William T. Grant Scholars Program: Research Guide

The William T. Grant Scholars Program is a five-year career development award that provides $425,000 (including up to 7.5% indirect costs) to early-career researchers studying ways to improve the lives of young people in the United States. Administered by the William T. Grant Foundation, it supports researchers who want to build expertise in a new discipline, method or content area with the help of senior mentors. Within the broader landscape of education research, it is one of the best-known routes from early faculty work to an independent research agenda. Details below are as described on the foundation’s official page, checked on 2026-11-07.

What it is and who runs it

The William T. Grant Scholars Program is run by the William T. Grant Foundation, a philanthropic funder of research on youth. Rather than funding a single short project, the award supports a five-year plan in which the Scholar builds new expertise. Awards begin July 1 and are made to the Scholar’s institution.

Proposed research must fall within one of the foundation’s two focus areas: reducing inequality in youth outcomes, and improving the use of research evidence in decisions that affect youth. The foundation’s focus is young people ages 5 to 25 in the United States. Four to six Scholars are selected each year.

Eligibility

The foundation’s guidelines set these baseline requirements:

• Degree timing: applicants must have received their doctorate within seven years of submitting the application. The foundation calculates this by adding seven to the year the doctorate was conferred. In medicine, the seven-year maximum is dated from completion of the first residency.
• Position: applicants must hold a career-ladder position, usually tenure-track at a university. The award cannot be used as a postdoctoral fellowship.
• Institutional nomination: the foundation makes grants only to tax-exempt organizations, so individuals cannot apply directly. Each major division of an institution may nominate only one applicant per year.
• Location: applicants outside the United States are eligible, provided their research has policy or practice implications for U.S. youth.
• Discipline: applicants of any discipline are eligible if the work fits the foundation’s focus areas.

What it funds or requires

Each Scholar receives $425,000 over five years, including up to 7.5% indirect costs. Requirements include:

• Protected research time: the University of Colorado Boulder research office, summarising the guidelines, notes that at least half of the Scholar’s paid time must be spent conducting research.
• Mentoring: applicants propose one to two mentors for the first two years; two is typical and recommended. Mentor letters must show agreed-upon goals that expand the applicant’s expertise. Mentoring plans for later years are developed with foundation staff after year two.

Application or compliance steps

1. Internal nomination: because each major division can nominate only one applicant, candidates first go through their institution’s internal selection process, usually run by the office of research. For example, CU Boulder’s internal process asks for a research plan, a mentoring plan, a CV and a budget overview.
2. Mentor commitments: the nominee names mentors who will help build the expertise the research plan requires and describes how and how often they will interact.
3. Submission to the foundation: the institution submits the application through the foundation’s process; foundation staff screen for fit with the focus areas.
4. Research compliance: research involving human participants needs ethics review under the standard IRB approval process, and data should be managed according to data management plans.

Typical timeline phases

Dates change each cycle; check the foundation’s page for the current competition. As described on the foundation’s page, the selection process runs in these stages:

• Staff screening: foundation staff review abstracts, brief CVs and, if warranted, full applications for fit with the focus areas.
• Committee review: the Scholars Selection Committee gives each remaining application detailed reviews from two members.
• Finalists: the committee chooses about 10 finalists, whose proposals receive two external reviews. Finalists are interviewed and respond to the reviews.
• Decision: the committee recommends four to six Scholars to the Board of Trustees for approval.

On the date checked, the foundation listed the 2026 competition as closed, with dates for the next competition to be posted in January 2027.

Common mistakes

• No stretch beyond existing expertise: the award is built around acquiring new disciplines, methods or content areas, so a plan that only extends the applicant’s existing work does not fit its purpose.
• Vague mentoring plans: mentor letters must show agreed-upon goals, and the plan should state specific activities and how often mentor and Scholar will interact.
• Missing the U.S. youth link: applicants based outside the United States are eligible only when the work has policy or practice implications for U.S. youth.
• Applying directly: individuals cannot apply on their own; the institution must nominate, and a division may nominate only one applicant.

Related programs

Researchers comparing options can look at the Spencer Foundation grant guide and the wider overview of education research funding. Each funder sets its own eligibility and amounts, so confirm terms on the funder’s own page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the William T. Grant Scholars Program award?

Each Scholar receives $425,000 over five years, including up to 7.5% indirect costs.

Can researchers outside the United States apply for William T. Grant Foundation grants?

Applicants outside the United States are eligible, but their research must have policy or practice implications for U.S. youth. Applicants must still be nominated by an eligible institution.

Who is eligible to become a William T. Grant Scholar?

Applicants must have received their doctorate within seven years of applying (in medicine, seven years from completion of the first residency), hold a career-ladder position and be nominated by their institution.

How competitive is the selection process?

The committee chooses about 10 finalists, and four to six Scholars are selected each year.

What are the focus areas?

Reducing inequality in youth outcomes, and improving the use of research evidence in decisions that affect youth, for young people ages 5 to 25 in the United States.

Sources

• William T. Grant Foundation. “William T. Grant Scholars Program.” https://wtgrantfoundation.org/grant-making/william-t-grant-scholars-program (checked 2026-11-07).
• University of Colorado Boulder, Research & Innovation Office. “William T. Grant Scholars.” https://colorado.edu/researchinnovation/william-t-grant-scholars (checked 2026-11-07).