ies.ed.gov

Connecting Research,Policy and Practice

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Erin Higgins, Ph.D.Program Officer

National Center for Education Research

Jacquelyn A. Buckley, Ph.D.Program Officer

National Center for Special Education Research

Basic Overview of Funding Opportunities at the Institute of Education Sciences

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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

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Organizational Structure of IES

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National Board for Education

SciencesStandards &

Review Office

Office of the Director

National Center for Education Evaluation

National Center for Education Statistics

National Center for Education Research

National Center for

Special Education Research

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Missions of the Research Centers

• NCER– Supports rigorous research that addresses the nation’s

most pressing education needs, from early childhood to adult education

• NCSER– Sponsors a rigorous and comprehensive program of special

education research designed to expand the knowledge and understanding of infants, toddlers, and students with or at risk for disabilities from birth through high school

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Objectives of the Research Grant Programs

• Develop or identify education interventions (practices, programs, policies, and approaches) – that enhance academic achievement– that can be widely deployed

• Identify what does not work and thereby encourage innovation and further research

• Understand the processes that underlie the effectiveness of education interventions and the variation in their effectiveness

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Focus on Student Outcomes

• IES funds research to improve the quality of education for all students through advancing the understanding of and practices for teaching, learning, and organizing education systems

• Research must address student education outcomes– Academic outcomes– Social and behavioral competencies that support student

success in school

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HOW DO I IDENTIFY THE FY 2016 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES?

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How to Identify Funding Opportunities

• Begin at the IES website (http://ies.ed.gov/funding)

• Sign up for the IES Newsflash• Funding opportunities are announced in The Federal

Register • Review current Requests for Applications (RFAs)• Contact relevant Program Officer(s) for the topic(s) of

interest in the relevant Center

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How to Identify Appropriate Grant Programs

• Read the Request for Applications• Review announced topics and methodological

requirements• Look at abstracts of projects funded under a research

topic or program– http://ies.ed.gov/ncer/projects – http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/projects

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WHAT ARE THE FY 2016 FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES?

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84.305A Education Research Grants84.324A Special Education Research Grants

• Primary Grant Programs

• Apply to a Research Topic and a Research Goal– Topic: Field you’ll be working in• 84.305A: 10 topics• 84.324A: 11 topics

– Goal: Type of work you’ll be doing

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305A & 324A Research Topics305A Education Research 324A Special Education ResearchCognition & Student Learning CASL in Special EdEarly Learning Prog & Policies Early Inter & EL in Special EdEducation Technology Technology for Special EdEffective Teachers & ET PD for Teachers and RS Providers Improving Education Systems Special Ed Policy, Fin, & SystemsMath and Science Ed Math and Science EdReading and Writing Read/Write/Lang DevSocial and Behavioral CAL Social and Behavioral OSL English Learners Autism Spectrum DisordersPostsecondary and Adult Ed Families of Children w/Dis Trans Out for Secondary Stu

w/Dis18

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305A & 324A Research Goals

305A: Education Research 324A: Special Ed Research

Exploration Exploration

(not in FY 2016) Development & Innovation

Efficacy & Replication Efficacy & Replication

Effectiveness Effectiveness

Measurement Measurement

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Exploration Goal

• Explore associations between education outcomes and malleable factors

• Identify factors and conditions that may mediate or moderate relations between malleable factors and student outcomes

• Possible methodological approaches include:– Analyze secondary data– Collect primary data– Complete a meta-analysis– Combination of above

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Development & Innovation Goal(FY 2016: NCSER ONLY)

• Develop an innovative intervention (e.g., curriculum, instructional approach, program, or policy)

• OR improve existing education interventions

• AND collect data on its feasibility, usability, and fidelity of implementation in actual education settings

• AND collect pilot data on student outcomes.

Development process must be

iterative!

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Efficacy & Replication Goal

• Evaluate whether or not a fully developed intervention is efficacious under limited or ideal conditions

OR

• Replicate an efficacious intervention varying the original conditions

OR

• Gather follow-up data examining the longer term effects of an intervention with demonstrated efficacy

OR

• Analyze retrospective (historical) secondary data to test an intervention implemented in the past

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Effectiveness Goal

• Evaluate whether a fully developed intervention that has evidence of efficacy is effective when implemented under typical conditions through an independent evaluation

• Prior to submitting an effectiveness proposal, at least one efficacy study of the intervention with beneficial and practical impacts on student outcomes must have been completed

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Measurement Goal

• Development of new assessments or refinement of existing assessments, and the validation of these assessments

OR

• Validation of existing assessments for specific purposes, contexts and populations

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Attend to Changes from Previous Years’ Competitions

• See highlights of changes section in the FY 2016 RFA.– Note that maximum award amounts have changed and are

now different in many cases between 305A and 324A!

• Carefully read the full RFA.

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Goal 84.305AMaximum

(direct + indirect)

84.324AMaximum

(direct + indirect)

Exploration With secondary data With primary data

2 years, $600,0004 years, $1,400,000

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

Development & Innovation N/A 4 years, $1,500,000

Efficacy & Replication Follow-up study Retrospective

5 years, $3,300,000 3 years, $1,100,000

3 years, $700,000

4 years, $3,500,000 3 years, $1,300,000

3 years, $800,000

Effectiveness Follow-up study

5 years, $3,800,0003 years, $1,400,000

5 years, $4,000,0003 years, $1,600,000

Measurement 4 years, $1,400,000 4 years, $1,600,000

Maximum Award Amounts (84.305A & 84.324A)

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Application Deadline

(Grants.gov)

Letter of Intent Due Date

(iesreview.ed.gov)

Application Package Posted

(Grants.gov)

