American Educator Panels Scholarship 2020
Are you interested in conducting your own research using survey data from one of the largest, high-quality data sets of U.S. school leaders and teachers?
The AEP is a unique resource that offers:
- High-quality data from scientifically drawn, probability-based samples of teachers and principals to provide nationally representative estimates
- Ability to examine results for subgroups of teachers and principals, such as those in elementary, middle, or high schools, and those serving majorities of low-income or high-income students
- Opportunity to access and share data with the broader research community
- And more
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation established the American Educator Panels (AEP) Scholarship to promote AEP data use among a diverse group of scholars. Scholarships are available for selected graduate students and early-career researchers from underrepresented groups (e.g., Black or African American, Latinx, or American Indian students; first-generation college students) and from under-resourced institutions who may otherwise not be able to access and analyze AEP data.
Scholarship applicants must propose research that utilizes AEP data. Scholarship funds can be used at scholars’ discretion. Potential scholarship uses include purchase of restricted AEP data or other needed resources, such as software.
AEP Scholarship Details
Scholarship Award
$5,000
Application Deadline
The second round of applications is due by November 16, 2020. Future rounds may be opened pending availability.
Who Should Apply?
Early-career scholars, current graduate students enrolled in a doctoral, professional, or master’s degree programs at U.S.-based colleges or universities, or people awarded one of these degrees within seven years who also fit at least one of the following criteria:
- From underrepresented groups in higher education (e.g., Black or African American, Latinx, or American Indian students; first-generation college students)
- From under-resourced institutions that may be unable to provide the support needed to access and analyze the data
- From minority-serving institutions
Please note: If you are not a U.S. citizen, you must be on a student visa in order to receive this scholarship.
Scholarship Recipient Responsibilities
- Recipients must provide evidence of their organization’s IRB approval in order to conduct research with AEP data.
- Recipients must complete a Data User Agreement before receiving the data.
- Recipients will engage in multiple activities throughout the year of award to ensure progress and success. At a minimum, recipients will attend a virtual orientation, submit a research plan for their project, attend virtual check-in meetings with RAND, and present their research at a virtual final convening of scholarship recipients.
Award Selection and Payment
RAND will review applications to determine eligibility and completeness. A group of RAND education researchers and AEP team members will review qualifying applications to select recipients. All applicants will receive email notice of their application status.
Interested in Applying for an AEP Scholarship?
To access the application, you will need to:
- Register for the AEP Data Portal. Your registration will need review and approval. If approved, you will receive email confirmation (typically within two business days).
- Log into the AEP Data Portal and navigate to the AEP Scholarship page. Click on the Application button.
To complete the application, you will need to:
- Write up to 300 words explaining why you are a good fit for the scholarship, keeping in mind the eligibility criteria.
- Identify the AEP data file(s) you need to conduct your proposed research. Explore the list of available AEP data files to determine which are most appropriate for your research.
- Describe the research you propose to conduct using AEP data (up to 300 words). If your project requires restricted data file(s), write up to 300 words to justify why you need restricted data (i.e., why is deidentified data insufficient?).