Foundation Staff

News

• Jul 1, 2026

President Adam Gamoran to Retire in 2027

After serving as president of the William T. Grant Foundation since 2013, Adam Gamoran will depart from his role at the end of summer 2027. “It has been a gratifying and rewarding experience to serve the William T. Grant Foundation. Leading ...

Foundation Staff

President Adam Gamoran to Retire in 2027

Blog Post

ICYMI: The Research We Need to Reduce Inequality for Immigrant-Origin Youth

Immigrant-origin youth in the United States are being targeted in today’s hostile political climate. But supportive responses exist at multiple levels, from federal, to state, to local, to institutional. Studies that examine such strategies can illuminate those that ...

Foundation Staff

ICYMI: The Research We Need to Reduce Inequality for Immigrant-Origin Youth

Blog Post

ICYMI: Four Takeaways from Our Institutional Challenge Grant Informational Webinar

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. With this year’s application opening on May 15, the ...

Foundation Staff

ICYMI: Four Takeaways from Our Institutional Challenge Grant Informational Webinar

News

• May 20, 2026

Three New York City Nonprofits Awarded Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants

We are pleased to announce that the Foundation has awarded three community-based organizations in New York City $60,000 to address a capacity-building need. This year’s Youth Service Capacity-Building Grantees are: Good Call, a community-centered tech nonprofit working to disrupt ...

Foundation Staff

Three New York City Nonprofits Awarded Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants

News

• May 20, 2026

Five New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in Our Focus Areas

We are proud to announce five new research grants, totaling over $2.7 million, in support of four studies on ways to reduce inequality in youth outcomes and one study on strategies for improving the use of research evidence in ways that ...

Foundation Staff

Five New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in Our Focus Areas

News

• May 6, 2026

Announcing the 2026 Institutional Challenge Grantees: Foundations Award $2.6 Million for Research-Practice Partnerships

We are delighted to announce that this year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bezos Family Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, and Spencer Foundation have joined us to award $2.6 million in funding ...

Foundation Staff

Announcing the 2026 Institutional Challenge Grantees: Foundations Award $2.6 Million for Research-Practice Partnerships

News

• Apr 15, 2026

Seven Early-Career Researchers Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2031

The Foundation is delighted to announce the newest class of William T. Grant Scholars: Tolani Britton, in the school of education at the University of California, Berkeley James Chu,in the department of sociology at Columbia University Thania Galvan, in ...

Foundation Staff

Seven Early-Career Researchers Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2031

News

• Jan 26, 2026

Four New Rapid Response Research Grants to Address Pressing Issues Facing Young People in the U.S.

“Collaborations between research and policy partners—like the ones forged by these grantees—have a critical role to play in advancing policies that can reduce inequality in ...

Foundation Staff

Four New Rapid Response Research Grants to Address Pressing Issues Facing Young People in the U.S.

News

• Jan 22, 2026

Announcing the 2026 Institutional Challenge Grant Finalists

“Community-engaged scholarship can illuminate strategies to confront some of the most critical issues facing youth today, and we are excited by the number of institutions across the nation that are recognizing the value of this work”

Foundation Staff

Announcing the 2026 Institutional Challenge Grant Finalists

News

• Jan 15, 2026

Six New York City Nonprofits Awarded Youth Service Improvement Grants

“A they carry out their work to provide critical services to youth across New York City, we look forward to witnessing how they grow over the grant period.”

Foundation Staff

Six New York City Nonprofits Awarded Youth Service Improvement Grants

News

• Dec 3, 2025

Announcing Eleven Finalists for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2031

Hailing from fields including sociology, education, operations research, and statistics, each of these finalists demonstrate strong promise to contribute to our knowledge of ways to improve youth lives.

Foundation Staff

Announcing Eleven Finalists for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2031

News

• Dec 3, 2025

Six New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

Totaling over $2.9 million, these grants support five studies on ways to reduce inequality in youth outcomes and one study on strategies for improving the use of research evidence in ways that benefit young people

Foundation Staff

Six New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

News

• Dec 3, 2025

Announcing $1.05 Million in Continuation Funding for Three Institutional Challenge Grantees

Continuation funding will bolster these partnerships’ efforts to improve reading achievement outcomes, increase college access and success, and understand impacts of mental health-enhanced workforce development programs.

Foundation Staff

News

• Oct 22, 2025

Donna Bullock and Stefanie DeLuca join the William T. Grant Foundation Board of Trustees

DeLuca’s research uses sociological perspectives to inform education and housing policy, often through mixed-methods studies that incorporate qualitative research into experimental or quasi-experimental designs. Bullock is CEO of Project HOME, and served as a Pennsylvania State Representative from 2015 ...

Foundation Staff

Donna Bullock and Stefanie DeLuca join the William T. Grant Foundation Board of Trustees

News

• Oct 1, 2025

Announcing Four New Mentoring Grants

The Foundation is pleased to announce two William T. Grant Scholars and two research grantees have been awarded grants to support their development as mentors to junior researchers of color: Riana Anderson, a William T. Grant Scholar, will mentor Minh ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Sep 15, 2025

Five New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

We are proud to announce five new research grants, totaling over $2.8 million, in support of three studies on ways to reduce inequality in youth outcomes and two studies on strategies for improving the use of research evidence in ways that ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

ICYMI: Four Takeaways from Our Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants Office Hour

The deadline for our Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants (YSCG) program, which supports activities to strengthen the organizational infrastructure of small nonprofit organizations in New York City that provide direct services to young people ages 5 to 25, is fast approaching on September 18. ...

