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About

The Charter School Research Collaborative runs twice-yearly requests for proposals (RFPs).

 

The Charter School Research Collaborative supports research projects that investigate pressing questions in the charter school space that inform policy and practice. The collaborative issues competitive funding requests and accepts three types of proposals. Grants range from $10,000 to $250,000.

Research Focus

Research Agenda

What are the research priorities?

The full research agenda can be found here.

  1. What are the long-term effects of charter schools?
  2. What is the effect of charters on non-test score outcomes? How do these effects relate to test-score effects?
  3. Which charter school practices have the largest effect on performance?
  4. How does charter performance vary across different contexts?
  5. How do charter school effects vary with demographic characteristics, family background, and for students receiving language and special education services?
  6. How do charter schools impact non-student outcomes?
  7. How do system-level factors, such as authorizing practices, impact charter school performance?
How was the research agenda developed?

Conversations with more than 100 charter leaders, practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and funders led to the development of this agenda. As diverse stakeholders’ priorities continue to shift and the Collaborative progresses, the research agenda will continue to evolve.

Regions of Interest

Are there specific geographic areas of interest?

There are 16 priority regions of interest. Though these are priority regions, projects that align with the research agenda and fall outside these regions of interest will still be considered.

  1. Baton Rouge, LA
  2. Camden, NJ
  3. Colorado state
  4. Georgia state
  5. Indianapolis, IN
  6. Kansas City, MO
  7. New Orleans, LA
  8. New York, NY
  9. Newark, NJ
  10. Oakland, CA
  11. St. Louis, MO
  12. Stockton, CA
  13. Tennessee state
  14. Texas state
  15. Washington, DC
  16. Washington state

Timeline

Step 1

Mandatory letter of inquiry (LOI) opens

Deadline

June 26, 2024

Step 2

Submit LOI

Deadline

August 28, 2024

Step 3

Invitation to apply for full proposals sent

Deadline

September 13, 2024

Step 4

Full proposals due

Deadline

October 18, 2024

Grant Types

The Charter School Research Collaborative accepts proposals for three grant types: proposal development, pilot studies, and full research projects. Click each grant type below for additional details and example projects.

Application Resources

Letter of Inquiry Application Guide & Evaluation Criteria

Proposal Dev. Application Guide & Evaluation Criteria

Pilot Study Application Guide & Evaluation Criteria

Full Research Project Application Guide & Evaluation Criteria

Research Resources

Guide to Cleaning Lottery Data

Lottery Data Intake Form

Data Use Agreement Template

Charter Recruiting FAQs

Eligibility

Emerging and established researchers from a range of disciplines are invited to apply. Researchers should have some demonstrated success in conducting quantitative research, as demonstrated by their educational training (e.g., in economics, public policy, political science, education policy) or publications. They should also have an interest in education policy, broadly conceived.

Graduate students in economics, public policy, and related fields are also encouraged to apply for funding and should include a letter of support from a faculty sponsor. The total amount of funding for graduate students is capped at $75,000.

Teams should be led by principal investigators who have experience conducting research. They should be affiliated with an eligible nonprofit organization, such as an academic institution, public entity, nonprofit organization, or state or local government agency.

Individuals or organizations are not permitted to use any funds received through this grant for lobbying purposes.

Funders may be part of a team applying for funding, but their engagement in the partnership must be to exclusively support the research. The project must be researcher-led, meaning that the researcher leads the development of the research questions and methodology. Funders are defined as any organization that provides direct or indirect financial support to charter schools, charter management organizations, and related work, including but not limited to: private foundations (e.g., independent, family, and operating), community foundations, and donor-advised funds (i.e., this includes both private foundations and grantmaking public charities).

Still have questions? Sign up for office hours here.

FAQs

Are LOIs mandatory?

Any applications submitted during or after June 2024 require a mandatory LOI submission. LOIs will be used to determine which applicants are asked to submit a full application.

I'm submitting this proposal in partnership with another organization. Which one of us should be the one to apply?

We require that the organization receiving the majority of the funding submits the application.

What is the average grant size?

Three types of proposals are accepted, each with funding ranges.

  • Proposal development (typical award size around $10,000 of direct costs);
  • Pilot studies (typical award size around $75,000 of direct costs); and
  • Full research project (awards range from $75,000 to $250,000 of direct costs).
What is the grant period duration?

Proposal development and pilot study grants are one-year grants. Full research projects are one- to three-year grants.

How do I draft a budget?

Budgets must be submitted using the templates provided for each grant type. We will not request a detailed budget at the time of LOI submissions. We provide example expenses in the budget template and would be happy to discuss budget questions with applicants invited to submit full applications.

What indirect rate should I apply with?

Please budget direct costs only. Indirects will be 10-15%, depending on the final funding sources. You can budget up to the maximum direct costs outlined in the proposal types and application guidelines.

How many proposals can I submit?

There is no limit to the number of proposals an individual or organization can submit.

How are funding decisions made?

After each RFP period, a Blueprint-appointed review board evaluates proposals. The review board includes Josh Angrist, Carycruz Bueno, Sarah Cohodes, Drew Jacobs, Constance Jones, Jack Mountjoy, Parag Pathak, and Karega Rausch.

What requirements will I be subject to, if I receive a grant?

Applicants who receive a grant will be subject to the following requirements: 

  1. Grantees will be required to obtain IRB approval or exemption before MIT can establish a subaward agreement to set up funding.
  2. MIT requires an official acceptance of the proposal and budget by your institution to set up the subaward. Applicants are encouraged to submit the proposal to their office of sponsored programs or contracts department prior to the award decision to avoid delays and ensure that your institute will accept your proposal and proposal budget.
  3. Once all materials have been received, it can take up to 60 days to establish the subaward. The award is paid on a cost-reimbursable basis, and spending can usually be backdated through the date of the Blueprint award letter or date of IRB approval (whichever comes later). Funds are to be used for the purposes described in the proposal narrative and proposal budget. Significant changes to the project scope, design, or budget must be pre-approved by Blueprint Labs.
  4. The terms of the award will be further specified in the award letter and in any subaward established with MIT. Acceptance of funding from Blueprint Labs signals your consent to these requirements. Non-compliance with these requirements could affect your eligibility for future funding from any Blueprint Labs Collaborative.
  5. Grantees will typically be required to submit several reports, including a brief annual progress report and a final report, both including financial data.
When is the next RFP cycle?

The next request for proposals (RFP) cycle will occur in late 2024 – early 2025.

Can I apply for an grant off-cycle?

There will generally be two requests for proposals (RFPs) per calendar year. Under exceptional circumstances, Blueprint will consider off-cycle proposals for all three types of proposals when researchers face time constraints due to factors outside of their control. Off-cycle proposals will face the same scrutiny as proposals submitted during the RFP round and must include a justification for off-cycle submission.

What types of research methodologies does the Collaborative fund?

The Collaborative funds casual, descriptive, mixed methods, and qualitative research. The research question of interest should drive the methodology.

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Mandatory Letters of Inquiry are due August 28, 2024.

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