The Spencer Foundation will pause new competitions for its small and large education research grants, as well as its racial equity research grants, from January through June 2027. It plans to announce a revised grant-making approach in June after reviewing its programs and decision-making process.
In a public letter, foundation leaders said the review would be informed by conversations with people in the field about where support is most needed. They said the number of proposals received has more than quadrupled in the past four years. The foundation also increased grant-making by 20 percent in response to declining federal research funding and growing financial strain on universities.
President Na’ilah Suad Nasir and Programs Director Leah Bricker said the current programs place heavy demands on applicants and reviewers and take too long to get funding to researchers. They acknowledged that pausing grants could reduce opportunities when support is urgently needed, but argued that continuing programs with substantial application workloads and a shrinking likelihood of funding would not be sustainable or responsible.
Sources: Inside Higher Ed.