NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship 2027: $30,000 Funding for Doctoral Researchers in Education
Applications are open for the NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship 2027, providing $30,000 and professional support to doctoral candidates in the United States. The programme supports emerging scholars whose dissertation research contributes to the understanding and improvement of education.
Overview
The NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship 2027 is a competitive funding opportunity administered by the National Academy of Education with support from the Spencer Foundation. Each year, the programme selects approximately 35 doctoral researchers to receive financial support, professional development retreats, and individual mentorship from established scholars during the dissertation-writing stage.
Benefits
- A $30,000 financial award distributed in two installments to support one academic year of dissertation writing.
- Participation in two professional development retreats facilitated by distinguished scholars.
- Individual academic mentorship from an NAEd member or another approved scholar.
Eligibility
- Open to doctoral candidates at graduate schools within the United States.
- U.S. citizenship is not required, provided the applicant is enrolled at an eligible U.S. institution.
- All pre-dissertation requirements, coursework, and proposal approvals must be completed by June 1, 2027.
- Applicants may come from any academic discipline, provided their dissertation is centrally focused on education.
How to Apply
Candidates must submit their applications through the official online portal. A complete application includes demographic information, a personal statement, a detailed dissertation work plan, an abstract, a narrative discussion of up to 10 pages, a bibliography, a graduate transcript, and exactly two letters of recommendation.
To submit an application, visit the official application portal.
Deadline
The application deadline is October 8, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Recommendation letters must be submitted by the same deadline.