2027 Research Foundation Grants
(Up to $4,000 grants, for which calls are announced every two years; in odd numbered years.)
DEADLINE: MARCH 15, 2027
Please adhere to the following guidelines in completing your grant proposal. Direct questions or requests for further information to researchfoundation@ncte.org.
Grant Description
The Trustees of the NCTE Research Foundation support projects related to the teaching and learning of language(s), literacy (literacies), and culture(s).
Who Is Eligible?
Proposals are invited from teachers, teacher-researchers, and teacher educators. Applicants must be current members of NCTE.
Suggested Research Topics
The Trustees of the Research Foundation seek proposals that reflect the diverse interests among our NCTE membership, including, but not limited to, proposals focusing on underrepresented populations; equity pedagogies; curriculum changes and the effect these changes have on students; school policies; changes in teaching methods; student interaction and learning; community literacies; home-school literacy relationships; after-school programs; student literacy practices in and out of school; and other relevant topics of study.
Funding and Timeline Parameters
Grants will be awarded for periods of up to one year and up to $4,000 over the life of the grant. Applicants must be members in good standing of NCTE at the time of the award. Applicants are limited to one grant submission in each funding cycle and will only qualify for one funded project every three years.
Deadline and Notification
The proposal form (including the grant proposal narrative outlined below) must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on March 15, 2027. Notification of grant decisions will be announced in June 2027.
Note: Before starting your proposal, please review the proposal form and the proposal narrative information below. Collect all necessary information before starting your proposal as you will not be able to make edits to your proposal once it is submitted.
Grant Proposal Narrative and Format
In your proposal, please include each of the sections requested in the order in which they appear in the following table. The questions each section addresses are provided to help guide your responses. The proposal narrative should include:
- A narrative of no more than 1,500 words addressing items 1 through 6
- A one-page budget
- A one-page statement outlined in item 8, if applicable
- A one-page résumé for the primary researcher
| Order | Section | Questions Addressed |
| 1 | Research Question | What am I investigating and why? What do I want to learn? Ensure that your research question is focused and explains fully what you plan to investigate. |
| 2 | Statement of Significance | How does what I propose to investigate matter? To whom does it matter in theory and/or practice? Link your statement directly to your research question. |
| 3 | Motivation | What led you to this proposal (e.g., ideas, stories, experiences, interactions, readings)? Tell a compelling story about how you became interested in investigating your research question. |
| 4 | Research Design/ Description of Study |
How will I do this? That is: (a) What is your plan for addressing your research question? (b) What will you do? (c) Who will do it? Explain how your planned research process will lead to a successful investigation. If submitting a group proposal, include how you will organize the group to support the research and how the participants will cooperate. |
| 5 | Timeline | What are the major tasks you will undertake to complete the research project? In what order? When will they be done? How long will each take? If repeated, how often? Why does this schedule make sense? Make a case for how the research project you’ve proposed can be accomplished in the time allowed. |
| 6 | Statement of Ethics | How will I account for the ethical demands that may arise during the inquiry process, including issues of consent, confidentiality, privacy, reciprocity for participants—what’s in it for them?—and anonymity? In addition to naming specific concerns, describe possible solutions for addressing them. |
| 7 | Budget | Applicants are required to include a budget outlining each expense item and a rationale for expenditures. We encourage each applicant to include a line item covering expenses for one teacher’s travel to the NCTE Annual Convention (where research will be presented at the Research Foundation’s sponsored session). Make sure that you include this in your budget and note that Convention travel may be no more than 25% of your funding request. |
| 8 | Appendixes | A statement from administrator(s) from the participating school(s) indicating willingness to cooperate with you. |
| 9 | Résumé | The primary researcher should include a one-page résumé. |
Submit your proposal information via the proposal form by March 15, 2027, 11:59 p.m. ET. The proposal narrative, budget, any statements, and a résumé should be uploaded to the proposal form as a single PDF.
Award Management Process and Disbursement of Funds
Funding is disbursed in two phases:
- Upon approval of the proposal by the Research Foundation Board of Trustees, 80 percent of the grant is disbursed.
- The remaining 20 percent of the award will be disbursed after the satisfactory completion of interim requirements (see Interim Report, below).
Budget Guidelines
Recipients of the grants will be invited to present their work funded by the Research Foundation during a Research Foundation grant session at the 2028 NCTE Annual Convention. If your proposal is accepted, you may use a portion of your grant to pay for your Convention travel expenses. Make sure that you include this in your budget and note that Convention travel may be no more than 25% of your funding request.
Recipients are also encouraged to submit manuscripts based on their research to one of the NCTE publications.
Research Foundation grant funds may not be used to pay for the following expenses:
- Commercial teaching materials
- Dissertation support
- Tuition expenses
- Indirect, overhead, or benefit costs
- Non-NCTE-affiliated convention or conference travel
- Previously incurred expenses related to the project
- Researcher salaries
- Refreshments
Reporting Requirements: Interim and Final Reports
Interim and Final Reports are required by grantees.
Interim Report Format (midway through sponsored research project period): 500–750 words. The Interim Report should be written in response to these questions and must include an updated budget summary:
- What have I done to date?
- What am I learning?
- What issues and problems have come up?
- What questions do I have at this point?
- Where do I need to go next?
- How has my thinking about this issue changed?
An updated budget summary is also required outlining how the funds have been spent to this point. The remaining 20% of the grant is funded upon a satisfactory fulfillment of this requirement.
Final Report Format (at completion of sponsored research project period): 500–750 words. A Final Report is required that addresses the points below. Please note that a version of this report may be featured in a future NCTE blog post with your permission:
- Share your reason for applying for this grant. What was your purpose? Include a restatement of your research question and, if applicable, note the ways your question changed during this process.
- What kind of impact was made possible because of the grant? How were your participants and/or students affected by it? Include a summary of your findings and understandings.’
- What are the implications of your research and are there new questions that your research uncovered?
- If there was one thing you’d like fellow researchers to take away from this grant opportunity, what would you tell them?
Contact
For further information on this grant program or any questions on your proposal, please contact the NCTE Research Foundation at researchfoundation@ncte.org.