Start Dates

August 6, 20154:30:00 PM DC

Time

May 21, 2015 May 21, 2015 July 1, 2016to

Sept 1, 2016

Dates for 84.305A and 84.324A

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Research Training Grant Programs

• 84.305B: Research Training Grant Programs in the Education Sciences– Pathways to the Education Sciences Research Training

• 84.324B: Research Training Program in Special Education– Postdoctoral Research Training Program– Early Career Development and Mentoring – Methods Training Using Single Case Designs

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Award Parameters (84.305B & 84.324B)

Program Maximum Number of Years

Maximum Award(direct + indirect)

305B Pathways Training

5 years $1,200,000

324B Postdoctoral Research Training Early Career Development Methods Training Using SCD

5 years4 years 3 years

$700,000$400,000$700,000

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Application Deadline

(Grants.gov)

Letter of Intent Due Date

(iesreview.ed.gov)

Application Package Posted

(Grants.gov)

Start Dates

August 20, 2015

4:30:00 PM DC Time

May 21, 2015 May 21, 2015 July 1, 2016to

Sept 1, 2016

Important Dates for Training Grants Programs

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84.305C: Education Research Center Program

• Virtual Learning Center

– Evaluate and improve the instructional practices, content, and/or learning tools offered by one or more widely-used online instructional delivery platforms• Focus on low-income and low-performing K-12 students

– Explore how the large amounts of data generated by platforms may be used to address important research questions and improve teaching and learning

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84.305D Statistical & Research Methodology in Education

• Early Career only– PhD after April 1, 2011– Include mentor or Advisory Board

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

• These tools will be used to improve the design of research studies, analysis of research data, and interpretation of research findings

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84.305E: Evaluation of State Education Programs & Policies

• Partnership of research institution and SEA to evaluate a state program– College- and Career-Ready Standards and Assessments– Identifying and Improving Lowest-Performing Schools– Teacher and Principal Evaluation and Support Systems

• Accelerated Schedule– Application Deadline: June 10, 2015– Project Start Date: August 1, 2015

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84.305H: Partnerships & Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice & Policy

• Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships in Education Research– Partnerships composed of research institutions and

state or local education agencies– Carry out initial research on an education

issue/problem of high priority for the education agency that has important implications for student outcomes

– Develop joint research plan for further research on issue.

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84.305N: Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice

• New grant program

• Two topics– Supporting Early Learning from Preschool through Early

Elementary Grades– Scalable Strategies to Support College Completion

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84.305N: Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice

• The Early Learning Network will support:

– Up to 4 Research Teams (to conduct exploratory research to identify malleable factors that support early learning from preschool through early elementary school grades).

– Up to 1 Assessment Team (to develop/validate a classroom observation tool)

– Up to 1 Network Lead

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84.305N: Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice

• The College Completion Network will support:

– Up to 4 Research Teams (to evaluate impacts and costs of interventions to support increased degree attainment among students attending open- and broad-access institutions)

– Up to 1 Network Lead

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Award Parameters (84.305B-H)

Program Maximum Number of Years

Maximum Award(direct + indirect)

305C Virtual Learning Center 5 years $10,000,000 (max of $2,000,000/year)

305D Early Career Stats/Methods 2 years $200,000 (max of $100,000/year)

305E Evaluation of State Education Programs/Policies

5 years $5,000,000 (max of $1,000,000/year)

305H Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships

2 years $400,000 (max of $200,000/year)

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Award Parameters (84.305N Research Networks)

Research Networks Application Type Maximum Number of Years

Maximum Award(direct + indirect)

Early Learning Network/Research Team

5 years $4,500,000

Early Learning Network/Assessment Team

5 years $2,000,000

Early Learning Network/Network Lead

5 years $2,000,000

College Completion Network/ Research Team

5 years $4,000,000

College Completion Network/Network Lead

5 years $1,000,000

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Important DatesGrant Programs Letter of Intent Due/

Application Package Posted

Application Deadline

305C Virtual Learning Center

May 21, 2015 August 20, 2015

305D Early Career Stats/Methods

May 21, 2015 August 6, 2015

305E Evaluation of State Education Programs/Policies

April 16, 2015 June 10, 2015

305H Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships

May 21, 2015 August 6, 2015

305N Research Networks June 4, 2015 August 6, 2015

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Finding Application Packages

• FY 2016 Application Packages is available on www.grants.gov

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Review Application Requirements

Request for Applications Currently available at http://ies.ed.gov/funding

Application Package Currently available at Grants.gov

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Peer Review Process

• Applications are reviewed for compliance and responsiveness to the RFA

• Applications that are compliant and responsive are assigned to a review panel

• Two or three panel members conduct a primary review of each application

• At panel meeting, the most competitive applications are reviewed by full panel

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Notification Process

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• All applicants will receive e-mail notification that the following information is available via the Applicant Notification System (ANS):• Status of award• Reviewer summary statements

• If you are not granted an award the first time, plan on resubmitting, and talk to your Program Officer

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Resources for Researchers

• Visit links for faculty and researchers on IES website• Review past webinars and participate in future

webinars for the FY 2016 competitions

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When Writing a Grant Application

• Read the Request for Applications– http://ies.ed.gov/funding

• Look at abstracts of funded projects– http://ies.ed.gov/ncer/projects – http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/projects

• Take part in IES webinars– http://ies.ed.gov/funding/webinars/index.asp

• Discuss your research idea with a program officer– Email a synopsis and schedule a time for a call– Email short questions

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Help Us Help You

• Read the Request for Applications carefully

• Call or e-mail IES Program Officers early in the process

• As time permits, IES program staff can review draft proposals and provide feedback

Don’t be afraid to contact us!

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For More Information

http://ies.ed.gov/funding

Erin HigginsErin.Higgins@ed.gov

Jacquelyn BuckleyJacquelyn.Buckley@ed.gov

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