The Spencer Foundation supporting advancement in education through research

guidelines for proposals with a budget of $40,000 or less

 


Please follow the guidelines below when submitting a proposal with a budget of $40,000 or less. The proposal will be reviewed and a funding decision will be made within four to five months from the date of submission.


The proposal submission should include the following elements:

  1. Proposal Cover Sheet
    1. the proposal cover sheet should be downloaded, saved to your computer, and then submitted with your proposal. Click to download.

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

    1. a description of the project, the central research question(s) and its significance;
    2. 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;
    3. a concise summary of the conceptual framework, research methods, data collection instruments, and modes of analysis that the project will employ;
    4. an explanation of (a) how the proposed work fits within one or more of the Spencer focus areas, or, (b) the unique contribution of the work if it does not fit within one of the Spencer focus areas; and
    5. 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.

  3. Proposal Budget

    1. the suggested budget format sheet should be downloaded, saved to your computer and then submitted with your proposal. Approval from the appropriate financial officer of the institution is required. Click to download.
  4. Curriculum Vitae of the Principal Investigator(s) (each CV should be no longer than 6 pages).

Deadlines: Proposals are accepted at any time; there are no deadlines.

Submission Instructions: Please send four copies of your proposal and attachments to the mailing address below. Your submission should be addressed to the Spencer Focus Area under which your proposal primarily falls. (Please do not send your proposal to more than one focus area.)

Spencer Foundation
Attn: (Primary Focus Area)
625 North Michigan Avenue
Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60611

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.