Institute of Education Sciences (IES): Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.305B

For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768),or at www.govinfo.gov/​content/​pkg/​FR-2019-02-13/​pdf/​2019-02206.pdf.

Purpose of Program: In awarding these grants, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) intends to provide national leadership in expanding knowledge and understanding of (1) developmental and school readiness outcomes for infants and toddlers with or at risk for a disability, (2) education outcomes for all learners from early childhood education through postsecondary and adult education, and (3) employment and wage outcomes when relevant (such as for those engaged in career and technical, postsecondary, or adult education). The IES research grant programs are designed to provide interested individuals and the general public with reliable and valid information about education practices that support learning and improve academic achievement and access to education opportunities for all learners. These interested individuals include parents, educators, learners, researchers, and policymakers. In carrying out its grant programs, IES provides support for programs of research in areas of demonstrated national need.

Competitions in This Notice: IES is announcing seven research competitions through two of its centers:

The IES National Center for Education Research (NCER) is announcing five competitions--one competition in each of the following areas: education research; education research training; systematic replication in education; statistical and research methodology in education; and using longitudinal data to support State education recovery policymaking.

The IES National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) is announcing two competitions for research to accelerate pandemic recovery in special education.

NCER Competitions

The Education Research Competition. Under this competition, NCER will consider only applications that address one of the following topics:

•      Career and Technical Education.

•      Civics Education and Social Studies.

•      Cognition and Student Learning.

•      Early Learning Programs and Policies.

•      Effective Instruction.

•      English Learners.

•      Improving Education Systems.

•      Postsecondary and Adult Education.

•      Literacy.

•      Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education.

•      Social and Behavioral Context for Academic Learning.

•       

Note: While NCER is not now establishing a separate, stand-alone topic area within the Education Research Grants competition inviting research related to COVID-19 as authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), we invite applications to the standing topics listed above designed to accomplish this purpose. If you intend to submit a project in one of the topic areas identified above that is specifically intended to address COVID-19 learning loss, we ask that you express or state this intention clearly in your proposal and on item 4(b) of the SF424 Federal Application Assistance Form. 

The Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences Competition. Under this competition, NCER will consider only applications that address one of the following topics:

•      Early Career Mentoring Program for Faculty at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).[1]

•      Postdoctoral Research Training Program in the Education Sciences.

•      Methods Training for Education Researchers.

Research Grants Focused on Systematic Replication. Under this competition, NCER will consider only applications that address identifying what works for whom and under what conditions in education through systematic replication. 

Statistical and Research Methodology in Education. Under this competition, NCER will consider only applications that address one of the following topics:

•      Regular Grants to support the development of new and improved methods, toolkits, guidelines, and syntheses.

•      Early Career Grants to support the development of new and improved methods by early career researchers with the support of a mentor or advisory panel.

Using Longitudinal Data to Support State Education Recovery Policymaking. Under this competition, NCER will only consider applications that address State agencies’ use of their State’s education longitudinal data systems as they and local education agencies reengage their students after the disruptions caused by COVID-19.

NCSER Competitions

Research to Accelerate Pandemic Recovery in Special Education. Under these competitions, NCSER will consider only applications that directly address a pandemic-related problem, issue, program, policy, or practice that is important to a State or local education agency, has the potential to improve outcomes significantly and rapidly for students with or at risk for disabilities, and will provide actionable and timely results to districts and schools. NCSER will hold two competitions. 

NCSER will not hold any additional competitions in FY22. If funding is available in FY 2022, the Director intends to use the grant slate developed in FY 2021 for the Special Education Research Grants program to make new awards to high-quality applications that remain on this slate.

Exemption from Proposed Rulemaking: Under section 191 of the Education Sciences Reform Act, 20 U.S.C. 9581, IES is not subject to section 437(d) of the General Education Provisions Act, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d), and is therefore not required to offer interested parties the opportunity to comment on priorities, selection criteria, definitions, and requirements.

           Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 84.305B. 

[1] To qualify as an MSI for the purpose of the Early Career Mentoring Program, the institution must already have been certified as an MSI and must be on one or more of the following lists:

·      Institutions on the Office of Postsecondary Education’s FY21 or FY20 lists of Title III and Title V eligible institutions will be considered MSIs.

·      HBCUs listed on the Department’s FY21 or FY20 lists of Title III and Title V eligible institutions as meeting the criteria of 34 CFR 608.2 will be considered MSIs.

SUMMARY: On June 10, 2021, we published in the Federal Register a notice inviting applications (NIA) for the FY 2022 Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs, Assistance Listing Numbers (ALNs) 84.305A, 84.305B, 84.305D, 84.305R, 84.305S, and 84.324X. The NIA established a deadline date of September 9, 2021, for the transmittal of applications for the Education Research, Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences, Research Grants Focused on Systematic Replication, and Research to Accelerate Pandemic Recovery in Special Education competitions, ALNs 84.305A, 84.305B, 84.305R, and 84.324X-2 (the ``affected competitions''). This notice reopens the affected competitions to allow more time for the preparation and submission of applications by eligible applicants that are affected by recent severe weather and located in a federally declared major disaster area designated for Individual Assistance or Public Assistance under Presidential major disaster declarations DR-4609-TN, DR-4610-CA, DR-4611-LA, DR-4614-NJ, and DR-4615-NY (``affected applicants'').

DATES: Deadline for Transmittal of Applications for Affected Applicants: September 30, 2021.