The fellowship comprises three key components:

1. Fellows receive $100,000 for one year (September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2027) towards salary and benefits.
2. Fellows participate in two professional development retreats. These retreats offer general and specialized discussions to enhance the fellows’ research capabilities and academic growth.
3. In addition to their host mentor, fellows receive mentorship from an NAEd member or former NAEd Fellow.

Fellows may not hold other external fellowship awards or other forms of support concurrent with this fellowship. Please contact NAEd staff before accepting other awards.

To receive the fellowship, applicants must:

1. Have been awarded the 2024 or 2025 NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship.
2. Have received their PhD, EdD, or equivalent research degree, or will by September 1, 2026.
3. Not hold employment.
4. Have a host mentor and host institution.

Fellows are to:

1. Focus full-time on their research, employment search, and avoid other commitments such as teaching or additional employment,
2. Meet regularly with their host mentor,
3. Attend the NAEd Fall and Spring Retreats, and
4. End-of-year outcome: Share an example of work completed during the fellowship (e.g., manuscript, publication, conference paper, grant proposal) and provide an update on career search progress.

Research Fellows must have a host institution to which the fellowship grant will be made. Your host institution can be:

• Your current doctoral institution;
• A new institution; or
• A nonprofit or government institution engaged in education research, policy, or knowledge mobilization activities.

The host institution will be responsible for administering the fellowship grant, including processing salary and benefits payments.

Guidelines for Host Mentor

A host mentor at a higher education institution must be tenured, ladder-rank faculty (associate or full professor). A mentor at a non-profit organization must be a senior member of the organization. A mentor at a government institution must be a senior research staff member or equivalent.

A host mentor is expected to (1) take an active role in helping the fellow to plan and achieve their research and career goals, (2) assist the fellow in establishing a visible presence in the institution/organization if local (virtual mentorship accepted), (3) facilitate opportunities for the fellow to participate in national and international research meetings, (4) encourage the fellow to focus full-time on research and avoid other commitments such as teaching or outside employment, and (5) assist the fellow in seeking opportunities to present research and interview for positions appropriate to their career goals.

Guidelines for Host Institution/Organization

Host institution/organization is to welcome the fellow and make every effort to ensure that the fellow is included in communications and events if local. Host institution/organization is expected to provide the fellow with access to appropriate office space and administrative support. Host institution/organization will receive and administer the fellowship grant, including processing salary and benefits payments. Host institution/organizations will provide the fellow with information about their benefits package and payroll procedures.

Submit the following components as part of your application through the online portal:

• Demographic data
• Terminal degree
• Research
• Host mentor and host institution
• Requested documents

Research Project and Plan

Abstract

In a single-spaced paragraph, summarize the substantive focus and research design of the project and its contribution to education.

Significance

Why is this research important to education? How does it contribute to your discipline and to the field of education research more broadly?

Connection to existing scholarship

How does your proposed research build on, extend, or challenge existing literature? What gap does it fill?

12-Month research plan

In no more than 2,000 words, describe your proposed 12-month research plan. The document is to have page numbers, the applicant’s full name, and email address as a running header.

• Research questions and objectives: What specific questions will you address, and what do you aim to accomplish during the fellowship year?
• Methods and approach: What methods, data sources, or analytical approaches will you use? How are these appropriate for addressing your research questions?
• Timeline and feasibility: Provide a realistic timeline with key milestones for the 12-month period. Explain why this research is feasible given that you will also be actively job searching and participating in professional development activities.
• Expected outputs: What tangible products do you expect to produce (e.g., manuscript drafts, conference presentations, grant proposals, data collection/analysis)? Be specific about what you will complete by August 2027.
• Career trajectory: How does this research advance your independent research program and support your long-term career goals in education research?
• Mentor relationship: Why is your chosen mentor a good match?

Your research plan should demonstrate both scholarly promise and realistic expectations for a year in which you will balance research productivity with employment search activities.

Example of past research relevant to education

In no more than 20 double-spaced pages, provide an example of a previous research project that demonstrates your promise as a researcher and your ability to complete the proposed project. This can be a chapter of a book, an article, or other research work. The writing sample may be published or unpublished.

Note: Most journal publications are single-spaced and double-columned; we will not accept this format. You may submit an excerpt and provide a link to the full document.

Curriculum vitae/resume

Upload a current CV/resume that includes the categories below.

• Education beyond high school (include any professional education beyond the highest degree earned), beginning with your most recent program of study. Be sure to include the name(s) of your institution, location, major/minor, degree, and date awarded.
• Employment, beginning with most recent. Include your title, organization name, location, and date.
• Awards or fellowships received. Include titles and dates.
• Publications and research relevant to education.

Letter from Dissertation Advisor

Letters are submitted directly by the individuals requested to provide them. Applicants will list the required letter writers in the online portal, and the portal will facilitate the submission process. Applicants should ensure that all requested letter writers have sufficient time to submit their letters by the application deadline.

We require a letter from your dissertation chair answering the following questions:

• How promising is the proposed mentorship for the applicant (what is the “value added”)?
• How promising is the plan proposed by the candidate?

Letters of commitment from host mentor and host institution

Letters are submitted directly by the individuals requested to provide them. Applicants will list the required letter writers in the online portal, and the portal will facilitate the submission process. Applicants should ensure that all requested letter writers have sufficient time to submit their letters by the application deadline.

We require letter(s) of commitment from your host mentor and another from your host institution if the mentor cannot authorize the commitment. Alternatively, the mentor can confirm commitment from the institution in their letter. We will ask the writer(s) to address the following:

Mentor Letter:

• Commitment to serve as the applicant’s mentor for the fellowship year (September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2027);
• Relevant expertise and relationship to the applicant;
• Specific plan for supporting the applicant’s research development and career advancement;
• Commitment to facilitate participation in conferences and help establish visibility in the field;
• Understanding that the fellow will focus full-time on research and employment search, and your support for their career trajectory.

Host Institution Letter:

• Confirmation that the institution/organization agrees to host the applicant as a NAEd/Spencer Research Fellow for the fellowship year;
• The institution’s capacity to administer the fellowship grant (salary and benefits processing) and provide office space, administrative support, and inclusion in institutional activities;
• Understanding that the fellow will focus full-time on research and employment search (not teaching or other employment obligations).