Research Grants on Reducing Inequality

The William T. Grant Foundation's 2025 Research Grants on Reducing Inequality program supports research designed to develop, test, or deepen understanding of programs, policies, or practices that can reduce inequality in outcomes for young people aged 5 to 25 in the United States. The Foundation is especially interested in reducing disparities along the lines of race, ethnicity, economic standing, gender or sexual minority status, language minority status, and immigrant origins. The program encourages interdisciplinary studies from a broad array of youth-serving systems, such as education, justice, child welfare, housing, and mental health. The Foundation funds three main types of studies: descriptive studies that explain how interventions reduce inequality; intervention studies that test the effectiveness of such interventions; and measurement development studies aimed at improving tools that help researchers and practitioners address inequality. Major research grants range from $100,000 to $600,000 over two to three years, while Officers’ research grants range from $25,000 to $50,000 over one to two years. Indirect costs may not exceed 15 percent of direct costs. Applicants must be tax-exempt organizations, and while individual applicants are not eligible, the Foundation defers to the applying institution’s policies regarding Principal Investigator eligibility. They also encourage submissions from underrepresented institutions and researchers, such as HBCUs, TCUs, and AANAPISIs, and scholars from marginalized communities. All grant applications begin with a letter of inquiry. For major research grants, letters are due on January 8, May 7, and August 6, 2025. Officers’ research grant letters are due on January 8 and August 6. The review process includes internal evaluation and, for major grants, possible invitation to submit a full proposal, which follows a detailed multi-phase review process including external peer review and board approval. Officers’ grants are reviewed solely on the letter of inquiry. Successful applicants are informed within approximately eight weeks, and awards are made after Foundation board meetings in March, June, or October. Proposals must identify specific dimensions of inequality and targeted youth populations, present a strong conceptual framework and theory of change, and clearly outline empirical methods suited to the study's objectives. Studies must be feasible, and teams should demonstrate appropriate expertise and project roles. For Officers’ grants, a budget, justification, and IRS status letter are also required. Additionally, the Foundation values proposals that show promise in challenging systemic inequality and involving diverse team compositions and methodologies. For additional guidance, applicants can access resources, annotated proposals, and templates via the Foundation’s website. The primary contact for inquiries is via email at info@wtgrantfdn.org or phone at 212-752-0071.