Learn how NEFE can support your research

We provide funding for rigorous, innovative and actionable research that seeks to improve the public's financial well-being and has the potential to make a profound contribution to the field of financial education. We currently offer research grants and will soon expand our support to include directed research opportunities.

PLEASE NOTE: Next Grant Cycle to Open Spring/Summer 2025

We are adjusting our annual grant cycle timeline to align research, academic and fiscal calendars. We will share more information on the exact due dates for project submissions once they are confirmed.

NEFE remains committed to supporting research in financial education and financial well-being through our funding priorities. We continue to support projects we have previously funded and promote the work of research projects that have been completed.

We hope you will consider applying to this future grant cycle and further advancing quality financial education for all. If you would like to stay informed on upcoming research updates and opportunities, please sign up for our newsletter.

We welcome original research questions and replication studies that align with our funding priorities. Research projects must use rigorous empirical and/or theoretical analysis. Original data is welcome but not required.

Our grant cycle remains open to all eligible concepts, but we give preference to well-designed projects that align with any of the following four topic areas:

• Measurement: Studies that re-evaluate current financial literacy metrics and how financial literacy, behavior, perception, knowledge and skill can be measured more effectively.
• Systemic Inequality: Studies that investigate knowledge, skill and wealth disparities, especially among populations that are statistically more likely to experience systemic barriers to improving their financial well-being.
• Data and Methodological Limitations: Studies that examine bias—specifically as it pertains to personal finance— to help our field identify knowledge gaps and to strengthen research data and design by including traditionally less heard voices.
• Youth Focus: Studies that examine inconsistencies in exposure to financial education among youth in the U.S. as well as variations in financial socialization and education within family units.

Find more detailed information about our funding priorities.

In this insightful session, Dr. Carly Urban, a renowned expert in the field, shared invaluable insights and best practices to enhance manuscript comprehension and composition skills. This webinar, hosted by NEFE's Research and Grants Team, covered mastering the art of reading and writing manuscripts.

Whether you're a seasoned researcher, budding academic, or simply passionate about improving your scholarly writing abilities, this webinar is tailored for you. Dr. Carly Urban, Ph.D., brings her wealth of knowledge and experience to the forefront, guiding participants through essential strategies for effectively reading and writing manuscripts.

What Grantees are Saying

“Working with NEFE has been such a wonderful experience. Our team has felt supported from day 1 and through our entire process. We have appreciated the opportunity to work with NEFE to identify ways to improve our project methodology, engage with content experts, and disseminate our results. The support of NEFE has allowed us to complete a project that wouldn’t have been able to be completed without the financial support as well as the continued engagement with NEFE staff.”

-Melissa Wilmarth, PhD, Assistant Professor at University of Alabama

Funding With Purpose

As a private operating foundation, we do not provide grants to meet our qualified annual disbursement requirements. We offer grant opportunities because we believe that the policies and programs that affect people's lives should be supported by robust evidence. In NEFE’s early days, our grantmaking focused on content development. Now, we fund research that emphasizes—and elevates—rigor within the field of financial well-being. Learn more about how NEFE's endowment is funded and our history.

Stay Connected

Get updates on our research work, calls for proposals and directed research opportunities.