Purpose

The SPARC Center Scholars Program aims to build capacity among early career scholars to conduct rigorous research on the special education teaching workforce using statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS). To do this, we are recruiting early career scholars from the fields of special education, education policy, and other closely related fields to engage in workforce related analyses using SLDS to respond to research questions posed by the state.

Goals

• To provide individuals with a background in education policy, economics, and other related fields access to SPARC Center experts in special education to help develop research questions, contextualize findings, and situate analyses within existing special education research. 
• To provide individuals with a background in special education and the necessary quantitative skills access to SPARC Center experts to help them develop research questions using SLDS to answer policy-relevant questions about the special education teacher workforce.

Award Details

SPARC Center Scholars will:

• Receive ongoing mentorship from SPARC Center experts, including ongoing meetings with one assigned SPARC researcher throughout the duration of the fellowship.  
• Attend bimonthly meetings with their Scholar cohort, allowing the Scholars to get to know all members of the SPARC Center team and each other.
• Apply for access to at least one statewide longitudinal dataset (SLDS) with support from SPARC researchers to conduct a co-developed research study on the special education workforce.  
• Have opportunities for conference presentation and/or authorship on publications.  
• Receive a $1000 stipend to help support travel to a conference alongside SPARC Center experts. 

Eligibility

Well-qualified applicants will be early career scholars who demonstrate strong academic achievement and potential for success in their chosen field. For the purpose of this opportunity, we define “early career scholars” as individuals who are: 

• Engaged in advanced doctoral course or dissertation work, or  
• At the assistant professor level or equivalent position at their organization or institution.  

In the application process, individuals should demonstrate:

• How they use/plan to use SLDS to examine workforce issues as it relates to special education and/or the instruction of students with disabilities; and
• Their developing expertise in statistical analysis for policy-relevant research.

We will review applications using a holistic evaluation process that includes assessing an applicant's academic background, prior research activities and intended trajectory, and socio-economic challenges articulated in the application. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is required.

Application Instructions

To apply for the SPARC Center Scholars program, please send a single PDF file with the following documents to sparccenter@air.org.

1. An updated CV (please make sure it includes your contact information)  
2. A personal essay (up to 500–750 words) describing your academic and professional motivations for participating as a SPARC Center Scholar. Please use the essay to address the following: 
   • Research Interests 
     Describe the areas of research that most interest you. What questions or problems are you passionate about exploring, and why? If applicable, mention any prior research experience and how it has shaped your interests. 
   • Statistical Preparation 
     Outline your background in statistics and quantitative methods. Include any coursework, training, or practical experience that has prepared you to engage with data analysis in your field. 
   • Career Goals 
     Share your short-term and long-term career aspirations. How do you envision this opportunity complementing your research and training to contribute to your professional trajectory?  
3. Doctoral Student Applicants Only: Please provide the name and contact information of your advisor. 

Application Review Process

Application materials will be screened by members of the SPARC Center Leadership Team for inclusion of all necessary materials. Next, SPARC team members will review qualified applicants using the following criteria:  

• Clarity & Organization 
• Alignment of Research Interests with SPARC Center Goals 
• Statistical Preparation 
• Career Goals Alignment 
• Writing Quality 

FAQs

How many SPARC Center Scholars do you plan to accept?  
Each year, we plan to accept six SPARC Center Scholars. Our goal is to accept three Scholars with a background in special education and three Scholars with a background in education policy, economics, or another related field. We plan to "match" SPARC Center Scholars in pairs based on shared interests, with one person bringing content expertise in special education and the other bringing methodological expertise.

I don’t have access to any state’s SLDS. Can I still apply?  
Yes! We will work with you and your assigned SPARC Center expert to identify the appropriate SLDS for you to use, typically from one of our partner states.  

I already have access to the SLDS in another state. Can I use that?  
Potentially. Our goal is to help scholars develop strong research in support of special education teacher workforce policies. If you have data that you can use, great! Your assigned SPARC Center expert may be able to assist you in considering how to replicate our analyses with your data or assist you with interpreting findings. An important initial step will be to assess the quality of the data you have.  

There’s an SLDS I would really like to use. Can you make that happen?  
Possibly. Our SPARC research team partners with seven states, but each states’ data agreement is different and dictates the extent to which we can add collaborators. We will work with SPARC Center Scholars to determine the most appropriate dataset based on a combination of research interests and data availability. 

Can someone with tenure or more years of experience apply? 
Yes, someone who may already have tenure can apply. However, early career scholars will be given priority based on the objectives of the grant.  

What will the program look like? What should I expect? 
Using the applications from selected participants, we will develop three-person teams that include:  

• An early career scholar from the field of special education with an interest in workforce issues and quantitative analyses;  
• An early career scholar from the fields of education policy, economics, public policy, or another related field with demonstrated advanced statistical skills; and 
• A SPARC Center expert assigned to provide mentorship throughout the fellowship.

These teams will establish a consistent meeting schedule that will provide opportunities for collaboration and mentorship, with the aim of creating a research project ready for dissemination at the end of the experience. 

Are there resources available to me that I should review as I prepare my application?

We encourage applicants to review the articles in the 2024 special issue of Remedial and Special Education on using administrative data in special education research, as well as the new resources available from the SPARC Center. Applicants new to using SLDS or unfamiliar with their potential use for policy, practice, and research may also find information about SLDS provided by the Data Quality Campaign useful. 

I'm a qualitative researcher- can I apply? 

Because this work focuses on analyzing SLDS, there's definitely a preference for individuals who either have or want to develop strong statistical skills. Folks with strong qualitative experience are welcome to apply, but the actual work conducted through the SPARC Scholars program will be quantitative, so competitive applications need to demonstrate: (1) research interests that can be answered using SLDS, with quantitative methods; and (2) either strong prior statistical skills, or an interest in and plan for developing those skills.

 

Can I apply if I've never used administrative data or an SLDS for analyses?

 

We anticipate that folks who apply will not have prior experience working with SLDS or using econometric methods (e.g., diff-in-diff, regression discontinuity), and there will be mentorship for developing those skills. However, some prior experience with complex stats (e.g., regression) will be helpful for making the most of that mentorship. 

Evaluation Criteria

Essays will be evaluated on the following dimensions (Total: 100 points): 

Criterion	Description	Points
Clarity & Organization	Essay is well-structured, coherent, and addresses all required components.	20
Alignment of Research Interests with SPARC Center Goals	Demonstrates thoughtful engagement with research topics; articulates clear, meaningful questions or areas of inquiry.	30
Statistical Preparation	Provides evidence of relevant coursework, training, or experience in quantitative methods.	20
Career Goals Alignment	Shows a clear connection between stated goals and the program’s objectives.	20
Writing Quality	Grammar, style, and tone are professional and appropriate for an academic audience.	10

Submission and Contact Information

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or need additional clarification. When ready to submit, please send a single PDF file with the documents described in the Application Instructions section to sparccenter@air.org.