Foundation Staff

ICYMI: Four Takeaways from Our Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants Office Hour

News

• Jul 23, 2025

Welcoming Alexes Harris to the William T. Grant Scholars Selection Committee

We are delighted to welcome Alexes Harris, Presidential Term Professor and Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington, to the William T. Grant Scholars Selection Committee, effective July 1, 2025. Launched in 1982, the William T. Grant Scholars Program supports the professional ...

Foundation Staff

Welcoming Alexes Harris to the William T. Grant Scholars Selection Committee

News

• Jul 21, 2025

Seven New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

We are proud to announce seven new research grants, totaling over $2.8 million, in support of five studies on ways to reduce inequality in youth outcomes and two studies on strategies for improving the use of research evidence in ways that ...

Foundation Staff

Seven New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

News

• Jun 30, 2025

Announcing the 2025 Institutional Challenge Grantees: Foundations Award $2.6 Million for Research-Practice Partnerships

The Trustees of the William T. Grant Foundation, Spencer Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, and Bezos Family Foundation have approved $2.6 million in funding for the winners of the 2025 Institutional Challenge Grant ...

Foundation Staff

Announcing the 2025 Institutional Challenge Grantees: Foundations Award $2.6 Million for Research-Practice Partnerships

News

• Jun 16, 2025

Three New York City Nonprofits Awarded Capacity-Building Grants

We are pleased to announce that the Foundation has awarded three community-based organizations in New York City $60,000 to address a capacity-building need. This year’s Youth Service Capacity-Building Grantees are: Brave House, Inc., which supports young immigrant and refugee ...

Foundation Staff

Three New York City Nonprofits Awarded Capacity-Building Grants

News

• May 6, 2025

Five Early-Career Researchers Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2030

The Foundation is proud to announce the newest class of William T. Grant Scholars: Farzana Adjah, in the graduate school of education at Stanford University, will examine whether an intervention that equips youth to resist stress and trauma from racism ...

Foundation Staff

Five Early-Career Researchers Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2030

Webinars

The Institutional Challenge Grant: An Overview of the Program and How to Apply (Spring 2025)

The Institutional Challenge Grant encourages university-based research institutes, schools, and centers to build sustained research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations in order to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Applying to the William T. Grant Scholars Program: Proposing a Study on the Use of Research Evidence

One of the Foundation’s primary interests is improving the use of research evidence in ways that benefit young people ages 5-25 in the United States. We want to ...

Foundation Staff

Applying to the William T. Grant Scholars Program: Proposing a Study on the Use of Research Evidence

News

• Jan 22, 2025

Five New York City Nonprofits Awarded Youth Service Improvement Grants

We are pleased to announce that the Foundation has awarded five community-based organizations in New York City $25,000 to improve the quality of their youth programs. This year’s Youth Service Improvement Grantees are: Fiver Children’s Foundation, an ...

Foundation Staff

Five New York City Nonprofits Awarded Youth Service Improvement Grants

News

• Jan 10, 2025

Announcing the 2025 Institutional Challenge Grant Finalists

We’re pleased to announce seven finalists for the 2025 Institutional Challenge Grant competition. The Institutional Challenge Grant supports universities in building long-term research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. The partnerships work ...

Foundation Staff

Announcing the 2025 Institutional Challenge Grant Finalists

News

• Jan 2, 2025

Adam Gamoran Continues as William T. Grant Foundation President

Originally published on September 10, 2024, this post was updated on January 2, 2025 to reflect recent developments. On September 9, President Biden announced his intention to nominate Adam Gamoran, president of the William T. Grant Foundation, as director of the Institute of Education Sciences ...

Foundation Staff

Adam Gamoran Continues as William T. Grant Foundation President

Webinars

Webinar for Applicants: Research Grants on Improving the Use of Research Evidence (December 2024)

Research grants on improving the use of research evidence support studies that reveal the strategies, mechanisms, or conditions for improving research use. In this webinar from December 2024, Program Officer Anupreet ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Dec 19, 2024

Ten Finalists Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2030

We are pleased to announce the finalists for the William T. Grant Scholars Program class of 2030. Ten early-career researchers were selected from a pool of 58 applicants after a rigorous review by our staff and Selection Committee. The ten finalists will ...

Foundation Staff

Ten Finalists Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2030

News

• Dec 19, 2024

Welcoming Geetanjali Gupta to the William T. Grant Foundation Board of Trustees

The Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Geetanjali Gupta, Chief Investment Officer at The New York Public Library, to the Board of Trustees, effective October 2024. She will also serve as a member of the Board’s Finance ...

Foundation Staff

Welcoming Geetanjali Gupta to the William T. Grant Foundation Board of Trustees

News

• Dec 19, 2024

Bolstering our Commitment to the William T. Grant Scholars Program

The Foundation is bolstering its commitment to the William T. Grant Scholars program. Beginning in 2025, the William T. Grant Scholars award will increase from $350,000 to $425,000 for new awards. The new award is inclusive of 7.5% indirect costs. This increase reflects the ...

Foundation Staff

Bolstering our Commitment to the William T. Grant Scholars Program

News

• Dec 9, 2024

Six New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

We are proud to announce six new research grants, totaling over $3 million, in support of five studies on ways to reduce inequality in youth outcomes and one study on strategies for improving the use of research evidence in ways that ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

“I’m also a learner as a mentor”: An interview with mentoring grantee Bernadette Sanchez

Since 2005, the Foundation has awarded grants to William T. Grant Scholars and, since 2018, to research grantees to support their development as mentors to junior researchers of color. The program harbors ...

