Jacobs Foundation LEVANTE Grants 2026
Information last updated: March 2026
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The Jacobs Foundation has launched the 2026 Call for Proposals for the Learning Variability Network Exchange (LEVANTE) initiative, with a total funding pool of USD 6 million and individual project funding of up to USD 1 million.
This is a prestigious opportunity for researchers worldwide to contribute to understanding how children grow, learn, and develop across different times, places, and contexts. LEVANTE brings together researchers from around the globe to coordinate data collection on individual variability, group heterogeneity, and contextual influences on child development outcomes.
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About the LEVANTE Initiative
LEVANTE is an initiative of the Jacobs Foundation that has enabled the creation of the first cross‑cultural, multidisciplinary open dataset capturing the diversity of child development.
The goal is to generate key insights to improve our understanding of learning variability and its association with learning outcomes worldwide.
The initiative currently includes 13 research sites and will soon expand with 8 new sites from the 2025 call.
2026 Call for Proposals – Key Details
The total funding pool for this call is USD 6 million, with individual projects eligible for funding of up to USD 1 million. Research projects must assess children aged 3 to 12 years over time, focusing on identifying underlying factors that contribute to learning variability and capturing the dynamic processes of learning through dense measurement approaches. The application period runs from 13 April 2026 to 10 June 2026.
Research Priorities
The Jacobs Foundation particularly encourages proposals that incorporate designs with the potential to establish causal inferences on mechanisms underlying learning and development.
They also seek proposals that generate insights into how environmental and contextual factors – such as pollution, socio‑economic conditions, and institutional reforms – contribute to shaping learning. Additionally, proposals that implement rigorous and dense data collection measures to study the links between short‑term behavior and long‑term outcomes are highly valued.
The foundation also welcomes submissions that advance our understanding of within‑child variability and developmental trajectories using rich environmental data. Proposals from underrepresented regions are strongly encouraged.
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New LEVANTE Research Sites from 2025 Call
Alongside the 2026 Call for Proposals, LEVANTE has announced the successful projects from the 2025 call. Eight new research sites will join the existing 13 sites, bolstering LEVANTE’s global reach and research base.
These new sites include the Center for Inclusive Education at Bern University of Teacher Education in Switzerland, the Department for Education at GRADE in Peru, the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University in the United States, and the Research and Development Division of the Ghana Health Service at Kintampo Health Research Centre in Ghana.
Also joining are the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at Monash University in Australia, the PHFI‑Centre for Developmental and Lifecourse Research at the Indian Institute of Public Health in Bengaluru, the Department of Psychology at Sapienza University of Rome in Italy, and the School of Government at Universidad de los Andes in Colombia.
The addition of these 8 new sites is a major milestone in expanding LEVANTE’s international scope and generating deeper insights into the factors influencing cognitive and educational outcomes for children around the world.
Eligibility and How to Apply
The call is open to researchers and research institutions worldwide. Projects must be longitudinal, focus on children aged 3 to 12, and use dense measurement approaches to capture learning variability.
Detailed information about selection criteria, eligibility, funding guidelines, application requirements, processes, timelines, and submission instructions is available on the LEVANTE website. All proposals must be submitted through the online portal between 13 April and 10 June 2026.
For researchers interested in other international grants and fellowships, see financial aids for students in North America. And to see a complete list of open research funding opportunities, visit list of all open scholarships in Europe.
Final Thoughts
The Jacobs Foundation LEVANTE initiative represents a transformative opportunity for researchers studying child development and learning variability. With up to $1 million in funding per project and a total pool of $6 million, this call supports rigorous, longitudinal, and cross‑cultural research that can shape educational policies and interventions worldwide.
If your work focuses on how children learn across different contexts and you use dense measurement approaches, do not miss this chance. Submit your proposal by 10 June 2026.
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