Today marks the launch of the second call for the Research & Policy Grant for Early Career Researchers. A joint initiative of IEA and the European Commission, the grant aims to support high-quality, policy-relevant secondary analyses of IEA data that can inform education policy in the EU. Using data from IEA studies—TIMSS, PIRLS, ICCS, and ICILS—applicants are asked to propose research projects that will contribute to the development and strengthening of basic skills in the European Education Area, foster collaboration in education research, and support the Union of Skills agenda.
Applicants will receive access to experts from both institutions as well as training opportunities at IEA Hamburg. Successful applicants will receive €20,000 per project for a 12-month research period, with the principal deliverable being a final report that has clear EU policy relevance to basic skills development.
Early career researchers of all nationalities with a track record of using ILSA data and an interest in secondary analysis of IEA data are encouraged to apply. Applications will be administered in two stages: the initial expression of interest and the full proposals from invited applicants. The full details and timeline of the application procedure are available in the call document. The call document also contains the specific research topics and eligibility requirements for the grant, and is accompanied by an FAQs document to assist with queries during the application procedure.
Submissions for the first stage of applications are open until Tuesday, 01 December 2026 at 23:59 (CET). Please click here to see the full call document and details of the application procedure. We wish every applicant the best of luck!