Natalie De Rosa

“I’m also a learner as a mentor”: An interview with mentoring grantee Bernadette Sanchez

News

• Oct 21, 2024

Announcing Four Grants to Support Mentoring for Junior Researchers of Color

The Foundation is pleased to announce that three research grantees and one William T. Grant Scholar have been awarded grants to support their development as mentors to junior researchers of color: Faiza Jamil, a research grantee, will mentor Nora Hochstetter, ...

Foundation Staff

Announcing Four Grants to Support Mentoring for Junior Researchers of Color

News

• Sep 16, 2024

Six New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

We are proud to announce six new research grants, totaling over $2.8 million, in support of four studies on ways to reduce inequality in youth outcomes and two studies on strategies for improving the use of research evidence in ways that ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

Resource Spotlight: Annotated Proposals for the Institutional Challenge Grant

The Institutional Challenge Grant requires that universities shift their policies and practices to value research conducted in collaboration with non-profit organizations or public agencies. The program challenges universities to identify and address barriers to the success of partnership-engaged research. This ...

Foundation Staff

Resource Spotlight: Annotated Proposals for the Institutional Challenge Grant

News

• Jul 15, 2024

Announcing $1.4 Million in Continuation Funding for Four Institutional Challenge Grantees

The Trustees of the William T. Grant Foundation have approved continuation grants for four research-practice partnerships currently funded under the Foundation’s Institutional Challenge Grant program: Northeastern University and the City of Boston’s Office of Youth Employment ...

Foundation Staff

Announcing $1.4 Million in Continuation Funding for Four Institutional Challenge Grantees

News

• Jul 2, 2024

Welcoming Anne Gregory to the William T. Grant Scholars Selection Committee

The Foundation is delighted to welcome Anne Gregory, Professor of School Psychology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, to the William T. Grant Scholars Selection Committee, effective July 1, 2024. Launched in 1982, the William T. Grant Scholars Program supports the ...

Foundation Staff

Welcoming Anne Gregory to the William T. Grant Scholars Selection Committee

News

• Jun 5, 2024

Announcing the Newest Institutional Challenge Grantees: $2.6 Million for Partnerships Addressing Social Issues

Trustees of the William T. Grant Foundation, Spencer Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, and Bezos Family Foundation have approved $2.6 million in funding for the winners of the 2024 Institutional Challenge Grant competition. ...

Foundation Staff

Announcing the Newest Institutional Challenge Grantees: $2.6 Million for Partnerships Addressing Social Issues

Webinars

2024 Webinar: Institutional Challenge Grant, An Overview of the Program and How to Apply

In this webinar from May 2024, Senior Program Officer Jenny Irons and President Adam Gamoran discuss the background and goals of the Institutional Challenge Grant program, as well as provide an overview of eligibility details, required materials, and review criteria. Jenny ...

Foundation Staff

News

• May 29, 2024

Five Early-Career Researchers Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2029

The William T. Grant Foundation is delighted to announce the newest class of William T. Grant Scholars: Raquel Muñiz Castro, in the department of educational leadership and higher education at Boston College, will research professional networks’ role ...

Foundation Staff

Five Early-Career Researchers Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2029

Webinars

2024 Webinar: William T. Grant Scholars Program, An Overview of the Program and How to Apply

Hosted by Program Officer Melissa Wooten on May 20, 2024, this webinar provides an overview of the William T. Grant Scholars Program. Melissa an overview of the program’s background and ...

Foundation Staff

News

• May 9, 2024

Announcing New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

We are proud to announce eleven new research grants, totaling nearly $5.5 million, in support of six studies on ways to reduce inequality in youth outcomes and five studies on strategies for improving the use of research evidence in ways that ...

Foundation Staff

Announcing New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

News

• Apr 26, 2024

“There are steps we can take to reduce inequality”: Why universities should invest in public-interest research

In March, Rice University hosted William T. Grant Foundation President Adam Gamoran as the featured speaker at the Kinder Institute Forum, a lecture series bringing thought leaders from around the ...

Foundation Staff

Digest, Issue 09: Winter 2023-24

Interview with an Institutional Challenge Grantee: How can you support community-engaged scholarship within an academic discipline?

“Collaborating with our partners, we’ve crafted a vision of the world where marginalized and disadvantaged members of society feel seen, heard, understood, and prioritized.”

Foundation Staff

Interview with an Institutional Challenge Grantee: How can you support community-engaged scholarship within an academic discipline?

News

• Jan 16, 2024

Announcing the 2024 Institutional Challenge Grant Finalists

The William T. Grant Foundation is very pleased to announce six finalists for the 2024 Institutional Challenge Grant competition. The Institutional Challenge Grant encourages research institutions to build long-term research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations to reduce inequality in ...

Foundation Staff

Announcing the 2024 Institutional Challenge Grant Finalists

News

• Dec 14, 2023

Maria Cancian, Novisi Nirschl, and William Hite Join the William T. Grant Foundation Board of Trustees

The Foundation is pleased to announce three new appointments to the Board of Trustees: Novisi Nirschl and William Hite, effective December 2023, and Maria Cancian, effective October 2024. Andrés Alonso ...

Foundation Staff

Maria Cancian, Novisi Nirschl, and William Hite Join the William T. Grant Foundation Board of Trustees

News

• Dec 6, 2023

Nine Finalists Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2029

The William T. Grant Foundation is pleased to announce the finalists for the William T. Grant Scholars Program Class of 2029. Nine early-career researchers were selected from a pool of 50 applicants after a rigorous review by our staff and Selection Committee. &...

