Applications call for the National Academy of Education NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship. The National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship Program supports 25 early-career scholars working in critical areas of education research. The fellowships support non-residential postdoctoral proposals that make significant scholarly contributions to the field of education. The program also develops the careers of its recipients through professional development activities involving the National Academy of Education members.

Criteria 

• Applicants must have received their Ph.D., EdD, or equivalent research degree between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019.
• Applications must be made by the individual applying for the fellowship. Group applications will not be accepted. Similarly, the proposed project must be a research project.
• Applicants may not be employees of the Spencer Foundation or the National Academy of Education.
• Furthermore, this is a non-residential fellowship, and international applicants are encouraged.

Award

The fellowship of $70,000 will be awarded to 25 scholars. Fellows may elect to take the NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship full-time over one year or half-time over two years. This is a non- residential fellowship. Scholars may conduct their research at their home institution or at another research site that they have arranged. During their fellowship tenure, fellows are required to attend three professional development retreats hosted by the NAEd and to make a formal presentation of their research to the Academy. The NAEd provides additional travel funds for fellows to attend these meetings.

Stipulation

• The fellow may not receive other concurrent funding for their project during the tenure of the fellowship.
• Fellows may not hold a separate grant from the Spencer Foundation during their -fellowship period.
• Fellows must receive approval for their project from a human subjects review board prior to the release of fellowship funds.

Qualifications

• Applicants must have received their PhD, EdD, or equivalent research degree between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019. Please note, if you defended your dissertation in 2019 but did not receive your diploma, or were not conferred, until 2020, then you will not be eligible to apply for the fellowship this year. Do please consider applying next year, however.
• The applicant should have a demonstrated record of research experience in education.
• The proposed project must be an education research project. NAEd funds studies that examine the efficacy of curriculum and teaching methods, however, we do not fund the initial development of curriculum or instructional programs.
• Applications will be judged on the applicant’s past research record, career trajectory in education research, and the quality of the project described in the application.
• Applications must be made by the individual applying for the fellowship; group applications will not be accepted.
• Non-US citizens are welcome to apply.
• Concurrent funding for the proposed project is not permitted. You may not hold a grant from the Spencer Foundation at the same time as this fellowship.

Click here to apply for NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship 2021