Call for Applications

AERA Research Engagement and Development with Youth (READY)

2026 AERA Annual Meeting
Los Angeles, California

Application Deadline: October 29, 2025

Introduction

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) invites applications for the Research Engagement and Development with Youth (READY) Program being held as part of the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting, which will take place in Los Angeles, California from April 8-12. The AERA READY Program will be held on April 8-10 (the first three days of the Annual Meeting).

This program brings teams of high school students to the Annual Meeting to present their work in multiple modalities, including a high-profile, featured poster session; participate in a mini workshop; and attend a select group of sessions and events.

The READY program is designed to showcase the work of high school youth who are using research tools to answer critical questions about education. It aims to cultivate youth researchers’ knowledge of and interest in the field of education research. READY builds upon AERA’s commitment to advancing the field by encouraging and supporting systematic inquiry and evidence-based analysis related to education and engaging youth in ways that have the potential to shape and expand the next generation of talent in education research.

Program applicants should be teams of 4 to 6 high school students who are currently working with an education researcher(s) on the researcher’s study or are being advised by a researcher on their own independent or team project. Education researchers are invited to submit an application on behalf of their research team. High school teachers or education researchers in non-university settings or organizations, who are guiding high school students in research, are also eligible and encouraged to apply.

All topics related broadly to education, teaching, and learning in formal or informal settings are eligible for inclusion in the READY Program. Research projects may focus on a wide range of topics such as children and youth, schools and communities, schools and schooling, curriculum and instruction, student achievement, educational leadership, educational opportunity, school climate, education policy. Proposals for poster presentations may include innovative data displays, videos, or multi-media exhibits that communicate youth perspectives on education research and policy issues.

Program Details

AERA will competitively select up to five youth research teams to participate in the READY Program. Research teams selected to participate will receive an award that includes partial funding support to attend the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. The READY Program will offer youth researchers an opportunity to:

• Present their work in multiple modalities, including a high profile, featured poster session
• Attend selected Annual Meeting sessions and events
• Participate in a mini worshop that provides a forum for students to:
  • Engage with accomplished graduate student, early career, and senior scholars in the field
  • Receive guidance and feedback on their research projects
  • Network with other youth who share an interest in using research to address important questions related to education.
  • Expand their knowledge of the field of education research and the work of education researchers.

Award Details

Dates:

The Research Engagement and Development with Youth Program activities will take place Wednesday, April 8 – Friday, April 10, during the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Led by the education researcher(s) advancing the application, team participants need to arrive early enough on Wednesday to begin program activities at 1:30 p.m. (PST). The program will conclude on Friday morning with sufficient time for participants to explore AERA sessions of interest and other aspects of the Annual Meeting before travelling home.

Award:
READY teams selected to participate in the 2026 AERA READY program will receive an award of up to $1,000 (per team). This award is to help offset the cost of travel to the Annual Meeting for up to six READY youth researcher team members. Additionally, AERA will provide:

• Complimentary Annual Meeting registration for each youth researcher;
• Two nights’ lodging for youth researchers (generally two students per room);
• A registration waiver for one chaperone (if the chaperone is not the team leader/education researcher);
• Two nights’ lodging for one chaperone (if the chaperone is not the team leader/education researcher)

Travel, registration, and lodging costs for the education researcher(s), or additional chaperones are not covered by this award, or provided by AERA.

Eligibility and Application Requirements

Eligibility:

Education researchers advancing proposals must:

• Be 2025 or 2026 AERA members at the time of application;
• Be current AERA members at the time of the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting;
• Register for the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting.

Participating youth researchers must:

• Be enrolled in high school (grade 9-12) at the time of application;
• Be enrolled in high school at the time of the Annual Meeting

READY Teams must:

• Include a minimum of 4 and a maximum 6 youth researchers;
• Designate at least one adult chaperone who will have parental/guardian permission to supervise the team and travel with them to Los Angeles.

If the education researcher(s) is not the authorized chaperone for the team, including traveling with them to and from the conference in Los Angeles, an additional chaperone must be specified in the application. Signed parental/guardian permission for selected READY teams will be requested at time of acceptance.

The READY Program is open to all teams that meet these eligibility requirements, however, priority will be given to outstanding applications from teams in the Los Angeles region. Underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities are encouraged to apply.

Application Requirements:

Education researchers submitting to the READY Program should:

• Review the application instructions and complete the AERA Research Engagement and Development with Youth Online Application no later than Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
• Upload a single document within the application that includes the following:
  • Header with Team Name and Education Researcher’s Name and Institution
  • Youth Research Project Synopsis of no more than 500 words describing the following elements (one statement for each project):
    • Study objectives or purposes
    • Perspective(s) or theoretical framework
    • Research methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry
    • Data source(s)
    • Key features or preliminary results
    • Conclusions, summaries, and implications

Note: If the youth research is part of a larger research project, please provide a synopsis of the youth’s research work that they can present and discuss as their engagement in research.

• Education Researcher(s) Statement that:
  • Sets forth an overview of their work with high school youth on research
  • Describes whether this work involves a partnership with a high school(s) or other organization(s)
  • Specifies the projects and the youth being proposed to constitute a team.

• Team Background Statement that includes:
  • Youth team member bios (50 words maximum per student) that include:
    5. Full name
    5. Pronouns
    5. Year in school / Grade level
    5. Topics or areas of interest in education research
    5. Other relevant activities, or experience
  • Curriculum Vitae for each team leader(s) (limited to 2 pages) that includes:
    5. Employment history
    5. Relevant research activities, publications, or presentations
    5. Relevant professional affiliations and/or memberships
• Partnering or Sponsoring Organization Information

Provide the name of the organization that is sponsoring the youth research team (e.g., university, research institute). If the education researcher(s) is engaged in a partnership or sponsorship with a high school or other community organization or if the education researcher is employed by a high school or other organization, please provide:

• Brief description of the sponsoring high school or community organization
• Statement from the high school or other sponsoring organization indicating support for their youth researchers’ participating in the AERA READY Program

• Team Chaperone(s) Information

For each adult who will be traveling to Los Angeles to act as a Team Chaperone, please provide the following information listed below. If the education researcher(s) is serving as the Team Chaperone they should be listed as such in this section.

• Full name
• Pronouns
• Institutional Affiliation or relation to the team

Where to Apply

AERA will only accept online application materials through the AERA READY online application portal. All submitters need to have a “My AERA” user profile with a username and password to apply. AERA membership is not required to create a profile. However, education researchers who are submitting a READY application must be current AERA members at the time the application is submitted in order for their team to be eligible for the program.

To apply, Go to www.aera.net. Select “Login” at the upper right of the screen to log into your AERA account. After you log in, select “My AERA” at the top of the page. On the “My AERA” page, scroll down to the 2026 Annual Meeting and select “Submit a READY Program Application.”

All application materials must be received by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. All eligible applications will be reviewed by a committee of education researchers. Due to the large volume of applications, the program is unable to provide individual feedback on applications.

About AERA

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.

Direct questions about the READY Program to Lori Diane Hill, Associate Executive Director, at edresearch@aera.net and please include “READY” in the subject line. To learn more about the READY Program, please visit our website.