This focus area grew out of our view that research can do more than help us understand the problem of inequality—it can generate effective responses. We believe that it is time to build stronger bodies of knowledge on how to reduce inequality in the United States and to move beyond the mounting research evidence about the scope, causes, and consequences of inequality.
Funding
Opportunities
Funding opportunities in this focus area support research to build, test, or increase understanding of programs, policies, or practices to reduce inequality in the academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes of young people ages 5-25 in the United States.
Grant Programs
This program funds research studies that aim to build, test, or increase understanding of programs, policies, or practices to reduce inequality in the academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes of young people ages 5-25 in the United States
Status:
Open
Open date:
November 12, 2025
Next Deadline:
January 7, 2026 3:00 pm EST
The William T. Grant Scholars Program supports career development for promising early-career researchers. The program funds five-year research and mentoring plans that significantly expand researchers’ expertise in new disciplines, methods, and content areas.
Status:
Closed
Next Deadline:
TBD
The 2025 application cycle is now closed. The next cycle will open in Spring 2026.
The Institutional Challenge Grant supports university-based research institutes, schools, and centers in building sustained research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations in order to reduce inequality in youth outcomes.
Status:
Closed
Next Deadline:
TBD
2026 application dates will be published in Spring 2026.
Ideas & Insights
From the Digest
Digest, Issue 10: Winter 2024-25
Research that works to identify youth social movement participation and understand its connection to social movement outcomes has the chance to bring great research gains that may help address some of the most pressing inequalities facing young people today.
Jennifer Earl
Digest, Issue 10: Winter 2024-25
As we face increasing restrictions on our society’s most vulnerable youth, including youth of color, undocumented and immigrant youth, and LGBTQ+ youth, social movement research holds significant potential to illuminate strategies to transform youth-serving systems and improve youth …
