The National Academy of Education (NAEd) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 NAEd/Spencer Dissertation and Postdoctoral Fellowships. These fellowships provide funding and professional development to early-career scholars whose projects address critical issues in the history, theory, or practice of formal or informal education, at the national and international levels.
The NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship awarded $27,500 to 35 dissertation fellows who were selected from a pool of nearly 500 applicants.
The NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded $70,000 to 25 postdoctoral fellows who were selected from a pool of nearly 500 applicants.
“The NAEd/Spencer Dissertation and Postdoctoral Fellowships represent significant investments in the fellows and the future of education research,” according to Okhee Lee, Chair of the NAEd Professional Development Committee. Dr. Lee highlights that these fellowships encourage and support the next generation of scholars from a variety of fields and disciplines as they work to improve education. Furthermore, Dr. Lee emphasizes that “these fellowships are more crucial than ever given the recent dramatic declines in education research funding.” For Dr. Lee, “It is a privilege to work with our new fellows who will contribute to education research and scholarship.”
Learn more about the 2026 NAEd/Spencer Fellowship recipients and their research:
Once more, congratulations to this year’s fellows!