NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship

The NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship is a competitive funding opportunity designed to support doctoral candidates pursuing dissertation research relevant to the improvement of education. Administered by the National Academy of Education (NAEd) in partnership with the Spencer Foundation, the fellowship emphasizes supporting a new generation of scholars from diverse academic and professional backgrounds. Fellows are expected to bring insightful and innovative approaches to topics in formal and informal education through research grounded in theory, history, or application. Each year, the fellowship identifies and supports 35 exceptional doctoral candidates who are in the writing phase of their dissertation. The fellowship provides a financial award of $27,500 for one academic year, delivered in two installments. The funding aims to alleviate the need for significant outside employment, allowing fellows to focus on completing their dissertations. In addition to financial support, fellows attend two professional development retreats facilitated by senior scholars affiliated with NAEd, and select a mentor to support their academic growth during the award period. Eligibility is open to individuals who are doctoral candidates at accredited graduate schools in the United States. U.S. citizenship is not required. Applicants must have completed all pre-dissertation requirements—such as coursework, qualifying exams, and proposal approval—by June 1 of the award year. Candidates must also propose a dissertation topic directly related to education and demonstrate a strong intent to pursue educational research in their post-doctoral careers. Group applications are not accepted. Applications open on July 1, 2025, and the deadline for submission is October 2, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The application process is thorough and involves multiple stages of review, including initial screening for eligibility and completeness, evaluation by senior scholars, and final assessment by a selection committee. The application must include a background profile, a personal statement, a detailed work plan, an abstract, a narrative discussion of the research, a bibliography, and an unofficial graduate transcript. Two letters of recommendation are also required, one of which must come from the applicant’s dissertation chair. Applicants are evaluated on the importance of their research question to the field of education, the quality and feasibility of their methodology, and their potential for future contributions to educational research. The selection committee also assesses the coherence, theoretical grounding, and methodological rigor of each proposal. Notification of semifinalist status occurs in May, with finalists selected following further review in April. While the fellowship encourages exclusive focus on dissertation writing, fellows may engage in up to 10 hours per week of other work if approved. The fellowship may not be held concurrently with external awards like the Ford Foundation Fellowship, but internal university-based fellowships may be combined upon approval. Award funds may be used for a range of expenses including living costs, insurance, books, conference fees, and tuition.

Strong proposals are those with well-grounded, clearly presented research questions and methodology. NAEd recommends applicants review available writing guides from the Spencer Foundation.