Office for Research Advancement

William T. Grant Scholars Program Application Guidelines

The Foundation’s mission is to support research to improve the lives of young people ages 5-25 in the United States.

Brief Summary: The William T. Grant Scholars Program supports career development for promising early-career researchers. The program funds five-year research and mentoring plans that significantly expand researchers’ expertise in new disciplines, methods, and content areas.

Eligibility and limits

Applicants must be nominated by their institutions. Major divisions (e.g., College of Arts and Sciences, Medical School) of an institution may nominate only one applicant each year. In addition to the eligibility criteria below, deans and directors of those divisions should refer to the Selection Criteria to aid them in choosing their nominees. Applicants of any discipline are eligible.

Applicants must have received their terminal degree within seven years of submitting their application. We calculate this by adding seven years to the date the doctoral degree was conferred.

Applicants must be employed in career-ladder positions. For many applicants, this means holding a tenure-track position in a university. Applicants in other types of organizations should be in positions in which there is a pathway to advancement in a research career at the organization and the organization is fiscally responsible for the applicant’s position. The award may not be used as a post-doctoral fellowship.

Research Advancement Notice of Intent Deadline:  April 28, 2023

Mentor and Reference Letter Deadline: June 14, 2023, 3 PM EST

Agency Deadlines: July 5, 2023, 3 PM EST

For more information, see also Frequently Asked Questions on the program.

The general guidance for the preparation of the Notice of Intent:

COVER SHEET (1 page) -please use an 11 point or higher font with one-inch margins.

• Solicitation Name and Descriptive Title
• Project Summary:  3 or 4 sentences or bullet points that provide an overview of the objective of your proposed research, how you plan to do it, and the expected outcome.
• PI:  5 or 6 bullet points that highlight expertise as it relates to the project.
• Budget:  Example:  The total cost of the project is anticipated to be $ X, with $ Y being requested from the Agency.  Agency funds will be used for: $ A for personnel; $ B for operations, and $ C for broader impacts/subcontracts etc. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION (1 page) - please use an 11 point or higher font with one-inch margins.

Problem statement: Clear and concise statement of

• Research question(s) and how the project will address the research question(s);
• Proposed activities: Describe the project to be undertaken and provide the technical specifications of the research activities and timelines that will be undertaken.
• How the proposed research can lead to the advancement of research/knowledge in this area.
• Expected results: Describe the outcome you anticipate from the research.  How will the research inform policy or practice? How will it improve the lives of young people ages 5-25 in the United States?
• How does your research fit with one of the Foundation’s current focus areas, reducing inequality or improving the use of research evidence? Proposed research on reducing inequality should aim to build, test, and increase understanding of a program, policy, or practice to reduce inequality in the academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes of young people ages 5–25 in the United States. Proposed research on improving the use of research evidence should inform strategies to improve the use of research evidence in ways that benefit young people ages 5–25 in the United States.
• Abbreviated CV or biographical sketch of the principal investigator – separate page
• Optional - Suggest one or two names to serve on the internal review committee.

Submit your Notice of Intent to the: 

• SMARTSHEET FORM

Problems with the Smartsheet platform - or questions.  Email  research.development@oregonstate.edu