Foundation Staff

Nine Finalists Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2029

Blog Post

The Foundation’s Approach to Career Development: Our Mentoring Philosophy

Mentoring is a cornerstone of the Foundation’s approach to supporting the career development of junior researchers. For instance, while applicants of the William T. Grant Scholars program must propose measured theoretical and methodological risks that will stretch their ...

Foundation Staff

The Foundation’s Approach to Career Development: Our Mentoring Philosophy

News

• Aug 23, 2023

2023 Mentoring Grants to Support Junior Researchers of Color

The Foundation is pleased to announce that three research grantees and three William T. Grant Scholars have been awarded grants to support their development as mentors to junior researchers of color. The awardees will mentor promising doctoral students and post-doctoral ...

Foundation Staff

2023 Mentoring Grants to Support Junior Researchers of Color

News

• Aug 23, 2023

Seven New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

We are proud to announce seven new research grants, including six to support studies on reducing inequality in youth outcomes and one to support a study on improving the use of research evidence in ways that benefit young people in ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants: An Overview of the Program and How to Apply

The Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants program supports activities to strengthen the organizational infrastructure of small nonprofit organizations in the five boroughs of New York City that provide direct services to young people ages 5 to 25. These grants provide general operating support ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Jul 17, 2023

Announcing Karolyn Tyson as Chair of the Scholars Selection Committee

The Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Karolyn Tyson, Chair of Sociology at Georgetown University, as Chair of the Scholars Selection Committee, effective July 1, 2023. In addition to Dr. Tyson, the Foundation also named four new members of the ...

Foundation Staff

Announcing Karolyn Tyson as Chair of the Scholars Selection Committee

Blog Post

One on One Support: An Essential Aspect of the Youth Service Capacity-Grants Program

The Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants (YSCG) program supports activities to strengthen the organizational infrastructure of small nonprofit organizations in the five boroughs of New York City that provide direct services to young people ages 5 to 25. The program provides $60,000 of general ...

Foundation Staff

One on One Support: An Essential Aspect of the Youth Service Capacity-Grants Program

Publication

Theorizing Blackness, Indigeneity, and Racialization in Research on Reducing Inequality

The William T. Grant Foundation encourages research on reducing inequality that is grounded in well-theorized, rich conceptualizations of race, ethnicity, and Indigeneity (as well as other dimensions of inequality like immigrant origin and economic standing). In keeping with this interest, ...

Foundation Staff

Theorizing Blackness, Indigeneity, and Racialization in Research on Reducing Inequality

Webinars

The Institutional Challenge Grant: An Overview of the Program and How to Apply

In this webinar, William T. Grant Foundation Senior Program Officer Jenny Irons and President Adam Gamoran discuss the background and goals of the Institutional Challenge Grant program and provide an overview of eligibility details, required materials, and review criteria. Jenny ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Apr 3, 2023

Five Early-Career Researchers Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2028

We’re pleased to announce the newest class of William T. Grant Scholars. Launched in 1982, the Scholars Program supports the professional development of promising researchers in the social, behavioral, and health sciences who have received their terminal degrees within ...

Foundation Staff

Five Early-Career Researchers Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2028

News

• Feb 2, 2023

Welcoming Our New Program Officer, Anupreet Sidhu

Dr. Sidhu is a socio-behavioral scientist with an interest in using research evidence to influence policy and regulatory practices. She recently completed her postdoctoral studies at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, where she pursued research ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Dec 6, 2022

Eleven Finalists Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2028

The William T. Grant Foundation is pleased to announce the finalists for the William T. Grant Scholars Program class of 2028. Eleven early-career researchers were selected from a pool of 43 applicants after a rigorous review by our staff and Selection Committee. ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Oct 19, 2022

Welcoming Alex Doñé and Elizabeth Birr Moje to the William T. Grant Foundation’s Board of Trustees

The William T. Grant Foundation is pleased to welcome Alex Doñé and Elizabeth Birr Moje to our our Board of Trustees. Alex Doñé is a Managing ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Sep 12, 2022

Four New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence on Ways to Reduce Inequality in Youth Outcomes

We are pleased to announce four new research grants for studies in our reducing inequality focus area. Approved at the Foundation’s June Board meeting, these awards will help ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Sep 12, 2022

2022 Mentoring Grants to Support Junior Researchers of Color

The Foundation is pleased to announce that three research grantees have been awarded grants to support their development as mentors to junior researchers of color. The awardees will mentor promising doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows in enhancing their methodological skills, ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Sep 6, 2022

Rosanna Aybar Promoted to Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration

We are pleased to announce that Rosanna Aybar has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration. In this role, Rosanna will continue to lead finance, human resources, and IT, and will also provide expanded support and strategic planning ...

Foundation Staff

Rosanna Aybar Promoted to Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration

Blog Post

Advancing Engaged Research: How Two Deans are Fostering Change through the Institutional Challenge Grant

One of the namesake challenges of the Institutional Challenge Grant is creating structural changes within research institutions in ways that value research-practice partnerships. In other words, we ask that applicants &...

