In an effort to make progress on our ultimate goal of improving education, the Spencer Foundation created the Spencer Forum to develop a focused strategy for strengthening the connection among research, policy and practice. An organizational unit within the Foundation, the Forum builds more cohesive and pro-active efforts in the areas of communications, networking and capacity building as a complement to Spencer’s research programs. Current projects include the Education Journalism Initiative, the Fellowship programs (including Spencer Dissertation Fellowships, National Academy of Education Postdoctoral Fellowships, Spencer Resident Fellowships and Exemplary Dissertation Awards), Foundation events and publications, and oversight and strategic development of the Foundation’s website. In addition, the Forum works to develop new interactive and collaborative projects designed to connect more directly both with Spencer-funded researchers and with members of the policy and practice communities.