Who funds K-12 education research?

We count 98 funded K-12 education projects, active between 2021 and 2031, from 4 funders. The most came from Gates Foundation (80 projects), NSF · EDU (9 projects) and NSF · TIP (4 projects). The median award is $805K, across the 98 of 98 projects that list an amount.

Funded projects

98

Funders

4

Median award

$805K

Open calls now

5

Top funders of K-12 education research

Projects whose title or summary mentions K-12 education. Median award: of the projects that list an amount, in US dollars; “—” when fewer than 3 do.

Open K-12 education funding calls

5 open calls mention K-12 education today.

• Collaboratory to Advance Mathematics Education and Learning (CAMEL) for K-12
  U.S. National Science Foundation$1,000,000 – $1,500,000Deadline: Rolling (no fixed deadline listed)
• NSF STEM K-12 (STEM K-12)
  U.S. National Science FoundationNot specifiedDeadline: Rolling (no fixed deadline listed)
  Real odds: About 1 in 7 funded (15% · NSF Division of Research on Learning (DRL), all proposals, FY2024)
• National Science Foundation Fostering Interdisciplinary Networks to Develop Emergent and Responsive Solutions Foundry (NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY)
  U.S. National Science FoundationNot specifiedDeadline: November 18, 2026 ·
• NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on School Safety
  National Institute of JusticeUp to $5,000,000Deadline: November 23, 2026 ·
• Landmarks of History and Culture and Summer Institutes
  National Endowment for the Humanities$1 – $460,000Deadline: December 9, 2026 ·

Real odds

• About 1 in 7 funded · 15% · NSF Division of Research on Learning (DRL), all proposals, FY2024 · NSF funding rates (directorate page)

Published success rates for the programs behind the open calls above: the share of applications the funder funded, program-wide, not for this topic.

Funded K-12 education projects

A sample, latest start first, at most three per program.

• AI Institute for Engaged Learning
  NSF · EDU · $20,000,000 · ends 2031
• Scaling Nationwide Identification and Support of Extraordinary Young Mathematicians
  NSF · TIP · $30,931,326 · ends 2031
• University of Wisconsin — K-12 Education
  Gates Foundation · $4,877,163 · ends 2030
• As a result of this project k-12 students participating in the sharc community center s advanced stem programming will increase their…
  NASA · $950,000 · ends 2030
• TNTP — K-12 Education
  Gates Foundation · $6,217,837 · ends 2030
• Education Partnership of the Permian Basin — K-12 Education
  Gates Foundation · $1,215,536 · ends 2030
• Modernizing Mathematical Sciences Education: Learning from International Perspectives at the International Congress of Mathematics Education
  NSF · EDU · $199,950 · ends 2029
• CyberAI Innovation: Expanding Workforce Pathways into Cybersecurity and AI Through an Integrative Career and Technical Education Model
  NSF · EDU · $499,663 · ends 2029
• Research Initiation: Engineering Identity Formation Through K-12 Service-Learning: Understanding How Recognition from Young Learners Supports First-Year Engineering Identity
  NSF · ENG · $200,000 · ends 2028
• SBIR Phase II: Colleague AI: Building Next-Generation K-12 STEM Learning Environments through Specialized AI Models
  NSF · TIP · $1,250,000 · ends 2028

How we count

Funded projects come from public award records (NIH RePORTER, NSF, EU CORDIS, UKRI Gateway to Research, Wellcome, the Gates Foundation, DOE, NASA and USDA NIFA) whose title or summary matches “k-12”. NIH lists each budget year separately; one project counts once. Amounts are as the funder lists them; medians use only projects that list one, in US dollars. Open calls and forecasts are from our listings of October 28, 2026. A project can mention a topic without being mainly about it, so treat the counts as a guide to who funds the area.