Jacobs Foundation LEVANTE Call for Proposals 2026 (With up to $1 Million Funding)

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About Jacobs Foundation LEVANTE Call for Proposals

LEVANTE is an initiative of the Jacobs Foundation. It brings together researchers from around the globe to coordinate data collection on how individual variability, group heterogeneity, and contextual variability influence children’s learning and development outcomes. LEVANTE has enabled the creation of the first cross-cultural, multidisciplinary open dataset capturing the diversity of child development, with the goal of generating key insights to improve our understanding of learning variability and its association with learning outcomes worldwide.

• Sponsor Organisation: Jacobs Foundation

Benefits of Jacobs Foundation LEVANTE Call for Proposals

The Jacobs Foundation is devoting up to USD 6 million to support project proposals to become part of the LEVANTE network. Proposals can be submitted within the following three categories: 

1) Regular projects  

Maximum budget: USD 250.000 over a minimum of 2-3 years (data collection at baseline, followed by two annual waves)   

Regular projects are expected to support, for example: 

• the follow up of an existing, deeply characterized cohort as participants enter the school age window relevant to the LEVANTE battery.  

• efficient, high value data collection (potentially over multiple waves) that leverages prior investments without requiring the full suite of analyses or infrastructure envisioned in larger awards 

• a narrow, well-defined scope, focused on a single cohort or site 

2) Large projects  

Maximum budget: USD 600.000 over a minimum of 4 years (data collection at baseline, followed by three annual waves)   

Large projects are expected to support: 

• Collection of LEVANTE measures in new samples 

• Addition of LEVANTE measures to ongoing or planned studies 

• Supplementation of LEVANTE data collection with other measure types  

3) Infrastructure projects  

Maximum budget: USD 1.000.000 over a minimum of 4 years (data collection at baseline, followed by three annual waves)   

Some examples of infrastructure projects: 

• Collection of LEVANTE measures in new samples of greater size or with specific population characteristics of interest that require greater resource expenditure 

The final portfolio allocation across grant sizes will be determined based on scientific merit and strategic balance. Review of the extended proposals will take into account the scope of the proposed budget relative to the proposition value of the project with grants of USD 1.000.000 only provided for exceptional proposal that require a lot more technical infrastructure and effort. 

Jacobs Foundation LEVANTE Call for Proposals Requirements

Main applicants should:   

• Have obtained a PhD or equivalent degree at least 5 years (excluding career breaks) prior to the application deadline;  

• Be employed by and be part of a research lab at an institution of higher education or research institute; 

• Be conducting high-quality research in the area of variability of learning and development; 

• Be committed to engaging with and contributing to the activities of both LEVANTE and the Jacobs Foundation.  

The following selection criteria are considered in the selection process:  

• Scientific quality of methods and data 

• Publication record and experience on similar collaborative projects 

• Feasibility of the proposed project  

• Availability of resources and capacity of the lab 

• Innovativeness, uniqueness, and value proposition of the proposed project  

• Geographic localization of the proposed project and demographic representativeness of the sample  

• Conceptual alignment and integration of planned project with the LEVANTE framework  

• Collaboration and/or multidisciplinary character of the proposed project 

• Inclusion of young scholars in the team  

• Inclusion of additional measures with no/limited additional funding request  

Application Date and Process

The LEVANTE application process is hosted by SurveyMonkey and consists of three stages: 

Stage 1: Initial Application (April 13 – June 10, 2026- midnight GMT) 

The initial application comprises three parts: 

• General Information: You will be asked to submit general information about yourself, your team and your background. 

• Application Form: Submit details of your study, including the project description, geographical focus, and target population age range. 

• Upload your CV and a list of publications. 

Your proposal will be reviewed by the review panel. 

Stage 2: Extended Proposal (July 29 – September 25, 2026- midnight GMT) 

If your initial application is successful, you will be asked to submit an extended proposal, which includes: 

• Extended Proposal Form: Submit in depth description of your study. 

• Timeline. 

• Budget. 

Following submission, your application will be reviewed by the external and internal review panel, as well as relevant members of the LEVANTE Advisory Committee. 

Stage 3: Interview (November 9-18, 2026) 

After your extended proposal is reviewed, you might be invited to an interview with the review panel. The final candidates will be presented for approval to the Jacobs Foundation Board. 

Application Deadline

10 June, 2026

Opportunity Application

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