Launched in 1982, the William T. Grant Scholars Program supports the professional development of promising early-career researchers in the social, behavioral, and health sciences. Scholars receive $350,000 to execute rigorous five-year research plans that stretch their skills and knowledge into new disciplines, content areas, or methods. Each year, the Foundation selects four to six new William T. Grant Scholars from a highly competitive pool of applicants who are nominated by their supporting institutions. Jayanti's project, "What Drives Racial/Ethnic Disparities in School Discipline? Understanding Mechanisms to Inform Policy Solutions," will combine an original video experiment engaging a national sample of teachers with a computational text analysis of teachers’ actual disciplinary referral forms to understand sources of racial/ethnic disparities in student discipline.

Awards are based on applicants’ potential to become influential researchers, as well as their plans to expand their expertise in new and significant ways.