Foundation Staff

News

• Aug 4, 2022

Kimberly DuMont Returns to the William T. Grant Foundation as Senior Vice President of Program

The William T. Grant Foundation is delighted to announce the return of Kimberly A. DuMont in the role of Senior Vice President of Program, effective October 1, 2022. Kim was previously employed ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Webinar: Applying for the Institutional Challenge Grant: The Dean’s Role in Institutional Change

In this webinar, deans from two current Institutional Challenge Grant teams join us to discuss the changes they intend for their respective schools, the concrete steps they are taking to ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Webinar: What is the Role for Social Science in Reducing Inequality? Four New Critiques

The recent special collection of Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World began with a question: “If research is to make a difference in reducing inequality… how?” Offering new perspectives on ways that the social sciences can ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

An invitation: Help us to conceptualize what “quality” research evidence use means

For many years, the William T. Grant Foundation has funded research on ways to improve the use of research evidence in ways that benefit young people ages 5-25 in the United States. Initially, this work focused on building theory. Investigators ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

“Evidence is a continually accumulating resource”: An interview with grantee Bruce Chorpita

The question of how to improve the use of research (URE) in policy and practice can be approached from diverse disciplinary and methodological angles. For many who study research use, ...

Foundation Staff

“Evidence is a continually accumulating resource”: An interview with grantee Bruce Chorpita

News

• Apr 19, 2022

Five Early-Career Researchers Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2027

The William T. Grant Foundation is pleased to announce the newest class of William T. Grant Scholars. Launched in 1982, the Scholars Program supports the professional development of promising researchers in the social, behavioral, and health sciences who have received their ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Apr 12, 2022

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Spencer Foundation, and William T. Grant Foundation Award Grants to Three Partnerships Addressing Social Issues

These grants leverage the power and networks of universities to reduce inequality in youth outcomes, a persisting challenge that has become even more severe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Webinar: William T. Grant Scholars: An Overview of the Program and How to Apply

In this webinar, held on March 15, 2022, Program Officer Melissa Wooten and Senior Vice President Vivian Tseng provide an overview of eligibility details, required materials, and review criteria, as well as the background and broader goals of the William T. Grant ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Jan 13, 2022

The William T. Grant Foundation and the National Science Foundation Partner to Increase the Use, Usefulness, and Impact of Research

The William T. Grant Foundation and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) have launched a collaborative partnership, “Increasing the Use, Usefulness and Impact of Research about Youth.” ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Jan 11, 2022

Welcoming Two New Staff Members to the Foundation

The Foundation is pleased to welcome two new staff members to our team: Dwayne Linville, Director, Grantmaking Operations, and Melissa Wooten, Program Officer. Linville will lead the Grants Management Team. One of his primary responsibilities will be to ensure that ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Jan 10, 2022

Announcing the 2022 Institutional Challenge Grant Finalists

We are very pleased to announce the finalists for the 2022 Institutional Challenge Grant competition. The Institutional Challenge Grant encourages research institutions to build long-term research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations in order to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Dec 8, 2021

Eleven Finalists Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2027

We are pleased to announce the finalists for the William T. Grant Scholars Program class of 2027. Eleven early-career researchers were selected from a pool of applicants after a rigorous review by our staff and Selection Committee. Fabienne Doucet, the program ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Webinar: Measuring Race and Racism in Studies of Research Use

“Measuring Race and Racism in Studies of Research Use” is the fourth webinar in a series focused on bringing critical race perspectives to research that examines how to improve the use of research evidence in policy and practice. ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Webinar: Researching how to make science more useful and used in policy and practice

Science has the potential to improve important outcomes for youth. But if the science generated isn’t used, we are failing to achieve our goal. In this webinar, Senior Program Officer Lauren Supplee and special guest Arthur Lupia of ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Nov 30, 2021

Four New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence on Ways to Reduce Inequality in Youth Outcomes

We are proud to announce four new research grants for studies on reducing inequality. Approved at the Foundation’s October Board meeting, these awards will help build theory and ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Forum: From Understanding Inequality to Reducing Inequality

On October 28th, two panels of scholars participated in a virtual forum, From Understanding Inequality to Reducing Inequality. Exploring ways for social scientists to move beyond describing and quantifying the problem of inequality and to focus instead on ways to ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Oct 20, 2021

Hirokazu Yoshikawa Joins Board of Trustees of the William T. Grant Foundation

We’re pleased to announce that Hirokazu Yoshikawa has joined the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, effective October 2021. Yoshikawa is the Courtney Sale Ross Professor of Globalization and Education at NYU Steinhardt and a University Professor at NYU, ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Aug 23, 2021

2021 Mentoring Grants to Support Junior Researchers of Color

The Foundation is pleased to announce that four research grantees have been awarded grants to support their development as mentors to junior researchers of color. The awardees will mentor promising doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows in enhancing their methodological skills, ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Aug 21, 2021

Six New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

We are proud to announce six new research grants, including four to support studies on reducing inequality in youth outcomes and two support studies on improving the use of research evidence. Approved at the Foundation’s June Board meeting, ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

Engaged Research and Lasting Change: Lessons from an Institutional Challenge Grantee

Community-engaged research is not the norm for social scientists. When it comes to faculty career advancement criteria, research institutions typically value studies that advance the field and generate publications more than collaborative knowledge-building that advances the public good. But research ...

Foundation Staff

Engaged Research and Lasting Change: Lessons from an Institutional Challenge Grantee

News

• Jul 27, 2021

Announcing a $300,000 Grant to Support Research on Reparations for Black American Descendants of Enslaved Persons

In what may be a historic first for a national foundation, the William T. Grant Foundation today announced a $300,000 grant to the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Panel Discussion: Power, Possibility, and Equity in Research Practice Partnerships

In partnership with the Spencer Foundation and the Forum for Youth Investment, on June 10, we hosted a 90 minute panel discussion, “Power, Possibility, and Equity in Research Practice Partnerships.” RPPs have been an important approach to research that seeks ...

