NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship Program – Nov 13

Posted by National Academy of Education on October 14, 2025

National Academy of Education invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships

The National Academy of Education invites applications for its NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.

The program supports early-career scholars working in critical areas of education research, allowing recipients to make significant scholarly contributions to the field of education and advance their careers. Scholars may conduct their research at their home institution or at another research site that they have arranged.

The non-residential program annually identifies and supports 25 of the most exceptional researchers conducting postdoctoral studies relevant to education. The fellowship comprises three key components: fellows receive $70,000 for one academic year, distributed in two installments; fellows participate in three professional development retreats facilitated by NAEd members and other distinguished scholars. The retreats offer general and specialized discussions to enhance the fellows’ research capabilities and academic growth; and fellows choose an NAEd member or another esteemed scholar as a mentor, providing guidance and support throughout the academic year.

The research topic must focus primarily on education, but the fellowship welcomes postdocs from any academic discipline or professional field. Fellowship recipients have included individuals from anthropology, architecture, art history, communications, economics, education, history, linguistics, literature, philosophy, political science, psychology, public health, religion, and sociology. The fellowship does not limit eligibility to these fields. Candidates should demonstrate their interest in conducting education research long term.

To be eligible, applicants must have received their PhD, EdD, or equivalent research degree between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024, and may not hold tenure status at the time of the application deadline.

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

Deadline: November 13, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET