Vision Grants, Spencer Foundation
The Spencer Foundation invests in research to improve education, broadly conceived. We have identified 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.
Program Statement
The Vision Grants program is designed to support the field in producing research that disrupts long-standing inequities toward more just and equitable systems. While we are in a time of major challenges in education, we are also in a moment of possibility. We believe that visionary and cross-disciplinary/multi-method scholarship, conducted in generative and equitable collaboration with stakeholders in the field, including policymakers, practitioners, and communities, can contribute to reimagining and transforming educational systems toward equity.
Vision Grants will provide planning funds for teams to develop proposals for research projects that:
- Are focused on key challenges and opportunities that have the potential for increasing equity in education.
- Engage multiple PIs across distinct disciplinary and/or research methods approaches.
- Collaborate equitably with practitioners, policymakers, and communities (and other stakeholders) Have clear sightlines to transformational change through research at a systemic level.
ELIGIBILITY AND RESTRICTIONS
Eligibility
Proposals to the Vision Grant program must be for planning research projects that study education and/or learning, broadly conceived, though they can include other sectors in addition to education. Principal Investigators (PIs) and Co-PIs applying for a Vision Grant must have appropriate experience or an earned doctorate in an academic discipline or terminal degree in a professional field.
While graduate students may be part of the research team, they may not be named the PI or Co-PI on the proposal. The PI must be affiliated with a non-profit organization or public/governmental institution that is willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded. The Spencer Foundation does not award grants directly to individuals. Examples include non-profit private or public colleges, universities, school districts, and research facilities.
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.
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
-08/07/2024: Difusión del concurso desde la VRIDT.
-31/07/2024: 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
-05/08/2024: Fecha límite para enviar el Formulario de Autorización de Proyectos (FAP) a través del sistema SIVRIDT.
Video Tutorial: ingresar aquí
-09/08/2024: 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
-13/08/2024: Plazo máximo de la VRIDT, para solicitar mejoras o ajustes a los proyectos.
-14/08/2024 12:00 PM, noon, Central time: Plazo máximo para postular Intent to Apply a través de la plataforma de postulación.
-17/09/2024 12:00 PM, noon, Central time: Plazo máximo para postular Full Proposal a través de la plataforma de postulación.
-10/10/2024: 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