How To Apply Guidelines

Please follow the guidelines below when submitting a proposal with a budget of $40,000 or less.

The proposal application should include the following elements:

Proposal Cover Sheet

The proposal cover sheet should be downloaded, saved to your computer, and then submitted with your proposal. Click to download.  

Proposal Narrative

(The proposal narrative should be no longer than 1800 words, not including the reference list.)

• a description of the project, the central research question(s) and its significance;  
• a brief summary of the relevant literature, the relationship of the proposed research to that literature, and the new knowledge expected to result from the proposed research;  
• a concise summary of the conceptual framework, research methods, data collection instruments, and modes of analysis that the project will employ;  
• an explanation of (a) how the proposed work fits within one or more of the Spencer areas of inquiry, or, (b) the unique contribution of the work if it does not fit within one of the Spencer areas of inquiry; and  
• a clear identification of the principal investigator(s) and a clear definition of the role(s) he/she and any supporting researcher(s) will play.

Proposal Budget

The suggested budget format sheet should be downloaded, saved to your computer and then submitted with your proposal. Click to download.

Curriculum Vitae of the Principal Investigator(s)

Each Curriculum Vitae should be no longer than 6 pages.

Deadlines

Proposals should be received in hard copy by the deadline date. Deadlines for 2009-2010 are December 4th, 2009, February 12th, 2010, April 30th, 2010, July 9th, 2010, October 1st, 2010, and December 3rd, 2010.

The review of complete proposal applications received in hardcopy at the Spencer Foundation offices by the deadline will take approximately 3 1/2 months. We recommend that your proposed start date be no sooner than 4 months following the deadline.

Submission Instructions

Please send four copies of the complete proposal application (including all attachments) to the mailing address below. Your submission should be addressed to the Spencer Area of Inquiry under which your proposal primarily falls. (Please do not send your proposal to more than one area.)

Questions

If you have any questions regarding the proposal submission process, please feel free to contact Annie Brinkman, Program Administrator, at abrinkman@spencer.org or 312-274-6511.