Research Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence

The Research Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence program, offered by the William T. Grant Foundation, supports rigorous research designed to enhance the ways research evidence is used to benefit young people aged 5 to 25 in the United States. The Foundation seeks proposals that explore strategies to improve the use, usefulness, and impact of research evidence in policy and practice decisions made by key decision-makers, including state and local policymakers, agency leaders, organizational managers, community leaders, and intermediaries. The initiative aims to fund studies that either build or test such strategies or examine whether improved use of research evidence leads to better outcomes for youth. The Foundation offers two types of funding under this program. Major Research Grants range from $100,000 to $1,000,000 over two to four years, with the higher amounts reserved for projects involving randomized controlled trials. Secondary data analysis projects typically receive between $100,000 and $300,000, while projects with new data collection are eligible for $300,000 to $600,000. Officers’ Research Grants provide $25,000 to $50,000 over one to two years and are suitable for smaller, stand-alone studies or extensions of larger projects. Both funding tiers allow up to 15% in indirect costs. Eligible applicants must be tax-exempt organizations; the Foundation does not fund individuals. Applications are encouraged from underrepresented institutions such as HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, and Hispanic-serving institutions. All proposals must focus on U.S.-based youth populations and align with one of two research aims: strategies to improve the use of existing research, or investigations into whether such improved use enhances youth outcomes. The Foundation explicitly excludes studies focused solely on data access, dissemination, or frontline practitioner use. The application process begins with a letter of inquiry, accepted twice per year in January and July. Officers’ grant applications must include a full budget and require institutional approval before submission. Major grant applications are evaluated based on letters of inquiry and may lead to invitations for full proposals, which are peer-reviewed. Funding decisions for Officers’ grants are made within 14 weeks of the submission deadline, while the full proposal cycle for major grants spans 10 to 12 months. Evaluation criteria include alignment with program goals, strong theoretical and empirical grounding, rigorous methodology, feasibility, and a clear connection between research use and youth outcomes. Projects demonstrating methodological rigor, multidisciplinary collaboration, involvement of underrepresented researchers, and potential for public data sharing are particularly valued. The Foundation also offers capacity-building support and opportunities for peer learning among grantees. The next deadline for letters of inquiry is January 7, 2026, at 3:00 PM Eastern Time.

Ensure research questions are well-grounded in theory and existing evidence; avoid focusing solely on access or data dissemination; align study aims with program objectives.