NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship – Oct 2

Posted by National Academy of Education on September 16, 2025

National Academy of Education invites applications for dissertation fellowships

The National Academy of Education invites applications for its NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship program.

The annual fellowship aims to encourage a new generation of scholars from a wide range of disciplines and professional fields to undertake research relevant to the improvement of education.

A $27,500 stipend will be awarded to candidates whose dissertations show potential for bringing fresh and constructive perspectives to the history, theory, or practice of formal or informal education. In addition, fellows will attend professional development retreats and choose an NAEd member or another esteemed scholar as a mentor, who will provide guidance and support throughout the academic year. The dissertation topic must focus primarily on education, but the fellowship welcomes graduate students from any academic discipline or professional field. Fellowship recipients have included candidates from anthropology, architecture, art history, communications, economics, education, history, linguistics, literature, philosophy, political science, psychology, public health, religion, and sociology.

The fellowship supports fellows with the writing phase of the dissertation and alleviates the need for significant employment.

Applicants need not be U.S. citizens; however, they must be candidates for a doctoral degree at a graduate institution within the United States.

For complete program guidelines, application instructions, and a list of previously awarded fellows, see the National Academy of Education website.

Deadline: October 2, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET