Spencer Foundation

Spencer Foundation
Founded1962
FounderLyle M. Spencer
DissolvedN/A
FocusEducation
Websitespencer.org

The Spencer Foundation was established in 1962 by Lyle M. Spencer. This foundation makes grants to support research in areas of education that are widely construed. It is currently led by Na'ilah Suad Nasir.

Founder

Lyle M. Spencer the founder of the Spencer Foundation, received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Washington,[1][2] and studied at the University of Chicago under a University Fellowship and a Marshall Field Fellowship in Sociology.[2]

In 1938, Spencer co-founded Science Research Associates, Inc. (SRA), a commercial publisher of standardized tests.[2]

In 1962, Spencer created The Spencer Foundation using the wealth generated by SRA.[3][1] He would later write, “All the Spencer dough was earned, improbably from education. It makes sense, therefore, that much of this money should be returned eventually to investigating ways in which education can be improved, around the world.”[4]

In 1964, SRA was acquired by the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), and in 1966, Spencer was elected a director of IBM.[2]

Spencer died at the age of 57 on August 21, 1968.[2]

History

The Spencer Foundation was founded in 1962 by Lyle M. Spencer.[1] It remains one of the leading funders of education research in the United States.[5][6]

Upon Spencer's death in 1968, the foundation received a large endowment.[7] The bulk of the endowment came from Spencer’s IBM shares, which amounted to about $71.6 million.[7] With these resources, the foundation began making formal grants in 1971.[7][8] As of 2020, its grants have totaled more than $500 million.[8]

Leadership

Michael S. McPherson was president of the Spencer Foundation from 2003 to 2017.[9][10]

In 2025, the foundation is led by Na’ilah Suad Nasir, who was named president in 2017.[11][12]

National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship Program

The foundation awards a series of prestigious fellowships to doctoral students completing dissertation research in any area of education research. Each fellowship is for $27,500 and supports individuals in the final year of their doctoral training. The average number of fellowships awarded is 35 out of 400 applicants. Selection is determined by members of the National Academy of Education and by highly respected senior education research scholars. It provides a number of networking and professional development opportunities and informally is seen as an indicator of who are some of the most promising researchers in education.

National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The foundation also awards a series of prestigious fellowships to early career education researchers, typically pre-tenured professors at research-intensive institutions. Each fellowship is for a total of $70,000 and is for one or two years, depending on the preference of the recipient. The fellowship relieves the researcher from a year's worth of teaching- and service-related responsibilities in order to pursue an innovative and important education research project. The average number of fellowships awarded is 25 out of 270 applicants each year. Selection is determined by a committee of members of the National Academy of Education. Only scholars who have graduated from their doctorates within the previous five years may apply. Recipients of the fellowship are also recognized as the most promising young scholars in educational research, and this is widely considered to be one of the top distinctions available to an early-career researcher.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Spencer Foundation Project: Learning to Improve". Evidence-Based Improvement in Higher Education. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  2. ^ a b c d e Times, Special to The New York (1968-08-22). "LYLE M. SPENCER, TESTS PUBLISHER; Head of Science Research Associates Dead at 57". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
  3. ^ "Ogren receives grant to write book on life, legacy of Lyle Spencer | College of Education - The University of Iowa". education.uiowa.edu. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  4. ^ Nicklin, Julie L. (1992-06-17). "Spencer Fund, With a Unique Niche in Philanthropy, Seeks to Make Education Research a Priority for Others". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved 2026-03-10.
  5. ^ "USask-led international partnership for sustainability education receives unprecedented funding". University of Saskatchewan. 4 September 2024. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  6. ^ "Spencer Foundation - MacArthur Foundation". www.macfound.org. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  7. ^ a b c "Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois". newspapers.com. 13 March 1969. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  8. ^ a b "BC Lynch School Faculty Member Receives Spencer Foundation Mentor Award". Boston College. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  9. ^ "Michael McPherson". National Academy of Education. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  10. ^ "Michael McPherson | Institute for Research in the Social Sciences". iriss.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  11. ^ "Nasir Named Spencer Foundation President". aera.net. February 2017. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  12. ^ "Na'ilah Nasir". National Academy of Education. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
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