Research Foundation Teacher Research Grant Program
Are you a preK–12 classroom teacher looking for ways to support your professional and/or student-centered work? Are you interested in or currently engaged in classroom research but need funding to support your project? Watch the recording from this session to learn more about how to create a proposal for the NCTE Research Foundation Teacher Research Grants. Research Foundation Trustee Betina Hsieh walks attendees through the application format and process, as well as answers questions about how to draft a proposal.
Contact researchfoundation@ncte.org with any questions.
2023 Research Foundation Teacher Research Grant Program
(One-year grants, for which calls are announced every two years, in odd-numbered years)
DEADLINE: December 15, 2023, 11:59 p.m. ET
Grant Description
The Trustees of the NCTE Research Foundation support projects related to the teaching and learning of language, literacy, and culture.
Who Is Eligible?
Applicants should be full-time classroom teachers (including teachers on special assignment with a part-time classroom placement or teachers who are full-time classroom teachers) at the time of proposal submission and for the length of the grant. Proposals are invited from teachers of children and youth at any level from preK through grade 12. Teachers in urban, suburban, and rural settings are eligible.
Applicants must be current members of NCTE.
Suggested Research Topics
The Trustees of the NCTE Research Foundation seek proposals that reflect the diverse interests of our NCTE membership, including but not limited to proposals focusing on better education for underrepresented populations; equity pedagogies; curriculum changes; the effects these changes have on students, school policies, teaching methods, student interaction and learning, community literacy, home-school literacy relationships, after-school programs, student literacy practices in and out of school; and other relevant topics of study.
Listen to Teacher and Trustee Kim Parker talk about the call, and what it means to be a teacher-researcher.
Read these testimonials from previous Teacher Research Grant recipients:
Janell Miller, 2019 recipient
Scott Storm, 2021 recipient
Funding and Timeline Parameters
Grants will be awarded for a period of up to one year and in the amount of up to $3,000 over the lifetime of the grant. Applicants must be NCTE members in good standing at the time of the award. Applicants are limited to one grant submission in each funding cycle and will qualify for only one funded project every three years.
Deadline and Notification
Completed application packages are due no later than December 15, 2023, 11:59 p.m. ET, and must be submitted electronically via the proposal form. Notification of grant decisions will be made by January 31, 2024.
Contact
For further information on this grant program or any questions on your application, please contact the NCTE Research Foundation by emailing researchfoundation@ncte.org.
Program Requirements, Grant Application Process, and Eligibility Requirements
To apply, applicants must
- currently work as a teacher of children and youth at any level from birth through grade 12;
- prepare an application package including submission information, the proposal, and one-page résumé to be submitted via the proposal form by December 15, 2023, 11:59 p.m. ET as directed (see below).
If awarded, applicants must:
- remain a current NCTE member in good standing throughout the award period;
- be willing to present Research Foundation–supported work at the NCTE Annual Convention, held each November (with automatic acceptance to the Research Foundation’s sponsored session); and
- give NCTE publications the first right of refusal for any research manuscript produced from the Research Foundation-supported project.
Proposal Instructions
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.
| 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 I will 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). |
| 8 | Appendices | A statement from administrator(s) from the participating school(s) indicating willingness to cooperate with you. |
Submit your proposal information via the proposal form by December 15, 2023, 11:59 p.m. ET. This includes submission information, the proposal submitted as a single PDF, and a one-page resume submitted as a single PDF.
Award Management Process and Disbursement of Funds
Funding is disbursed in two phases:
(1) Upon approval of the proposal by the Research Foundation Board of Trustees, 80 percent of the grant is disbursed.
(2) The remaining 20 percent of the award will be disbursed after the satisfactory completion of interim requirements (see Interim Report, below).
Budget Guidelines
Grant recipients are asked to submit a proposal to the NCTE Annual Convention to present work funded by the Research Foundation. If your proposal is accepted, you may use a portion of your grant to pay for conference expenses. Please include this cost in your budget.
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
- Previously incurred expense related to the project
- Salaries
- Refreshments
Proposal Form Fields
- Primary Researcher Information
- NCTE Member Number of Primary Researcher
- Title of Project
- Funding Amount Requested
- Length of Project Requested in Months
- Population Served in Research Project
- School / Institution Hosting the Research Project
- If there are other members of your research team, list name(s) and institution(s)here:
- How did you learn about the NCTE Research Foundation as a possible means of support?
- Attach your full proposal as a single PDF attachment:
- Attach your one-page resume as a single PDF attachment:
Reporting Requirements
Grant awardees are required to complete Interim and Final Reports.
Interim Report (500-750 words)
The Interim Report should be written in response to the questions below. It must also 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?
The final 20 percent of grant funds are disbursed upon satisfactory fulfillment of the Interim Report requirement.
Final Report (500-750 words)
The Final Report should address the following points:
- Restatement of the research question
- Summary of findings
- Implications of findings
- New questions