National Center for Special Education Research Funding Opportunities: IES Grant Funding Process and Priorities

• In Event: How to Apply for IES Research Funding Opportunities and Understand the Scientific Peer Review Process

Abstract

The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) supports rigorous research on infants, toddlers, children, and youth with or at risk for disabilities through advancing the understanding of and practices for teaching, learning, and organizing education systems. In the first two presentations, staff from IES’ two research centers, the National Center for Education Research (NCER) and the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER), will describe grant funding opportunities and the grant application, preparation, and submission process. The two presentations will provide an overview of mechanisms for grant funding, research grant programs and current funding opportunities, and technical assistance and resources for applicants. We will address questions about preparing and submitting an initial application or a resubmission, describe the role and responsibilities of program officers, share examples of funded grants relevant to the SRCD audience, and address the impact of COVID-19 on education research grants and grant competitions. The global pandemic has altered daily life for families, schools, communities, and nations. School-based education research projects have been delayed, cancelled, or modified because of COVID-19. We will provide session attendees with an understanding of the broad range of grant funding opportunities offered through the two Centers, address the impact of COVID-19 on the grant competition process and education research studies, and encourage early career and established researchers to consider and apply for current funding opportunities.

IES funds grants for education and special education research that spans the early years to adulthood; predoctoral, postdoctoral, and early career training; statistics and methodology to support education research; evaluations of state and local education programs and policies; researcher-practitioner partnerships; research networks; and research and development centers. In addition to providing detailed information about the primary research programs, NCER and NCSER staff will provide an overview of other funding mechanisms, including research training programs for predoctoral students, postdocs, and early career researchers; the statistics and research methodology program to encourage the development of statistical and methodological tools that can be used by education researchers; the low-cost, short-duration evaluation program to evaluate education and special education interventions; systematic replication grant program to understand what interventions work and under what conditions; and research and development centers and research networks, which provide a structure for focusing resources, sharing ideas, building knowledge, and strengthening dissemination on high-priority issues in education and special education.

Program officers provide technical assistance to applicants throughout the grant application process. They provide guidance to applicants in identifying the appropriate research program, topic area, and project type for an application; answer questions about the program requirements; and provide detailed feedback to applicants. We will describe the role of the program officers and highlight online resources, such as grant funding webinars and support to conduct cost analysis, that are available to interested applicants.
We will provide a comprehensive overview of current funding opportunities, describe the grant application process, and provide interested applicants with resources and guidance to prepare and submit grant applications that are responsive to the funding requirements and recommendations.

Author

• Amy L Sussman, Institute of Education Sciences
  Presenting Author