2024 Call for Applications: Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship Program for Early and Mid-career Researchers

Deadline for submission: January 21, 2024.

The Jacobs Foundation is pleased to announce the 2024 call for applications for its Research Fellowship Program.

The Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship Program is a globally competitive fellowship program for early and mid-career researchers whose work is dedicated to improving the learning and development of children and youth worldwide. The relevant disciplines include, but are not limited to, education sciences, psychology, economics, sociology, behavioral science, computer science, pedagogy, linguistics, neurosciences, and science of learning.

Particularly encouraged to apply are scholars who seek to combine multiple levels of analysis and engage in interdisciplinary work. A special focus lies on work to understand and embrace variability in learning; promote the generation, transfer, and practical application of evidence on human learning and development or increase the capacity to scale up effective education policies and practices.

The Jacobs Foundation is especially interested in the following questions:

How do variations in individuals and contextual factors influence learning, development and learning outcomes?
How can we design for learner variability at scale to enable all children to reach their potential as learners and in life?
How can we produce interventions that reduce growing inequalities in children’s learning and overcome disparities in the impacts of digital technologies?
How can we address the role of data to help learners and teachers make informed decisions about their learning and teaching?
What school-level learning approaches, environments, and experiences are effective in improving learning outcomes in heterogeneous student groups?

FUNDING

Fellowships are awarded to highly talented and innovative early and mid-career researchers who have received their PhD within the past 10 years. Funding from Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowships is awarded directly to the fellow’s institution and may be used by the fellow over a three-year period to cover a portion of the fellow’s salary and for any purpose in support of the fellow’s research, such as assistants’ salaries, equipment, technical assistance, professional travel, or trainee support.

The ideal fellow does not only have a great research idea but also a significant potential as a researcher to contribute as part of interdisciplinary teams within and beyond the network of the Jacobs Foundation. In addition to providing fellows with independent and competitive funding, the program offers a wide range of non-financial benefits.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Target Group Contents FUNDING GENERAL INFORMATION ELIGIBILITY SELECTION CRITERIA	Highly talented early career researchers. The ideal candidate has received his/her PhD or equivalent degree within the past 10 years.
Funding amount	CHF 150’000
Funding period	3 years
Number of fellowships per year	Up to 12
Use of funds to cover the fellow’s salary	Up to 50% of the grant amount
Funding of overhead / indirect costs	Up to 10% of the total amount of funding (i.e. CHF 15’000) in addition to the basic grant
Additional funding	Fellows may apply for additional funding at the end of the fellowship to conduct further projects with a focus on evidence to action and scientific capacity building.
Non-financial benefits	In addition to providing fellows with independent and competitive funding, the program offers a wide range of non-financial benefits.

ELIGIBILITY

The ideal candidate

has obtained his/her PhD or equivalent degree within the past 10 years;
is employed at an institution of higher education or research institute;
is conducting high-quality research in an area of interest to the Jacobs Foundation;
is committed to engaging with the Jacobs Foundation and the Fellowship Network and contributing to the Foundation’s activities.