The MIT Jameel World Education Lab funds innovative research projects from across MIT that connect evidence and ideas in creative ways to improve learning on campus and across the world.
In 2025, J-WEL became part of MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). Together, we’re disrupting the status quo in education by evaluating and scaling up practical approaches that can transform learning. Learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply for a J-WEL Education Innovation grant?
Faculty members and Principal Investigators are eligible to apply for J-WEL grants. Others may apply on behalf of a team that includes a Faculty or PI (such applications require a statement from the collaborating Faculty or PI). This year, members of the Digital Learning Lab are eligible for special consideration as independent researchers.
Whether they are applicant or team member, the identified lead Faculty or PI should participate significantly throughout the project and oversee the work. Grant activities, including design, development, testing, and documentation may also involve students, postdocs, and others.
Employees of MIT Open Learning whose work falls entirely within Open Learning are not eligible for J-WEL grants. OL staff who are collaborating with researchers or faculty elsewhere at MIT are encouraged to apply through the collaboration anchored elsewhere at MIT.
All proposals require a letter of support from your department chair by the deadline.
When does the application portal open? When is the deadline to submit a proposal?
J-WEL is not currently accepting grant applications.
Can I review the application questions prior to entering the application portal?
A PDF of all application questions can be viewed here.
Is there a maximum amount of funding a project can request?
Proposals may request up to $80,000.
Where can I access the budget template before entering the application portal?
The budget template can be viewed here.
Recent Grants
In 2024, the MIT Jameel World Education Lab awarded Education Innovation grants to 11 research projects that are leveraging artificial intelligence tools for learning, exploring low-tech ways to expand access to STEM education, and developing new materials, approaches, and curriculum to improve equity and quality of learning experiences:
Bridging STEM education gaps: fostering aspirations through learning festivals and deployable learning toolkits in underserved American communities
Education quality often lags in rural areas and correctional facilities due to funding disparities. For over a decade, MIT Spokes, a student-led team committed to narrowing the educational gap in STEM disciplines among rural, low-income, and underserved communities nationwide, has cycled cross-country, delivering STEM workshops to elevate aspirations and provide resources. They implement hands-on learning kits during one-day festivals, tailored to community needs. By engaging with stakeholders and refining their approach, Spokes aims to maximize impact and open opportunities for students unfamiliar with institutions like MIT.
Empowering global synthetic biology learners using a robotic cloud lab network for enabling collaborative, scalable research projects
To enhance bio literacy and engagement with synthetic biology, Kong aims to expand the MIT Media Lab course, How to Grow (Almost) Anything, by creating a global “robotic cloud lab network,” allowing users without regular access to wet labs the opportunity to experiment and create. This network, organized by MIT, Harvard researchers, and supported by global teaching assistants, will provide community labs with programmable robots and supplies and a handbook to guide learning exercises. In Spring 2025, Kong will execute a global research project on protein therapies for antibiotic-resistant bacteria across the robotic cloud lab network.
Games for climate education: developing game-based facilitation of the En-ROADS climate simulator
Climate Interactive’s innovative climate change simulator En-ROADS has been very successful in engaging participants to think about the impact of alternative policies and actions to mitigate and reverse the effects of climate change. Yet, meaningful shifts in understanding, policy, and action require education and understanding at massively greater scales than are currently possible with the En-ROADS facilitation model. Expanding on prior work, Cook and Klopfer seek to explore game-based facilitation and the scaling of such a solution.
SIDAI – Scope, Ideate, and Develop with Artificial Intelligence: developing and evaluating a web-based platform and a chatbot teaching assistant for teaching problem-solving in higher education
Organizations are emphasizing creative problem solving, system analysis, and conscientious decision-making to tackle complex, ill-structured problems. Active learning supports these skills but its implementation faces barriers like large class sizes, preparation time, and student resistance. Generative AI integration in education is complex but promising. Through the development of SIDAI, a web-based platform, and its chatbot Sid, Lavi intends to create tools that assist in active learning and provide personalized feedback to students, aiming to enhance teaching and learning experiences.