By: Liz Do
24 Nov, 2025
Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellowship supports next-gen research on childhood development and learning
November 24, 2025
CIFAR and the Jacobs Foundation celebrate a new partnership, first joint scholars and the launch of a new call for applications
CIFAR and the Jacobs Foundation, based in Switzerland, are pleased to announce a new partnership that will support interdisciplinary early-career research on how children and youth learn and develop, enabling the effective scaling of education policies and practices worldwide.
The newly named Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellowship harmonizes the complementary mandates of CIFAR and the Jacobs Foundation to extend opportunities for early-career researchers to advance their work towards societal impact. Applications for the 2027-2029 cohort of Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellow are now open to researchers within 10 years of their PhD. The three-year fellowship program provides flexible funding through the recipient’s institution, which can be used for salary, research staff, equipment, travel or other needs that advance their work.
Additionally, 12 exceptional researchers have been named as the first joint Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellows for the 2026-2028 cohort. Their work spans early childhood development, climate and education, refugee learning contexts, as well as neural and social foundations of learning.
Meet the 2026-2028 Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellows.
“CIFAR is proud to partner with the Jacobs Foundation,” said Stephen J. Toope, President & CEO of CIFAR. “This fellowship reflects our shared commitment to address complex challenges through interdisciplinary and global collaboration, as well as our unwavering support of the next generation of research talent. We are delighted to welcome this first joint cohort of Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellows and look forward to the breakthroughs their work will generate in the years to come.”
“The partnership between the Jacobs Foundation and CIFAR strengthens our shared mission to advance research that improves childhood learning and development around the world. We are delighted to welcome our first joint cohort and look forward to all they will achieve through this fellowship,” said Simon Sommer, Co-CEO of the Jacobs Foundation.
This new partnership further strengthens CIFAR’s next-generation offerings, which have expanded in the past year to include initiatives such as workshops on Radical Interdisciplinarity, the CIFAR Women in Research Leadership Development Symposium, and the CIFAR MacMillan Multiscale Human School.
“The Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellowship brings together talented early-career researchers who are at the forefront of research in early education and learning.. Through this partnership, we are able to support their bold ideas, strengthen their collaborations to accelerate their work and growth as next-generation leaders,” said Rachel Parker, Senior Director, Research and Head Next Generation Initiatives at CIFAR.
Gelgia Fetz Fernandes, Global Lead for Learning & Evidence at the Jacobs Foundation, notes that the fellowship is an important step in advancing global understanding of learner variability and building equitable learning systems for all.
“The Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellows will help advance knowledge that can drive better policies and practices globally,” said Fetz Fernandes. “Their research on learner variability will support educators, policymakers and communities in designing learning environments where all children and youth can thrive.”
Call for applications is now open for the 2027-2029 cohort. The deadline to apply is February 2, 2026. Learn more and apply today.