1. Associate Commissioner of Teaching and Learning, NCER
SEEKING FUNDING FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH AT THE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES
ELIZABETH R. ALBRO, Ph.D.
Associate Commissioner of Teaching and Learning, NCER
SERA
February 14, 2018

2. What is IES? ED’s research arm, non-partisan by law.
Provide rigorous & relevant evidence on which to ground education practice and policy.
Share this information broadly.
Seek to identify what works, what doesn't, and why

3. Our Goal
To improve educational outcomes for all students, particularly those at risk of failure

4. IES Organizational Structure
Office of the Director
National Board for Education Sciences
Standards &
Review Office
National Center for Education Research
“305”
National Center for Special Education Research
“324”
National Center for Education Evaluation
National Center for Education Statistics

5. https://ies.ed.gov/ncer/research/

9. Start Your Search For Funding Here

11. FY 2019 Still to be determined
Want to be the first to know when the RFAs are posted?
Sign up for the IES Newsflash
Follow us on

12. CFDAs 84.305A and 84.324A NCER (305) & NCSER (324)
Select 1 of 5 Research Goals
Select 1 of 12 (NCER) or 11 (NSCER) Topics

14. Research Topics NCER NCSER Autism Spectrum Disorders
Early Intervention
Cognition & Student Lrng in SpED
Families of Children with Disabilities
Math & Science Education
Professional Development
Reading, Writing, & Lg Dev
Social & Bhv’l Outcomes
SpED Policy, Finance, & Systems
Technology for Special Education
Transition Outcomes for Secondary Stdts
Cognition & Student Learning
Early Learning Programs/Policies
Education Leadership
Education Technology
Effective Teachers & Teaching
English Learners
Improving Education Systems
Postsecondary & Adult Ed
Reading & Writing
Social & Bhv’l Context
STEM Education
Special Topics

15. In each Request for Applications (RFA)
Overview and General Requirements
Topic Requirements
Research Goals
Competition Regulations and Review Criteria
Preparing your Application
Submitting your Application

16. All applications submitted via Grants.gov

17. IES Peer Review Process
Overseen by the Standards & Review Office Initial review by 2-4 independent reviewers Most competitive applications are then reviewed by the full panel of ~18-20 reviewers Final scientific merit scores used to make funding recommendations

18. Who Are Our Peer Reviewers?

19. Learn More @ Funded Projects

21. Grant Writing Is A Process

22. Building an Application
Read the RFA carefully
Build a good team
Talk to your Program Officer
Write a well-crafted proposal

23. Writing Clearly
Be specific: Reviewers notice overly general significance sections
Add detail: Reviewers want to know HOW you will carry out the proposed research. Especially re intervention, development cycle, or data analysis
Don’t use jargon and assume prior knowledge
Find a good editor: Poor writing (e.g., grammar) & awkward constructions can harm an application.

24. Remember You can’t get funded if you don’t submit an application
Revise and resubmit is the rule, not the exception
Persistence (often) pays off

25. Help Us Help You Read the Request for Applications carefully.
Send IES program officers a one-page description of your proposed project.
Then talk with an IES program officer.
Send the program officer your draft, so that s/he can provide feedback as time permits.

27. Any Questions?
Thanks! Elizabeth