March 30, 2026
The Upjohn Institute's 2026 Early Career Research Awards will fund researchers exploring topics ranging from paid sick and family leave policies to the role of transit for job opportunities. The Institute today announced the 10 winners of the awards, worth $7,500 each.
Early Career Research Awards go to early career social scientists — those who have earned a doctorate degree in the last six years — to carry out policy-relevant research on labor market issues.
This year’s winners were chosen from a field of nearly 100 applications. The deadline to apply for Early Career Research Awards comes each year in January, with winners announced around the beginning of April.
With the 2026 class, the Upjohn Institute has awarded 266 Early Career Research Awards since the program’s founding in 2007.
Award recipients will write a research paper for the Institute’s working paper series and produce a nontechnical summary for policy audiences. Many authors have their research published in leading peer-reviewed journals and covered by national media, helping influence evidence-based employment policy.
See the table below for a full list of this year's awardees, their institutions and proposal titles. Click on any proposal title for details on the proposed research.
View a list of past ECRA winners and summaries of their projects here.