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
The funding amount is CHF 150,000.
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.
Selection Criteria
The following selection criteria are weighted equally:
Past research accomplishments and publication record
Creativity and potential for serving as a leader in the scientific community
Scientific quality of methods and data
International relevance of the fellow’s planned work
Potential for promoting human development and learning
Alignment of planned projects with the goals of the Jacobs Foundation
Willingness to support the Foundation’s aims and to engage with us
Application Process
Initial application: The first round of application focuses strongly on the alignment of your research plans with the Jacobs Foundation’s goals. In addition, they want to know if you personally would be a strong member of the network.
Extended proposal: The second round focuses more strongly on details of your planned research for the fellowship period. They want to know more about your ideas for your work as well as how you would engage with the Foundation and the network.
Interview: During the interview, they want to find out if there is a mutual fit between you and the Foundation and clarify open questions that they have based on your written application. It is more a conversation than a scientific interview.
Review: All three steps are conducted by a team consisting of internal (Jacobs Foundation) and external reviewers in a multiplicity of disciplines. Applicants who make it to the second or third step will be given a feedback on their application.
