as core that visionary, interdisciplinary, and collaborative research projects require time, space, and thoughtfulness to incubate and plan.
Vision Grants are $75,000 total and two cycles of this grant program will be held annually. Different from many of Spencer’s other programs, the proposal should not be a fully fleshed out research plan. Instead, this is an invitation to think forward about what research we need to transform education systems toward equity and then to envision how that systems-change will happen, utilizing research evidence. Teams are encouraged to reflect on the people who need to be involved from the beginning of the research design process, and how evidence from the eventual research study/studies could be used to actually transform systems. Vision Grant proposals should identify the system(s) targeted for transformation and the specific levers the team thinks need to be engaged in order to work toward systems transformation.
Proposals should also explicitly identify:
- a research topic and initial thoughts about scope and methodological approach of the study;
- the plan for impact, identifying the levers for systems change that will likely be engaged;
- the collaboration process; and
- a team that will lead to a fully fleshed out research plan by the end of the grant period.
Restrictions
Proposed budgets for this program are limited to $75,000 total and may not include indirect cost charges per Spencer’s policy. The Vision Grant may not be longer than 12 months in duration.
How to apply
Step 1: Submit an Intent to Apply Form
The Intent to Apply is not more than 200 words and has no impact on proposal review. It is a mechanism to assist Spencer’s internal planning and program management. The Intent to Apply is required to submit a proposal to the Vision Grants program.
Step 2: Prepare and Submit a Full Proposal
As a reminder, Vision Grants are $75,000 for a duration of between 6 and 12 months. Vision Grants are intended to provide research planning grant support to teams of researchers, policymakers, practitioners, community members and/or other stakeholders to develop thoughtful and rigorous studies and programs of research.
Calendario interno UCN
-23/12/2024: Difusión del concurso desde la VRIDT.
-15/01/2025: Fecha límite para informar a la Dirección de Investigación, sobre la participación en el concurso, completando el Formulario de Iniciativa de Proyectos (FIP) a través del sistema SIVRIDT.
Video Tutorial: ingresar aquí
-21/01/2025: Fecha límite para enviar el Formulario de Autorización de Proyectos (FAP) a través del sistema SIVRIDT.
Video Tutorial: ingresar aquí
-23/01/2025: Fecha límite para enviar los documentos de avances del proyecto a través del sistema SIVRIDT (Carta de recomendación que debe firmar el Director/la Directora de la Unidad, otro).
Vídeo Tutorial: ingresar aquí
-24/01/2025: Plazo máximo de la VRIDT, para solicitar mejoras o ajustes a los proyectos.
-11/02/2025 12:00 PM, noon, Central time: Plazo máximo para postular (Intent to Apply) a través de la plataforma de postulación.
-11/03/2025 12:00 PM, noon, Central time: Plazo máximo para postular (Full Proposal) a través de la plataforma de postulación.
-30/03/2025: Plazo máximo para respaldar (subir) los documentos postulados del concurso en el sistema SIVRIDT.
Video Tutorial: ingresar aquí
Link Concurso: https://www.spencer.org/grant_types/vision-grants
Correos de contacto: If you have any queries about your application, please contact Jessica Anzaldúa visiongrants@spencer.org