Transcript Funding Opportunities at the Institute of Education Sciences Elizabeth R. Albro, Ph.D. Acting Commissioner, National Center for Education Research.

Funding Opportunities
at the Institute of Education Sciences
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
Center for
Education
Research
National
Center for
Education
Statistics
National Board
for Education
Sciences
National
Center for
Education
Evaluation
National
Center for
Special Ed
Research
To Identify Funding Opportunities
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Begin at the IES website (http://ies.ed.gov)
Sign up for the IES Newsletter
Review current Requests for Applications
Funding Opportunities are announced inThe
Federal Register
• Contact relevant program officers in the two
Research Centers
Letters of Intent Due Dates
• Letters of Intent are important, but not required
• LOIS are submitted electronically using the
instructions provided at: https://iesreview.ed.gov
• We encourage all researchers to submit Letters
of Intent
How to Identify Appropriate Grant Programs
• Read the Request for Applications
• Review the announced topics and
methodological requirements
• Look at the abstracts of projects funded
under a research topic
– http://ies.ed.gov/ncer/projects/
– http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/projects/
Then, Contact a Program Officer
• Program officers are associated with topics,
and their contact information is included at
the end of each RFA.
Partnerships with stakeholder groups
• The Institute will encourage researchers to
develop partnerships with stakeholder groups
to advance the relevance of the Institute's
work, the accessibility of its reports, and the
usability of its findings for the day-to-day work
of education practitioners and policymakers.
Methodological priorities
• maintain rigorous scientific standards for the
technical quality of its … research….activities
• ensure that the methods applied are
appropriate to the questions asked and the
results are valid and reliable
• include a variety of research and statistical
methods
Education Research Topics (84.305A)
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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
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Special Education Research Topics (84.324A)
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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
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Exploration
Development & Innovation
Efficacy and Replication
Scale-Up Evaluation
Measurement
Exploration Goal
• Explore associations between education
outcomes and malleable factors.
• Possible methodological approaches include:
– Analyze secondary data
– Collect primary data
– Complete a meta-analysis
Development & Innovation Goal
• Develop a new intervention (e.g., curriculum,
instructional approach, program, or policy)
• OR further develop an intervention that is in
the early stages of development
• AND collect data on its feasibility and usability
in actual education settings
• AND pilot data on student outcomes.
Efficacy & Replication Goal
• Evaluate whether or not a fully developed
intervention is efficacious under limited or
ideal conditions.
OR
• Gather follow-up data examining the effects
of the intervention.
Efficacy & Replication Goal
• Ask what might be needed to implement
intervention under routine practice
• Reduce appearance of conflict of interest for
developer-evaluators
• Do not require confirmatory mediator
analyses but recommend exploratory ones
• New requirements for single-case efficacy
studies
Scale-up Evaluation Goal
• Evaluate whether a fully developed
intervention that has evidence of efficacy is
effective when implemented under typical
conditions through an independent
evaluation.
Scale-up Evaluation Goal
• Maintain past requirements
– Implement intervention under routine practice
– Evaluators independent of development/distribution
– Strong efficacy evidence for intervention
• Do not expect wide generalizability from 1 study
– Expect multiple Scale-up projects to this end
– Sample size not a key distinction from Efficacy
• Do not require confirmatory mediator analyses but
encourage exploratory ones
• Implementation limited to 25% of budget
Measurement Goal
• Develop and evaluate assessments,
including:
– Item development
– Reliability & validity analyses
Goal
Typical Range per Year
(direct + indirect costs)
Maximum
(direct + indirect)
$100,000 - $300,000
$100,000 - $400,000
2 years, $700,000
4 years, $1,600,000
$150,000 - $400,000
3 years, $1,500,000
Efficacy &
Replication
Follow-up study
$250,000 - $650,000
$150,000 - $300,000
4 years, $3,500,000
3 years, $1,200,000
Scale-up Evaluation
Follow-up study
$350,000 - $900,000
$250,000 - $400,000
5 years, $5,000,000
3 years, $1,500,000
Measurement
$150,000 - $300,000
4 years, $1,600,000
Exploration
Secondary data
With primary data
Development &
Innovation
Additional FY 2012 Research Programs
Postdoctoral Research Training Programs in
the Education Sciences
(84.305B)
• For institutions to establish postdoctoral
training programs to train researchers in the
skills necessary to conduct the type of
research that the Institute funds
• Maximum amount of the award is $687,000
• No more than 5 years in length
Research & Development Centers
(84.305C; 84.324C)
• Key education issues that face our nation
• Conduct a focused program of education
research in a topic area
• Conduct supplemental research within a
broad topic area
• Provide national leadership in advancing
evidence-based practice and policy within a
topic area
National Research and Development Centers
(84.305C)
• Topics vary year by year
• Currently support 18 R&D Centers
• Two R&D Centers were competed in FY 2012
– Cognition & Adult Literacy
– State & Local Policy
National R&D Centers in Special Education
(84.324C)
• Currently support three R&D Centers
• Four R&D Centers Topics for FY 2012
– School-Based Interventions for Secondary Students
with Autism Spectrum Disorders
– Reading Instruction for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Students
– Interventions for Families of Students with Autism
Spectrum Disorders
– Interventions for Families of Students with Emotional
and Behavioral Disorders
Statistical and Research Methodology in
Education (84.305D)
• 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.
Evaluation of State and Local Education
Programs and Policies (84.305E)
• Support for rigorous evaluations of education
programs or policies that are paid for and
implemented by state or local education
agencies
Other Grant Programs
Program
305B Postdoc
Training
305C & 324C R&D
Centers
305D Stats/Methods
305E State/Local
Typical Range per Year
(direct + indirect costs)
Maximum
(direct + indirect)
Depends on # of
Postdocs
5 years, $687,000
$1,000,000 - $2,000,000
5 years, $10,000,000
$40,000 - $300,000
3 years, $1,000,000
$500,000 - $1,000,000
5 years, $5,000,000
Application Due Dates
• Applications are accepted twice a year.
• We do NOT accept late applications.
• The authorized representative pushes the final
submit button.
Finding Application Packages
• All Application Packages are available on
www.grants.gov
Review Requirements for Each Application
Request for Applications
 Will be available at http://ies.ed.gov/funding
Grants.gov Application Submission Guide
 Will be available at http://ies.ed.gov/funding
Application Package
 Will be available on Grants.gov
Resources for Researchers
• Visit links for faculty and researchers on IES
website.
• Review past webinars, and 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 Albro
[email protected]