Limited Submission Opportunity: William T. Grant Scholars Program 2026
URL: https://wtgrantfoundation.org/funding/william-t-grant-scholars-program
OBJECTIVES
The William T. Grant Scholars Program supports career development for promising early-career researchers in the social, behavioral, and health sciences. The program funds five-year research and mentoring plans that significantly expand researchers’ expertise in new disciplines, methods, and content areas, and encourages scholars to tackle important questions that will advance theory, policy, and practice for young people (aged 5-25).
Awards are based on applicants’ potential to become influential researchers, as well as their plans to expand their expertise in new and significant ways. Applications should make a cohesive argument for how the applicant will expand their expertise. Proposed research plans must address questions that are relevant to policy and practice in the Foundation’s focus areas: reducing inequality and improving the use of research evidence.
FUNDING INFORMATION
$425,000 over five years, including up to 7.5% indirect costs. Awards begin July 1 of the award year (2026).
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must have received their doctoral degree within seven years of submitting their application (2018-2025). In medicine, the seven-year maximum is dated from the completion of the first residency.
Applicants must be employed in career-ladder positions, which can mean holding a tenure-track position, or being in a pathway to advancement in a research career at the nominating organization and the organization is fiscally responsible for the applicant’s position.
INTERNAL SELECTION
Each college at BU may nominate a single applicant and will be managing its own internal submission process.
Charles River Campus investigators may contact Joe Loftus, Director of Foundation Relations (joloftus@bu.edu) with any questions regarding the application process or opportunity. Medical Campus investigators may contact David Gillerman, Senior Director of Foundation Relations, Medical Campus (dgillerm@bu.edu).
The Office of Research will provide Letters of Independence (required by the foundation) if multiple major academic units are nominating individuals for this opportunity. As such, the Office of Research (research@bu.edu) and Joe Loftus (joloftus@bu.edu) must be notified of any nominees by 5:00 pm Monday, May 12, 2025.
DEADLINES
College-level Nominations Due by Email: Monday, May 12, 2025 by 5:00 pm
Sponsor Deadline: Tuesday, July 1, 2025 by 3:00 pm EST