Grants to USA Nonprofits to Support Research to Benefit Youth

Research Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence

Agency

Foundation

GrantWatch ID#

184793

Funding Source

WILLIAM T GRANT FOUNDATION INC

Geographic Focus

All USA

Important Dates

Deadline: 05/07/25 3:00 PM ET - Deadline for Major Research Grants

Grant Description

Grants to USA nonprofit organizations for research to benefit youth throughout the country. This program funds investigation into how and what type of research is used by policymakers and others when developing policies and programs affecting young people ages 5-25 in the United States. The Foundation's goal is to determine whether improving research use leads to improved youth outcomes. Two types of grants are available: Major Grants and smaller Officers' Research Grants.

This program funds research studies that advance theory and build empirical knowledge on ways to improve the use of research evidence by policymakers, agency leaders, organizational managers, intermediaries, community organizers, and other decision-makers that shape youth-serving systems in the United States.

Proposed studies must pursue one of the following aims:

Building, identifying, or testing strategies to improve the use of existing research evidence
Testing whether strategies that improve the use of research evidence in turn improve decision-making and youth outcomes.

For more information, see: https://wtgrantfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2025-Application-Guide-Research-Grants-on-URE.pdf#page=7

Recipient

Additional Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Organizations:
• The Foundation makes grants only to tax-exempt organizations.
• The Foundation encourages proposals from organizations that are under-represented among grantee institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Alaska Native-Serving Institutions, Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).

Eligible Principal Investigators:
• The Foundation defers to the applying organization’s criteria for who is eligible to act as a Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on a grant. In general, the Foundation expects that all investigators will have the experience and skills to carry out the proposed work.
• The Foundation strives to support a diverse group of researchers in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and seniority, and we encourage research projects led by Black or African American, Indigenous, Latinx, and/or Asian or Pacific Islander American researchers.

Ineligible

Grants are not made to individuals.

Pre-Application Information

2025 application deadlines for major research grants are: January 8, May 7, and August 6 at 3:00 PM ET.

2025 application deadlines for Officers’ research grants are: January 8 and August 6 at 3:00 PM ET.

Application Timeline:

• Letters of inquiry for major research grants are accepted in early January, May, and August each year.
- Successful letters of inquiry for major research grants will result in invitations to submit full proposals.
- Invitations to submit full proposals are emailed within approximately eight weeks of letter of inquiry submission deadline.
- For major research grants, the total timeline from letter of inquiry to funding decision is generally 10–15 months.

• Letters of inquiry for Officers’ research grants are accepted only in January and August.
- Officers’ research grants are awarded on the merit of the letter of inquiry alone.
- The funding decisions are emailed within approximately 8–10 weeks of the letter of inquiry submission deadline.

All letters of inquiry are initially reviewed by internal staff with social science expertise. In general, however, given the breadth of studies proposed in letters of inquiry, internal reviewers may lack deep knowledge of an applicant’s specific area of work, so avoid disciplinary jargon and use language appropriate for an educated lay audience.

Applicant resources: https://wtgrantfoundation.org/funding/research-grants-on-improving-use-of-research-evidence/applicant-resources

FAQs: https://wtgrantfoundation.org/funding/research-grants-on-improving-use-of-research-evidence/faq

Estimated Size of Grant

Funding Amounts
• Major research grants: $100,000 to $1,000,000 over 2-4 years, including up to 15% indirect costs.
• Officers’ research grants: $25,000–$50,000 over 1-2 years, including up to 15% indirect costs.

Term of Contract

Major Research Grants: 2-4 years
Officers' Research Grants: 1-2 years

Contact Information

Apply online (from March 7): https://wtg.smartsimple.com/s_Login.jsp

William T. Grant Foundation
60 East 42nd Street, 43rd Floor
New York, NY 10165
Tel: 212.752.0071

RFP & Supporting Documents

Before starting your grant application, please review the funding source's website listed below for updates / changes / addendums / conferences / LOIs.

https://wtgrantfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2025-Application-Guide-Research-Grants-on-URE.pdf

Grants to USA Nonprofits to Support Research to Benefit Youth

Research Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence

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