charities funding phd research

Field-Initiated Research Grant Programs

Research grants, our research grants are not designed for applicants to respond to a specific request – they are what you, scholars in the field, think we need to know more about..

The goal of all of our research grants is to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious and technically  sound  research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education. We value work that fosters creative and open-minded scholarship, engages in deep inquiry, and examines robust questions related to education. We seek to support scholarship that develops new foundational knowledge that may also have a lasting impact on policy-making, practice, or educational discourse.  

Racial Equity Research Grants

Applications Open: Now closed.

Research Grants on Education: Large

Applications Open: December 2024

Intent to Apply January 14, 2025, 12:00 pm Noon (Central/Chicago Time)

Full Proposal Deadline: February 11, 2025, 12:00 pm Noon (Central/Chicago Time)

Research Grants on Education: Small

Applications Open: October 10, 2024

Full Proposal Deadline: December 4, 2024, 12:00 pm (noon), Central Time

Research-Practice Partnerships: Collaborative research for educational change

Applications Open: July 9, 2024

Intent to Apply The Intent to Apply deadline has passed.

Full Proposal Deadline: October 31, 2024 (12:00 pm (noon) Central time)

More from Funding Opportunities

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Training Grants

Fellowships for Scholars and Journalists

Field building grants, programs to promote collaboration and cross-disciplinary learning, find out more about us.

The Spencer Foundation invests in education research that cultivates learning and transforms lives.

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We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Find Out More About Our Legacy

Lyle M. Spencer established the Spencer Foundation in 1962 to investigate ways education, broadly conceived, might be improved.

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Learn about our founder.

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We support high-quality, innovative research on education, broadly conceived.

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Find out what we're learning, white paper.

Brown at 70: Progress, Pushback, and Policies that Matter

The Complex Braid of Brown: How Conceptualizations and Initiatives Within the African-American Community of Research, Practice and Activism Have Influenced the Advance of Knowledge and Practice in Education

A Timeline of the African-American Struggle for Desegregation and Equity Prior to and Since the Brown v. Board of Education Decision

Browse our resources and tools, resources and tools.

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Resources and Tools For Applicants

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NSF 101: Graduate and postdoctoral researcher funding opportunities

The U.S. National Science Foundation supports research opportunities and provides stipends for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and scholars.

There are multiple ways to find these programs, including the funding search on NSF’s website and the NSF Education & Training Application , which is growing its list of opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

To help begin your search, opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are listed below. The principal investigator, or PI (a researcher who oversees a project), is often listed on these grants, along with their graduate students or postdoctoral researchers.

Graduate Student 

While funding for graduate students is often included in a PI’s research proposal, the following opportunities are also available for early career researchers. 

• Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Awards/Grants (DDRI/DDRIG) These programs help fund doctoral research in a variety of fields to help provide for items not already available at the academic institution. The funding provided cannot be used for items such as, but not limited to, tuition, stipends, textbooks or journals. The monetary amount listed in each DDRI/ DDRIG section does not include indirect cost associated with the project. The doctoral student should be listed as a co-PI on the grants with their advisor listed as the primary PI.

Archaeology Program- DDRIG : This program supports doctoral laboratory and field research on archaeologically relevant topics, with the goal of increasing anthropologically focused understanding of the past. Awards provide funding up to $25,000 per awardee.  

Arctic Science Section DDRIG : The Arctic Sciences Section offers opportunities for DDRI proposals in the following programs: Arctic Social Sciences supports research in any field of social science. Arctic System Science supports projects that address the relationships among physical, chemical, biological, geological, ecological, social, cultural and/or economic processes to advance our understanding of the Arctic system. Arctic Observing Network supports projects focused on scientific and community-based- observations; development of in situ or remote sensors and automated systems; design and optimization of coordinated and scalable observation networks; and management of Arctic Observation Network data, data accessibility and data discovery. Awards provide funding up to $40,000 for a maximum of 3 years. 

Biological Anthropology Program- DDRIG : This program supports research on human and non-human primate adaptation, variation and evolution. Awards provide funding up to $25,000 for up to two years.  

Cultural Anthropology Program- DDRIG : This program supports research that is focused on cultural anthropology research, including topics such as: Sociocultural drivers of anthropogenic processes (i.e., deforestation, urbanization); resilience and robustness of sociocultural systems; scientific principles underlying altruism, conflict, cooperation, and variations in culture and behaviors; economy, culture migration and globalization; kinship and family norms. Awards provide funding for up to $25,000 for up to two years.  

Decision, Risk and Management Science DDRIG : This program supports research on decision, risk and management sciences. This includes research in the areas of judgement and decision making; decision analysis and decision aids, risk analysis; perception and communication; societal and public-policy decision making; and management science and organizational design. Awards are for a maximum of 12 months. 

Economics DDRIG :This program provides funding for research focused on improving the understanding of the U.S. and global economy from macroscale to microscale, including all field of economics such as macroeconomics, microeconomics, econometrics, economic theory, behavioral economics and empirical economics.  

Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences Program- DDRI : This program supports basic scientific research about the nature, causes and/or consequences of the spatial distribution of human activity and/or environmental processes across a range of scales. The program welcomes proposals for empirically grounded, theoretically engaged, and methodologically sophisticated, generalizable research in all sub-fields of geographical and spatial sciences. Awards may not exceed $20,000 in direct costs. 

Linguistics Program- DDRI : This program supports research on human language, including syntax, linguistic semantics and pragmatics, morphology, phonetics, and phonology of individual languages or in general. Awards provide up to $12,000 for a maximum of two years. 

Dynamic Language Infrastructure- DDRI : This program supports research on building dynamic language infrastructure, which includes describing languages; digitizing and preserving languages; and developing standards and databases for analyzing languages. Provides funding up to $15,000 for up to two years. 

Graduate Research Fellowship Program This fellowship supports full-time master's or doctoral students earning their degree in a research-based program focused on STEM or STEM education. Students are the primary submitter for the fellowship. Fellows will be awarded a $37,000 stipend and $12,000 cost-of-education allowance for three years of the five-year fellowship. For tips on applying, see our previous NSF 101 article on the fellowship program . 

Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (INTERN) Supplemental Funding Opportunity   This supplemental funding opportunity is for graduate students funded by active NSF grants. PIs may submit for up to an additional six months of funding to allow students to participate in research internship activities and training opportunities in non-academic settings, such as the following: for-profit industry research; start-up businesses; government agencies and national laboratories; museums, science centers, and other informal learning settings; policy think tanks; and non-profit institutions. Students must have completed at least one academic year of their program. This funding request may not exceed $55,000 per student for each six-month period. A student may only receive this opportunity twice. In addition to the general INTERN opportunity, there are two topic-specific INTERN opportunities: 

Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students in Geothermal Energy Supplemental Funding Opportunity : This opportunity is provided by NSF in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. It maintains the same funding levels and requirements as the general INTERN program; however, funding may only be used for gaining knowledge, skills, training and experience in geothermal energy and technology.  

• Research Internships for Graduate Students at Air Force Research Laboratory Supplemental Funding Opportunity : This funding opportunity is for students supported on an active NSF grant to intern at a Air Force Research Laboratory facility. AFRL has several potential technology directorates available for students at locations across the U.S.: Aerospace Systems (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio), Information (Rome, New York), Materials and Manufacturing (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio), Directed Energy (Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico), Munitions (Eglin Air Force Base, Florida), Sensors (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio), Space Vehicles (Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico), 711th Human Performance Wing Training (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio). 

Mathematical Sciences Graduate Internship This summer internship is for doctoral students in mathematical sciences through a partnership between NSF and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and E ducation. It provides students who are interested in academic and non-academic careers with the opportunity to learn how advanced mathematics and statistical techniques can be applied to real-world problems. Participants in the internship will receive a stipend of $1,200 per week during the 10-week internship. In addition, there is travel reimbursement for up to $2,000 for those who live more than 50 miles away from their hosting site. 

NSF Research Traineeship Program Graduate students can apply for this traineeship through their institutions, if available. These topics can range across the scientific spectrum. Current projects can be found by state . 

Research Experiences for Graduate Students Supplemental Funding These awards provide additional funding for graduate students with mentors who have an active NSF grant. Currently funding is available through the following programs:  

Cultural Anthropology provides up to $6,000 per student for research activities. 

Human Environment and Geographical Sciences at Minority Serving Institutions and Community Colleges provides up to $7,000 per student for research activities. 

Postdoctoral Scholars 

Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship This fellowship supports research investigating a field within astronomy or astrophysics for up to three years. The stipend is $75,000, with a fellowship allowance (i.e., expenses for conducting and publishing research, fringe benefits) of $35,000. 

Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship This fellowship supports postdoctoral fellows in atmospheric or geospace sciences. Atmospheric science includes topics such as atmospheric chemistry; climate and large-scale dynamics; paleoclimate climate; and physical and dynamic meteorology. Geospace science focuses on aeronomy, magnetospheric physics and solar terrestrial research. This fellowship provides up to 24 months of support. The stipend is $70,000 per year, with a fellowship allowance of $30,000.  

Earth Science Postdoctoral Fellowship This program supports the study of structure, composition and evolution, the life it supports and the processes that govern the formation and behavior of Earth’s materials. Researchers are supported for up to two years at the institution of their choice, including institutions abroad. The stipend is $65,000 per year, with a fellowship allowance of $25,000 per year.  

Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

This program supports postdoctoral fellows performing impactful research while broadening the participation of members of groups that are historically excluded and currently underrepresented in mathematical and physical sciences. This fellowship can last between one and three years. The stipend is up to $70,000 per year, with a fellowship allowance of $30,000 per year. 

Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships This fellowship has two options:  

• The Research Fellowship provides full-time support for any 18 months within a three-year academic period.  
• The Research Instructorship provides a combination of full-time and half-time support over a period of three academic years, which allows the fellow to gain teaching experience. Both options receive up to $190,000 over the fellowship period. The full-time stipend is $5,833 per month and the part-time stipend is $2,917 per month. In addition, the fellow will receive $50,000 in two lump sums ($30,000 in the first year and $20,000 in the second year) for fellowship expenses.  

Ocean Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships This fellowship supports research in topic areas such as: biological oceanography, chemical oceanography, physical oceanography, marine geology and geophysics, ocean science and technology. This two-year fellowship with a stipend of $67,800 for the first year and $70,000 for the second year, with a fellowship allowance of $15,000 per year.  

Office of Polar Programs Postdoctoral Research Fellowships This fellowship supports postdoctoral research in any field of Arctic or Antarctic science. This two-years fellowship, with a stipend of $67,800 for the first year and $70,000 for the second year, with fellowship expenses of $15,000 per year.  

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology The Directorate of Biology offers a fellowship for postdoctoral researchers in one of three areas: 

• Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. This area requires a research and training plan that is within the scope of the Directorate for Biology and that enhances diversity within the field.  
• Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interaction between Genomes, Environment and Phenotypes. This area aims to understand higher-order structures and functions of biological systems. Research should use a combination of computational, observational, experimental or conceptual approaches. 
• Plant Genome Postdoctoral Research Fellowships. This area has a broad scope and supports postdoctoral training and research at the frontier of plant biology and of broad societal impact. Highly competitive proposals will describe interdisciplinary training and research on a genome wide scale. The fellowships are for 36 months and have a stipend of $60,000 per year, with a research and training allowance of $20,000 per year. 

SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowships This fellowship supports postdoctoral research in the social, behavioral and economic sciences and/or activities that broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in these fields. Funding is up to two years and has two tracks available:  

• Fundamental Research in the SBE Sciences. This track supports research focused on human behavior, interaction, social and economic systems. 
• Broadening Participation in SBE Sciences. This track aims to increase the diversity of post-doctoral researchers in the social, behavioral and economic sciences. In addition to the research proposal, these applications should also answer the question: “How will this fellowship help broaden or inform efforts to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in the United States?” The stipend for this program is $65,000 per year (paid in quarterly installments) and the research and training allowance is $15,000 per year. 

SBIR Innovative Postdoctoral Entrepreneurial Research Fellowship This fellowship supports postdoctoral researchers at start-up companies through the Small Business Innovation Research program. By recruiting, training, mentoring, matching and funding these early-career scientists, this fellowship addresses the need of doctoral-level expertise at small, high-tech businesses. The base stipend is $78,000 per year with optional individual health and life insurance, relocation assistance (company dependent), professional conference travel allowance, and professional development funds.  

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Individual Postdoctoral Research Fellowship This fellowship is for postdoctoral researchers to enhance their research knowledge, skills, and practices of STEM education research. If the fellowship is granted, the fellow is expected to remain affiliated with the host organization and PI sponsoring them. The fellowship can last up to two years with an annual stipend of $70,000, with fellowship expenses of $15,000.  

Multilevel 

CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service This program is for students earning their associates, bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in cybersecurity. A stipulation of the program is that the recipients must work after graduation in a cybersecurity mission of the federal, state, local or tribal government for an equal amount of time as the scholarship's duration. It will provide full tuition and fees plus a stipend of $27,000 per academic year for undergraduates and a stipend of $37,000 per academic year for graduate students, in addition to a professional allowance of $6,000 for all levels. 

NSF-NIST Interaction in Basic and Applied Scientific Research This supplemental funding request is for NSF-supported researchers to collaborate with researchers at a National Institute of Standards and Technology facility. It can be used for travel expenses and per diem associated with on-site work at NIST. It is available for NSF-supported PIs, co-PIs, postdoctoral scholars, graduate and undergraduate students and other personnel associated with the research. PIs should contact their NSF program director for their award before applying. 

This extensive list shows the ways in which NSF helps train the next generation of STEM researchers. If you are interested in learning more about any of these programs, reach out to contacts listed on the award webpages.  

If you are interested in awards for high school students, undergraduates and post-baccalaureate scholars, check out our previous NSF101 for more information! 

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• PhD candidates
• Post-PhD scientists
• Open to applicants from any country

Research Grants

FOR RESEARCH RELATED TO HUMAN ORIGINS

Funding exploration and discovery

The Leakey Foundation is the leading nonprofit funder of research dedicated to understanding human origins. Each year, we award approximately $1,000,000 in grants and scholarships, advancing our mission to explore and explain the human story.

Leakey Foundation Research Grants support both PhD dissertation research and post-PhD research across multiple disciplines related to human origins, evolution, and behavior. We prioritize funding for the exploratory phases of promising new research projects. We particularly value innovative, multidisciplinary approaches that expand the boundaries of our current understanding. 

We welcome proposals from researchers at all stages of their careers, especially PhD candidates. If your research aligns with our mission and you have an innovative or multidisciplinary project, we encourage you to apply.

Information for Applicants | How to Apply Download Application Packet | Start Application | F.A.Q.

Information for Applicants

This program exclusively funds multidisciplinary research related to human origins, including dissertation research and exploratory studies.

The disciplines supported include archaeology, biological anthropology, paleoanthropology, primate behavioral ecology, genetics, geology, anatomy, morphology, paleobotany, and paleoclimatology.

Our current funding focus areas include:

• Paleoanthropology of the Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene
• Primates: Evolution, behavior, morphology, ecology, endocrinology, genetics, isotope studies
• Modern hunter-gatherer groups

When to apply

• January 10 for spring cycle
• July 15 for fall cycle
• Up to $20,000 for PhD candidates
• Up to $30,000 for post-PhD researchers

Who can apply

• Your research must be relevant to human origins and evolution.
• Applications are open to advanced doctoral students or post-PhD researchers.
• PhD students must be advanced to candidacy (all but dissertation).
• There are no citizenship requirements. Applications are open to candidates from anywhere in the world. 
• Applicants must be affiliated with an institution such as a university or museum. We do not give directly to individuals.
• Resubmittals are welcome and encouraged.
• If you have received a Leakey Foundation grant in the past, you must complete all reporting requirements before receiving a new one.

Eligible expenses

• The grant can only be used for expenses directly related to your research and essential to the project such as travel, living expenses during fieldwork, supplies, and research expenses.
• Aid is not offered for salary and/or fringe benefits of applicant or senior project personnel, child care, equipment, travel to meetings, institutional overhead, publication costs, or institutional support.

How to apply

• Download the instructions and materials packet.
• Read and follow all instructions.
• Submit your application online.

If you have questions about the application or the eligibility of your research after reading the instructions, please review the frequently asked questions below.

If your question is not answered there, email [email protected] .

Start your application

Start your application by clicking the button that best describes you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore frequently asked questions about Leakey Foundation grants. Contact our Grants Department at grants at leakeyfoundation.org if your question is not answered below.

Applications

May I submit more than one proposal per granting cycle?

Investigators may only submit one proposal as a principal investigator (PI) per granting cycle. This policy does not apply to co-investigators. For example, you may be the PI on one proposal and a co-investigator on another.

What expenses can I include in my budget?

