Strategic Initiatives

Initiative on Civic Learning and Civic Action
Budgets Over $40,000

Investigators of projects with budgets over $40,000 are asked to submit a preliminary proposal following the guidelines below. Preliminary proposals are accepted at any time; there are no deadlines. After review of the preliminary proposal, the Principal Investigator may be invited to submit a full proposal. Typically, applicants will be informed about the status of the preliminary proposal within four to six weeks of receipt.

Preliminary Proposal Application

The preliminary proposal submission should include the following elements:

Proposal Cover Sheet

Click to download Proposal Cover Sheet.

Proposal Narrative

The proposal narrative should be no longer than 1800 words, not including the reference list. It should encompass:

• a description of the project and the central research question(s);  
• a brief summary of the relevant literature and the relationship of the proposed research to that literature;  
• a detailed, yet concise summary of the conceptual framework, research methods, data collection instruments, and modes of analysis that the project will employ;  
• the new knowledge expected to result from the proposed research, and the significance of the project both for contributing to the existing literature and for improving educational or other kinds of outcomes;   
• an explanation of the relevance of the project to the research priorities detailed in the Initiative on Civic Learning and Civic Action description; and 
• an identification of the principal investigator(s) and a clear definition of the role(s) and time committments of the PI(s) and any supporting researchers.

Proposal Budget

The suggested budget format 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.

Submission Instructions

Interested applicants should send three copies of your proposal and attachments to the mailing address below.

Review Process

Typically, applicants will be informed about the status of the preliminary proposal within four to six weeks of receipt. Investigators may be invited to submit a full proposal based on the outcome of the review of their preliminary proposal. An invitation letter will be sent to the Principal Investigator, along with guidelines for submission and the various forms that we require.

Criteria for Review

The criteria we will use in evaluating proposals include:

• Likelihood that answers to the research questions will advance understanding about the civic action and learning-experience connections;
• Implications for educational improvement, including but not limited to curricula, classrooms, and schools;
• Methodological rigor and the appropriateness of the research design to the research questions;
• Generalizability of the study beyond the project's specific populations and research sites.

Although individual projects are not required to address or include each of the priorities below, we will strive to include in the Initiative portfolio studies that attend to the following:

• Outcomes aligned with institutional or systemic change;
• Populations of interest, including non-college-bound youth, less economically privileged youth, members of diverse racial and ethnic groups, and immigrant youth;
• Attention to developmental patterns (age ranges that extend from childhood through age 30).

Invited Full Proposals

If the review of the preliminary proposal results in an invitation to submit a full proposal, the Principal Investigator will receive a letter of invitation. There are three deadlines each year for invited full proposals. Although these dates are typically in April, July, and December, the specific deadline date will be included in the invitation letter. The review process for invited full proposals takes approximately eight months and may include staff, external, and advisory committee review.

Questions

Please direct any questions regarding the proposal submission process to Annie Brinkman, Program Administrator, at abrinkman@spencer.org or 312-274-6511.