The William T Grant Foundation’s Investigator Initiated Grants Program supports high-quality empirical studies that are consistent with their Current Research Interests: enhancing the understanding of how youth settings work, how they affect youth development, and how they can be improved; and when, how, and under what conditions research evidence is used in policy and practice that affect youth, and how its use can be improved.
The Foundation seeks letters of inquiry for Investigator Initiated Grants for addressing the research questions like:
- How do instructional practices in classrooms affect racial achievement gaps?
- How do welfare policies affect family processes and, in turn, youth’s well-being?
- Do activities in a youth organization have different influences on engagement for youth of varying ethnicities?
- Can a professional development intervention improve staff relationships with youth in after-school programs?
- What factors influence the reliability and validity of observational measures of family functioning?
- How do service agency directors’ social networks influence their access to and use of research evidence?
- What are the mechanisms by which some organizations are more effective than others in brokering research evidence for policymakers and practitioners?
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for consideration, applicants must:
- Be employed at a non-profit institution, either in the United States or abroad. In most instances, these organizations will have 501(c)(3) tax exempt status, set up to receive and process grant awards. However, in rare cases, colleges or universities (such as Arizona State University) will not have 501(c)(3) tax exemption. If your institution fits into this category, an IRS determination letter can be accepted stating that it is classified as a school under sections 509a1 and 170b1Aii of the IRS Code;
- Submit a project that is consistent with the Foundation’s Current Research Interests;
- Address issues that have compelling relevance for theory, policy, and/or practice affecting the settings of youth ages 8 to 25 in the United States; and
- Reflect high standards of evidence and rigorous methods, commensurate with the project’s goals.
Deadline for submitting the letters of inquiry is September 7, 2011.
For more information and details, please visit this link.