Foundation Staff

Panel Discussion: Power, Possibility, and Equity in Research Practice Partnerships

News

• Jun 17, 2021

The Foundation Welcomes Scott Evans as our New Board Chair

We are pleased to announce the election of Scott Evans as the new Chair of our Board of Trustees. Mr. Evans joined the Foundation’s Board in 2013 and has served as the chair of the Finance and Investment Committee ...

Foundation Staff

The Foundation Welcomes Scott Evans as our New Board Chair

Publication

Special Collection: Sociology’s Role in Responding to Inequality

Since 2014, the Foundation has focused much of its grantmaking toward supporting studies that examine programs, policies, and practices to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. Subtle as it is, the nuance here—calling for researchers to investigate specific strategies that ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Jun 9, 2021

Three New-York City Nonprofits Awarded Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants

We are pleased to announce that the Foundation has awarded three Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants to New York City nonprofit organizations that provide services to young people in the five boroughs. Part of a new program, these grants provide up ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Jun 9, 2021

A New Rapid Response Research Grant to Support the Work of Oakland’s “Reimagining Public Safety” Taskforce

The William T. Grant and Spencer Foundations have awarded a Rapid Response Research grant to the University of California, Berkeley in partnership with James Burch, policy director of the Anti ...

Foundation Staff

A New Rapid Response Research Grant to Support the Work of Oakland’s “Reimagining Public Safety” Taskforce

News

• Jun 8, 2021

Five New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas – Spring 2021

We are proud to announce five new research grants, including four to support studies on reducing inequality in youth outcomes and one to support a study on improving the use of research evidence. Approved at the Foundation’s March ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Webinar: The Institutional Challenge Grant: An Overview of the Program and How to Apply

The Institutional Challenge Grant encourages university-based research institutes, schools, and centers to build sustained research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations in order to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. To do so, research institutions will need to shift their ...

Foundation Staff

Webinar: The Institutional Challenge Grant: An Overview of the Program and How to Apply

News

• Apr 26, 2021

Five Early-Career Researchers Selected for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2026

We are pleased to announce the newest class of William T. Grant Scholars. Launched in 1982, the Scholars Program supports the professional development of promising researchers in the social, behavioral, and health sciences who have received their terminal degrees within the ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Apr 20, 2021

Three New Institutional Challenge Grants to Encourage Partnerships, Spur Community-Engaged Research, and Reduce Inequality

The newest grants, amounting to nearly $2,000,000, are being awarded to Johns Hopkins University, Northeastern University, and the University of California Santa Cruz. These institutions will work in partnership with local ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Funder to Funder Webinar: Reducing Inequality for LGBTQ Youth and Families

LGBTQ youth face disproportionate levels of harassment, bullying, depression, and substance abuse compared to non-LBGTQ peers. What is the current evidence on ways to reduce these inequalities and how might new research inform how grantmakers and service providers respond? In ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Webinar: Politics, Power, and the Use of Research Evidence

Hosted by the Foundation and the Forum for Youth Investment on March 11, 2021, this webinar focuses on how concepts such as the perceived objective nature of evidence, the positionality of the researcher in policymaking, and the role of power and politics ...

Foundation Staff

Webinar: Politics, Power, and the Use of Research Evidence

News

• Feb 2, 2021

Call for Proposals: Theories of Blackness, Indigeneity, and Racialization in Research to Reduce Inequality in the Lives of Young People

This small, one-time writing fellowship incorporates three components for each participating Writing Fellow: publication of an original chapter in an edited volume, participation in a writing workshop, and presentation of ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Jan 22, 2021

Five New York City Nonprofits Awarded Youth Service Improvement Grants

We are pleased to announce that the Foundation has awarded five community-based organizations in New York City $25,000 grants to improve the quality of their youth programs. The Youth Service Improvement Grants (YSIG) program supports activities to improve the quality of ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Webinar and Workshop: Advancing Methods and Measures for Studying the Use of Research Evidence

This half-day series, held in November 2020 in collaboration with the Forum for Youth Investment, includes an overview of four methodological approaches to studying the use of research, as well as ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Panel Discussion: Critical Race Perspectives on the Use of Research Evidence

On October 1, 2020, the Foundation hosted a virtual panel discussion with three researchers who offered ideas about ways to center race in efforts to improve the use of research in policy and practice.

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Applying for the Institutional Challenge Grant—Identifying and Supporting the Mid-Career Fellows

In this webinar Senior Program Officer Kim DuMont and President Adam Gamoran speak with Laura Tach and Juliana Garcia, research and practice fellows on the Foundation’s first-ever Institutional ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Apr 16, 2020

Three New Institutional Challenge Grants to Encourage Partnerships Between Universities, School Districts, and Community Organizations

The William T. Grant, Spencer, and Doris Duke Charitable Foundations are delighted to announce the winners of the 2020 Institutional Challenge Grant competition. The newest grants are jointly funded by the ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Nov 13, 2019

Vivian Tseng on “No Jargon” Podcast, Episode 197: Making Research Matter

Vivian Tseng joins the Scholars Strategy Network No Jargon podcast to talk about how research has traditionally been used to shape education policy in the U.S. and how more recent approaches may pave the way toward “making research ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Webinar: Applying for Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants

In this webinar, held in August 2019, grants coordinator Sharon Brewster provides an overview of the Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants program, details eligibility and selection criteria, and answers participant questions.

