The Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is designed to promote scholarship in the United States and abroad on matters relevant to the improvement of education in all its forms.
Funded by Spencer, but administered through the National Academy of Education, the $70,000 fellowships support early career scholars who, through rigorous research, show potential for making significant contributions to education.
The deadline for this competitive program is in the fall of each year. Application guidelines can be found on the National Academy of Education website.
Common Questions
Q: Can I submit the same idea/project to both Spencer and NAEd fellowship programs?
A: If you submit applications to both the NAEd/Spencer fellowship program and a Spencer grant program with the same project idea, please email the Spencer administrative contact for the grant program to which you are applying and let them know that you are also applying to the NAEd/Spencer fellowship program.
Due to the timing of the decision timelines and processes, if you become a semifinalist:
- For a NAEd/Spencer fellowship, you must choose to withdraw your proposal from either the fellowship or the Spencer grant competition.
- For a Spencer grant, you must choose to withdraw your application from either the fellowship or the Spencer grant competition.
- For both the NAEd/Spencer fellowship and a Spencer grant competition, you must choose to withdraw your application from either the fellowship or the Spencer grant competition.
Q: If I am a Spencer/NAEd fellow or Research Development Awardee, can I submit a proposal for a Spencer grant?
A: If you are a NAEd/Spencer Fellow or Research Development Awardee:
- You are eligible to be a PI or Co-PI for a research proposal submitted to a Spencer grant program if the proposed project is significantly different from the project for which you were awarded a NAEd/Spencer fellowship.
- NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Research Development Awardees are eligible to apply for and receive a Spencer grant award, as a PI or Co-PI, for the same project recognized by the NAEd/Spencer Research Development Award.
