Funding Opportunities at the Institute of Education Sciences:

Information for the Grants Administrator

Elizabeth R. Albro, Ph.D.

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Research

Legislative Mission of IES

• Describe the condition and progress of education in the United States

• Identify education practices that improve academic achievement and access to education opportunities

• Evaluate the effectiveness of Federal and other education programs

Organizational Structure

Office of the Director

National Board for Education

Sciences

National Center for Education Evaluation

National Center for Education Statistics

National Center for Education Research

National Center for Special Ed Research

To Identify Funding Opportunities for Faculty and Researchers

• Begin at the IES website (http://ies.ed.gov)• Sign up for the IES Newsletter• Review FY 2012 Requests for Applications• Funding Opportunities are announced inThe

Federal Register• Contact relevant program officers in the two

Research Centers

http://ies.ed.gov

FY 2012 Research and Research Training Grant Programs

Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards published in Federal Register

March 3, 2011

Research and Research Training Grant Programs

• Education and Special Education Research Grant Programs

• Postdoctoral Research Training Grant Programs• National Research and Development Centers• Special Education R&D Centers• Statistical and Research Methodology in Education• Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs

and Policies

How to Identify Appropriate Grant Programs

• Read the Request for Applications

• Check the announced topics

• Look at the abstracts of projects funded under a research topic– http://ies.ed.gov/ncer/projects/ – http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/projects/

Education Research Grant Program (84.305A)

Special Education Research Grant Program (84.324A)

First, skim available Requests for Applications to:

• Review available topics;• Review research goals and their

methodological requirements;• Program officers are associated with topics,

and their contact information is included at the end of each RFA.

FY 2012 NCER Research Topics• Reading and Writing• Mathematics and Science Education• Cognition and Student Learning• Social and Behavioral Context for Academic Learning• Education Technology• Effective Teachers & Effective Teaching• Improving Education Systems: Policies, Organization,

Management, and Leadership• Postsecondary and Adult Education• Early Learning Programs and Policies• English Learners

FY 2012 NCSER Research Topics• Early Intervention and Early Learning in Special Education• Reading, Writing, and Language Development• Mathematics and Science Education• Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support Learning• Transition Outcomes for Special Education Secondary Students• Cognition and Student Learning in Special Education• Professional Development for Teachers and Related Service

Providers• Special Education Policy, Finance, and Systems• Autism Spectrum Disorders• Technology for Special Education• Families with Children with Disabilities

FY2012 Research Goals

• Exploration • Development & Innovation• Efficacy and Replication• Scale-Up Evaluation• Measurement

Exploration

Explore education programs, practices, and malleable factors that are associated with better student learning and achievement outcomes

Possible methodological approaches include:– Secondary analyses of longitudinal datasets

– Small descriptive studies

– Meta-analyses

Development and Innovation• Develop new interventions (e.g., instructional

practices, curricula, teacher professional development)

• Demonstrate the feasibility of the intervention for implementation in an authentic education delivery setting

• Collect pilot data on promise of intervention to achieve intended outcomes

Efficacy and Replication

• Test whether or not fully developed interventions are effective under specified conditions and with specific types of students.

• Studies using random assignment to intervention and comparison conditions are preferred where feasible.

• Efficacy follow-up studies

Scale-up Evaluation

• Test whether interventions are effective when implemented under typical conditions.

• As implemented by practitioners.• Studies using randomized assignment to

treatment and comparison conditions are preferred whenever they are feasible.

• Scale-up follow-up studies

Measurement

• Develop and validate assessments or other measurement tools

Goal Typical Range per Year (direct + indirect costs)

Maximum(direct + indirect)

Exploration Secondary data With primary data

$100,000 - $300,000$100,000 - $400,000

2 years, $700,0004 years, $1,600,000

Development & Innovation

$150,000 - $400,000 3 years, $1,500,000

Efficacy & Replication Follow-up study

$250,000 - $650,000$150,000 - $300,000

4 years, $3,500,0003 years, $1,200,000

Scale-up Evaluation Follow-up study

$350,000 - $900,000$250,000 - $400,000

5 years, $5,000,0003 years, $1,500,000

Measurement $150,000 - $300,000 4 years, $1,600,000

Additional Research Grant Programs

Postdoctoral Research Training Program in the Education Sciences

(84.305B; 84.324B)• For institutions to establish postdoctoral

training programs to train researchers in the skills necessary to conduct the type of research that the Institute funds

• No more than 5 years in length

National Research and Development Centers(84.305C)

• Topics vary year by year• Currently support 18 R&D Centers• Competed two new R&D Centers during FY 2012

National R&D Centers in Special Education(84.324C)

• Topics vary year by year• Currently support three R&D Centers• Competed four new R&D Centers during FY

2012

Statistical and Research Methodology in Education (84.305D)

• Research projects intended to expand and improve the methodological and statistical tools available for education researchers

Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and Policies (84.305E)

• Support for rigorous evaluations of education programs or policies that are implemented by state or local education agencies

Program Typical Range per Year (direct + indirect costs)

Maximum(direct + indirect)

305B & 324B Postdoc Training

Depends on # of Postdocs

5 years, $687,000

305C & 324C R&D Centers

$1,000,000 - $2,000,000 5 years, $10,000,000

305D Stats/Methods $40,000 - $300,000 3 years, $1,000,000

305E State/Local $500,000 - $1,000,000 5 years, $5,000,000

Other Grant Programs

Letters of Intent Due Dates

• Letters of Intent are important, but not required

• Encourage all researchers to submit Letters of Intent

Application Due Dates

• Applications are accepted twice a year. We anticipate for FY 2013– June 2012– September 2012

• We do NOT accept late applications. • The authorized representative pushes the final

submit button.

Finding Application Packages

• FY 2013 Application Packages will be available on www.grants.gov

Review Requirements for Each Application

Request for ApplicationsGrants.gov Application Submission GuideApplication Package

Resources for Researchers

• Share the following links with faculty and researchers.

• Encourage everyone to review past webinars, and to participate in future webinars for the FY 2013 competitions.

http://ies.ed.gov/resourcesforresearchers.asp

Help Us Help You

• Read the Request for Applications carefully.

• Call or email IES program officers early in the process.

• IES program staff can review draft proposals, and provide feedback.

Don’t be afraid to contact us!

http://ies.ed.gov/funding

Elizabeth Albroelizabeth.albro@ed.gov