Skip to main content

Implications of the 2023 Supreme Court Decision to Ban Conscious Admissions at Colleges and Universities for Educational Attainment and Economic Mobility

The Russell Sage Foundation, in collaboration with the Hewlett, Spencer, and William T. Grant foundations, seeks to support innovative research on the effects of the Supreme Court decision on a diversity of outcomes—from who attends college and where and the extent to which alternatives to race-conscious policies contribute to educational attainment and economic mobility among different groups in the population. Our interests extend beyond the effects on applications, admissions, enrollment, and degree completion and include the downstream effects, including whether and how the decision alters the college-to-career pipeline that many employers rely on to diversify their workforce, and the factors associated with public opposition to and support for race-conscious policies. We are particularly interested in analyses that make use of newly available data or demonstrate novel uses of existing data. We also support original data collection and encourage methodological variety and inter-disciplinary collaboration.

A diverse group of students sitting in front of a professor and the blackboard of a college-level math class
Grants in Race-Conscious College Admissions Ban
Russell Sage Foundation logo with seal
Read the Full RFP

Funding Opportunities

The Russell Sage Foundation, in collaboration with the Hewlett, Spencer, and William T. Grant Foundations, seeks to support innovative research on the aftermath of the 2023 Supreme Court decision striking down race-conscious college and university admissions policies. The initiative focuses on ways to promote educational attainment and economic mobility among racially, ethnically, and economically diverse groups following the court’s ruling that the declared that use of race-conscious admissions policies violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and was, therefore, unconstitutional.

All Research Priorities

Crowded pedestrian overpass with people walking in both directions, many in casual or business attire, under a covered walkway in an urban setting.
Behavioral Science & Decision Making in Context
Food delivery cyclist wearing a blue jacket and large blue insulated backpack, riding down a city street with cars parked along the side.
Future of Work
Person holding a “Black Lives Matter” sign at a protest, with a blurred crowd and building in the background.
Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
Person wearing a thick coat and gloves outside with a cardboard sign that says "Affordable Housing Now!"
Social, Political, and Economic Inequality
Several people waiting in a line indoors under a sign that reads "Immigration - Migración"
Immigration and Immigrant Integration
A diverse group of students sitting in front of a professor and the blackboard of a college-level math class
Race-Conscious College Admissions Ban
Browse Our Bookstore
Search Grants
Sign Up for our Mailing List
Apply for Funding