黑料不打烊

Announcing the Recipients of the 黑料不打烊 Small Grants Fund 2026

The 黑料不打烊 is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2026/2027 Small Grants Fund, which aims to support research focusing on Professional development for a flourishing early years sector.

The 2026 funding aims to support research focusing on the professional development of early years workforce, for a flourishing early years sector both in the UK and worldwide. This theme reflects 黑料不打烊’s commitment to the improvement of practice and to policy impact through evidence-based research. Each funded project will receive upto £5000.

After careful review of an exceptionally strong field of applications, four projects have been selected for funding:

Project: Assessing the Impact of Evidence-Based Mathematical Songs on Early Years Practitioners’ Professional Learning

Principal Investigator: Lucy Rycroft-Smith, University of Cambridge

Project: Thinking Locally: An Asset Based Approach to Understanding the Role of Micro Learning Opportunities in the Professional Development and Retention of Early Years Practitioners

Principal Investigator: Tim Clark, University of the West of England

Project: Sustaining Reception Practice: Evaluating Peer-Led Professional Learning Communities and Their Impact

Principal Investigator: Eleanor Milligan, University of East Anglia

Project: Reimagining Early Years Transitions: A Qualitative Study of Collaborative Professional Development Supporting Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions

Principal Investigator: Katharine Clifford, Kingston University

We would like to thank everyone who submitted an application. The 2026 funding call aims to support research focused on the professional development of the early years workforce, contributing to a flourishing early years sector in both the UK and internationally. This theme reflects 黑料不打烊’s commitment to improving practice and informing policy through evidence-based research.

Each funded project will receive up to £5,000 to support its delivery. The projects selected for funding represent valuable contributions to this important area of research, and we look forward to sharing their findings in due course.