Our grants cover expenses directly related and essential to the project (i.e., travel, living expenses during fieldwork, supplies, research assistance, and other relevant expenditures). Aid is not offered for salary and/or fringe benefits of the applicant (or senior project personnel), tuition, non-project personnel, child care, equipment, travel to meetings, institutional overhead, publication costs, or institutional support.

Eligibility

Who is eligible to apply? Advanced doctoral students and people who already hold PhDs. High school and undergraduate college students are NOT eligible. There are no citizenship restrictions.

Do I need to be a US citizen to apply? No! Our grants are open to applicants from anywhere in the world.

How can I know my topic is eligible for funding? Your topic must be relevant to human origins. Our current funding priorities include:

If you are unsure, please write to us at grants at leakeyfoundation.org and provide a brief description of your project before you apply.

I won’t be a PhD Candidate until after the grant deadline. Can I still apply? The foundation’s grants officer will determine your eligibility. Please email grants at leakeyfoundation.org to explain your status.

Does The Leakey Foundation offer research grants for undergraduate or masters students? No, Leakey Foundation Research Grants are limited to applicants who either already hold a PhD or equivalent qualification in anthropology or a related discipline or are enrolled in a doctoral program with all degree requirements fulfilled other than the thesis/dissertation.

I received a previous award from The Leakey Foundation. Can I apply for another? Yes, as long as you are fully compliant with the terms of your prior award.

If I am not affiliated with a school or research institution, may I apply for a grant? Individuals must be affiliated with a school or research institution.

How much funding can I request? As of May 2022, PhD candidates may apply for up to $20,000. As of May 2022, post-doctoral applicants and senior scientists may apply for up to $30,000.

How much can my institution deduct for administrative costs? Your institution may not deduct anything. Charges for overhead, administrative or indirect costs are not allowed.

Is funding available for publishing research results? We do not currently have funding programs for dissertation writing or any other form of publication assistance.

Granting Process

What are the application deadlines and how long before I can expect a decision? Research Grants have two application cycles each year, with deadlines falling on January 10th (Spring Cycle) and July 15th (Fall Cycle). Decisions for the Spring Cycle are announced in mid-May. Decisions for the Fall Cycle are announced in mid-December.

How do you select which grants to fund? Grant proposals are generally selected for award based on but not limited to the following criteria: the scientific merit of the proposal, methods and feasibility, the budget, the qualifications of the investigators, the relevancy of the proposal to understanding human origins, the current applicant pool, and the funds available during a given year. The following is the standard process we follow for selecting grants to fund:

• Grant proposals are reviewed for completion and eligibility by The Leakey Foundation’s Grants Department.
• Proposals are then sent to The Leakey Foundation’s network of scientists with pertinent expertise for peer review.
• Next, proposals and peer reviews are evaluated by The Leakey Foundation’s Scientific Executive Committee (SEC).
• Our SEC then presents award recommendations to our Board of Trustees for approval.
• Once proposals are approved, applicants are notified, and peer review feedback is shared. 

You are a nonprofit organization, does that mean donors choose which projects to fund? No. Although we depend on donations to fund our mission, decisions are made through a rigorous peer-review process. Donors and Leakey Foundation staff do not weigh in on the decisions.

How and when should I receive the decision about my proposal? You will receive a notification via the email address included with your application. We send notifications in mid-May and mid-December. If you haven’t heard by June 1st (Spring Cycle) or December 20th (Fall Cycle), please contact us at grants at leakeyfoundation.org .

What types of projects does The Leakey Foundation support? The Leakey Foundation exclusively funds research into human origins, including paleoanthropology, genetics, primate behavior, and the behavioral ecology of contemporary hunter-gatherers. Proposals that are not relevant to human origins are generally not considered.

Are there any Leakey Foundation grant programs for research that is not directly relevant to human origins? No. All applicants must explicitly demonstrate that the research is related to understanding human origins and evolution.

Explore past grant and scholarship recipients in the grantee database .

Estate Gift

I [name], of [city, state ZIP], bequeath the sum of $[ ] or [ ] percent of my estate to L.S.B. Leakey Foundation for Research Related to Man’s Origins, Behavior & Survival, (dba The Leakey Foundation), a nonprofit organization with a business address of 1003B O’Reilly Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94129 and a tax identification number 95-2536475 for its unrestricted use and purpose.

If you have questions, please contact Sharal Camisa Smith sharal at leakeyfoundation.org.  

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