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

How an ongoing research project is shedding light on efforts to improve outcomes for youth in foster care

For over three decades, research has shown that young people transitioning to adulthood from foster care in the United States have fared very poorly compared to their peers who have ...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

What we fund: Research on strategies to improve the use of research evidence

Improving the use of research evidence in policy and practice is a challenge that implicates researchers across social science disciplines and methodological backgrounds. Here, Vivian Tseng outlines the Foundation’s call for proposals on research to illuminate strategies for ...

Foundation Staff

News

• May 15, 2019

Four Early Career Researchers Selected for 2019 Scholars Program

Scholars receive $350,000 to execute rigorous five-year research plans that stretch their skills and knowledge into new disciplines, content areas, or methods. As they commence their projects, they build mentoring relationships with experts in areas pertinent to their development, and further ...

Foundation Staff

News

• May 15, 2019

Five New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

We are proud to announce three new grants to support research on reducing inequality in youth outcomes and two new grants to support research on improving the use of research evidence in policy and practice. Approved at the Foundation’...

Foundation Staff

Webinars

Applying for the Institutional Challenge Grant: Proposing Strategies to Foster Institutional Change

In April 2019, the Foundation held a webinar, hosted by Institutional Challenge Grant selection committee members Adam Gamoran and Michael Gottfredson and senior program officer Kim DuMont, for a discussion of ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Apr 5, 2019

Two New Institutional Challenge Grants to Encourage Partnerships Between Universities and Public Organizations

The William T. Grant and Spencer Foundations are delighted to announce the winners of the 2019 Institutional Challenge Grant competition.

Foundation Staff

News

• Jan 8, 2019

William T. Grant Foundation 2019 Institutional Challenge Grant Finalists

The William T. Grant Foundation is very pleased to announce the finalists for its Institutional Challenge Grant program. Launched in March of 2017, the Institutional Challenge Grant encourages research institutions to build long-term research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Jan 3, 2019

Introducing a Redesigned Youth Service Improvement Grants Program

Today, we are proud to launch a redesign of our Youth Service Improvement Grants Program. The Foundation introduced the Youth Service Improvement Grants program over a decade ago as a way to help local organizations strengthen existing programs by addressing ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Dec 3, 2018

Foundation Names Ten William T. Grant Scholars Finalists

The William T. Grant Foundation is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2019 William T. Grant Scholars Program. Ten early-career researchers were selected from a pool of 52 applicants after a rigorous review by our staff and Selection Committee. Vivian Tseng, ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Dec 3, 2018

Five New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence on Reducing Inequality

We are proud to announce five new grants to support research on reducing inequality in youth outcomes. The online application for research grants in both of our focus areas, reducing inequality and improving the use of research evidence, is now ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Jul 18, 2018

Ten New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas, Summer 2018

We are proud to announce ten new grants to support research on reducing inequality in youth outcomes and improving the use of research evidence in decisions that affect young people. Approved at the Foundation’s spring and summer board ...

News

• Jul 18, 2018

2018 Mentoring Grants to Support Junior Researchers of Color

Two research grantees and four William T. Grant Scholars have been awarded grants to support their development as mentors to junior colleagues. The awardees will mentor promising doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows in enhancing their methodological skills, publication records, and ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

Research Grantee David Yeager is Using a National Sample to Examine Variability in Intervention Effects

Research grantee David Yeager is studying whether an exercise that instills in students the idea that intelligence can be developed over time can reduce disparities in math achievement. While numerous ...

Foundation Staff

Research Grantee David Yeager is Using a National Sample to Examine Variability in Intervention Effects

News

• Apr 11, 2018

Six Early Career Researchers Selected for 2018 Scholars Program

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 William T. Grant Scholars awards. Launched in 1982, the Scholars Program supports the professional development of promising researchers in the social, behavioral, and health sciences who have received their terminal degrees within ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Apr 9, 2018

Announcing the Foundation’s First Institutional Challenge Grantee

This grant challenges universities to reward faculty members whose research is directed to public service. The inaugural grantees will support research on one of our most vexing social problems, the opioid crisis, in a partnership that is poised to take ...

Foundation Staff

News

• Apr 9, 2018

Three New-York City Nonprofits Awarded Youth Service Improvement Grants, Spring 2018

The William T. Grant Foundation is pleased to announce that it has awarded three community-based organizations in New York City $25,000 grants to improve the quality of their youth programs. The Foundation’s Youth Service Improvement Grants program supports medium-sized ...

News

• Mar 23, 2018

New Rapid Response Research Grants Address Pressing Issues Facing Young People in the U.S.

The William T. Grant Foundation has awarded six Rapid Response Research Grants that will leverage research to address major challenges facing young people in the United States. These awards, the first of their kind, support reviews of existing research, conducted ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

Can policies on foster care settings reduce racial and ethnic disparities in youth outcomes?

Fred Wulczyn and Amy Dworsky are investigating how the outcomes of youth in congregate care settings vary by state, and whether and how this variability contributes to racial and ethnic ...

Foundation Staff

Can policies on foster care settings reduce racial and ethnic disparities in youth outcomes?

News

• Mar 14, 2018

Webinar: Engaging English Learners with Rigorous Academic Content

Improving achievement for English learners by strengthening educational policy and practice would contribute meaningfully to reducing inequality in the outcomes of young people in the United States. In this webinar, Foundation president Adam Gamoran outlines lessons from the literature on ...

Foundation Staff

Webinar: Engaging English Learners with Rigorous Academic Content

News

• Jan 11, 2018

Announcing the 2018 Institutional Challenge Grant Finalists

The William T. Grant Foundation is very pleased to announce the finalists for its new grant program, the Institutional Challenge Grant. Launched in March of 2017, the Institutional Challenge Grant encourages research institutions to build long-term research-practice partnerships with public agencies ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

Can a Coordinated Knowledge System Improve the Use of Research Evidence in School-Based Mental Health Settings?

By refining and integrating multiple theories, Chorpita has designed a model that focuses on supervisor and supervisee interactions, to help them more readily access, understand, and apply research evidence in ...

Foundation Staff

Can a Coordinated Knowledge System Improve the Use of Research Evidence in School-Based Mental Health Settings?

Blog Post

The Color of Emotion: Teachers’ Racialized Interpretations of Children’s Emotion and Student Outcomes

Grantee Amy Halberstadt is examining the extent to which practices that reduce racial bias among teachers can respond to gaps in academic and disciplinary outcomes between Black and White students. ...

Foundation Staff

The Color of Emotion: Teachers’ Racialized Interpretations of Children’s Emotion and Student Outcomes

Blog Post

How Can Youth Perspectives Inform Interventions to Reduce Inequality?

Community-based mixed-methods research can be especially valuable in identifying and understanding strategies to reduce inequality in youth outcomes.

Foundation Staff

How Can Youth Perspectives Inform Interventions to Reduce Inequality?

Publication

Child Welfare Journal, Special Two-Volume Issue: Improving the Use and Usefulness of Research Evidence

This two-part special issue focuses on strategies to improve the use of research in child welfare.

Kim DuMont

Blog Post

Closing the Opportunity Gap Initiative: Finding Solutions for Our Kids

Reflecting on the odds of upward mobility in light of a widening opportunity gap in the United States, Harvard’s Robert Putnam states simply: “Any notion that you can ‘pull yourself up by your boot straps’ ...

Foundation Staff

Closing the Opportunity Gap Initiative: Finding Solutions for Our Kids

Webinars

Use of Research Evidence: Building Two-Way Streets

In this video, produced by the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services, Vivian Tseng challenges the traditional paradigm of moving from “research to practice.” She suggests that researchers ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

What are the Unseen Ways that Research Informs Policy?

Michele McLaughlin, President of the Knowledge Alliance, talks about her experience interacting with decision makers in Washington, reflects on the often unseen ways that research shapes and influences ideas, and outlines implications for researchers looking to inform policy and practice.

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

William T. Grant Scholar Guanglei Hong on the Benefits of Early Instruction for English Language Learners

Guanglei Hong is using advanced statistics to understand the nature of educational settings and the ways that public policies and teachers’ practices affect the academic growth of immigrant-origin students ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

Can Narratives Have a Greater Impact on Clinicians’ Prescribing Behaviors than Evidence-based Guidelines?

David Rubin and his team are examining whether physicians who are exposed to stories about doctors who adhere to research-informed prescribing guidelines adopt similar behaviors. The hope is that a &...

Foundation Staff

Publication

Measuring Instruction in Higher Education: Summary of Convening

What will it take to improve the quality of instruction in higher education? An important first step is the ability to measure quality. A variety of measurement systems exist, but how informative are they, and how can we bring greater ...

Blog Post

Q&A with John Laub: Understanding Inequality and the Justice System Response

John H. Laub is Distinguished Professor Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland, College Park. From 2010 to 2013, Dr. Laub served as the Director of the National Institute of Justice in the Office of Justice Programs in ...

Foundation Staff

Tools

Research-Practice Partnerships Microsite

Outlining fundamental topics from structuring a partnership to funding and staffing, the site is the culminating project of the Foundation’s learning community of research–practice partnerships, which was convened twice annually from 2012–2014. This community includes partnerships ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

Finalists for 2015 William T. Grant Scholars Awards

Ten early-career researchers have been selected from a pool of 64 applicants after a rigorous review by our staff and Selection Committee. Vivian Tseng, Vice President, Program, said of the finalists, “This year’s cohort demonstrates a tremendous amount ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

Rocking the Boat Builds Valuable Lessons for Low-Income Youth

Located in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the South Bronx, the nonprofit organization Rocking the Boat is making a huge difference in the lives of low-income youth. By teaching kids to sail, the organization strengthens math and science skills and ...

Foundation Staff

Blog Post

New Youth Services Improvement Grants, Spring 2014

We’re pleased to announce the recipients of our spring 2014 Youth Service Improvement Grants, which are awarded to community-based organizations in New York City. Each grantee will receive $25,000 to improve the quality of their youth programs. These grantees were ...

Foundation Staff

Publication

The William T. Grant Foundation: Contributions to the After-school Field, 2003-2011

This review of the Foundation’s grantmaking and staff work on the quality of after-school programs from 2003–2011 will help trustees and staff learn about the effects of their strategies during this time and inform the Foundation’s ...

Foundation Staff

Publication

Maximizing Mentoring: A Guide for Building Strong Relationships

This guide is a companion piece to Pay It Forward: Guidance for Mentoring Junior Scholars, which was published by the Foundation and the Forum for Youth Investment in 2010. Pay It Forward offers a range of suggestions and resources to help ...

Foundation Staff

Funding

Four New Rapid Response Research Grants to Address Pressing Issues Facing Young People in the U.S.

Announcing Eleven Finalists for the William T. Grant Scholars Class of 2031

Six New Research Grants to Build Theory and Evidence in our Focus Areas

Focus Areas

Reducing Inequality

Improving the use of Research Evidence

Field Building Areas

Research-Practice Partnerships

Mentoring & Career Development

Research Methods

About

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