IES has released the FY2013 Request for Applications (RFAs) for the Education

Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs

The 2013 NCER RFAs are:

1. Education Research Grants CFDA 84.305A
Summer application deadline: June 21, 2012. Letter of Intent: April 19, 2012.
Fall application deadline: September 20, 2012. Letter of Intent: July 19, 2012.
Link:
The following is a list of the Educational Research Grant topic areas (84.305A):

  1. COGNITION AND STUDENT LEARNING
  2. EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS AND POLICIES
  3. EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
  4. EFFECTIVE TEACHERS AND EFFECTIVE TEACHING
  5. ENGLISH LEARNERS
  6. IMPROVING EDUCATION SYSTEMS: POLICIES, ORGANIZATION, MANAGEMENT, AND LEADERSHIP
  7. MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION
  8. POSTSECONDARY AND ADULT EDUCATION
  9. READING AND WRITING
  10. SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL CONTEXT FOR ACADEMIC LEARNING

Changes in the FY 2013 RFA

There are a number of changes to the Education Research Grants program (CFDA 84.305A) in FY 2013. You should carefully read the requirements listed under each topic in Part II, each goal in Part III and under the general submission requirements in Part IV.

Major changes include the following:

  • The writing style has been modified to address federal requirements for the use of plain language (see
  • The research topics have been organized alphabetically.
  • The Education Technology research topic now allows Exploration work.
  • The content requirements for the Effective Teacher and Effective Teaching topic have been reorganized by the type of research to be done.
  • The Reading and Writing research topic now allows Development and Innovation work for reading.

The Institute has modified the requirements for each of the research goals.

  • For the Exploration goal, the prohibition on proposing studies that are to provide causal evidence of the impacts of an intervention on student outcomes has been made more explicit.
  • For the Development and Innovation goal, acceptable research designs for the pilot study have been made more explicit.
  • For the Efficacy and Replication goal, the source for evidence of promise of an intervention’s effects has been more closely tied to the acceptable research designs described for the pilot study in the Development and Innovation goal.
  • The fourth research goal has been renamed “Effectiveness” (previously it was named “Scale-up Evaluation”). To apply under the Effectiveness goal, you must:
  • have causal evidence of the intervention’s efficacy from at least two previous studies and
  • include a data sharing plan in which you detail how you will release the data you collect for other researchers and practitioners to use.
  • For the Measurement goal, the distinction between projects developing or refining assessments and then validating them versus projects validating existing assessments has been made more explicit.

2. Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences (84.305B)

Application deadline: September 20, 2012.Letter of Intent: July 19, 2012.
Link:

  1. Postdoctoral Research Training Program in the Education Sciences

CYFS Summary: InstituteofEducationSciences-ResearchTrainingProgramsintheEducationSciencesPostdoctoralResearchTrainingProgramintheEducationSciences(84.305B).pdf

  1. Researcher and Policymaker Training Program in the Education SciencesNEW!
    CYFS Summary: InstituteofEducationSciences-ResearchTrainingProgramsintheEducationSciencesResearcherandPolicymakerTrainingProgramintheEducationSciences(84.305B).pdf

Changes in the FY 2013 RFA

For the Postdoctoral Research Training Program, the following major changes have been made for the FY 2013 competition. These requirements apply to resubmissions of previous applications as well as new applications.

  • Key personnel (Principal Investigator, co-Principal Investigator, and faculty mentors) are restricted to working on only one of the Institute’s postdoctoral training grants at a time.
  • Appendix B should include an example of a Letter of Agreement that outlines the conditions of the fellowship. The letter is to be signed by both the Principal Investigator and each fellow accepted to the training program.
  • Awards will be made as cooperative agreements between the Institute and the applicant.
  • The Institute intends to make no more than five awards under the Postdoctoral Research Training Program in FY 2013.

The Researcher and Policymaker Training Program is included in this Request for Applications for the first time. The Institute intends to make no more than three awards under the Researcher and Policymaker Training Program in FY 2013.

3. Statistical and Research Methodology in Education (84.305D)
Application deadline: June 21, 2012. Letter of Intent: April 19, 2012.
Link:
CYFS Summary:InstituteofEducationSciences-StatisticalandResearchMethodologyinEducation(84.305D).pdf

4. Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and Policies (84.305E)
Application deadline: September 20, 2012. Letter of Intent: July 19, 2012.
Link:
CYFS Summary:InstituteofEducationSciences-EvaluationofStateandLocalEducationProgramsandPolicies(84.305E).pdf

5. Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships in Education Research (84.305H)NEW!Application deadline: September 20, 2012. Letter of Intent: July 19, 2012.RFA not yet released.

The 2013NCSER RFAs are:

1. Special Education Research programs (84.324A):
Summer application deadline: June 21, 2012. Letter of Intent: April 19, 2012.
Fall application deadline: September 20, 2012.Letter of Intent: July 19, 2012.
Link:

The following is a list of the Special Educational Research program topic areas (84.324A):

1.AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

2.COGNITION AND STUDENT LEARNING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

3.EARLY INTERVENTION AND EARLY LEARNING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

4.FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

5.MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION

6.PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS AND RELATED SERVICES PROVIDERS

7.READING, WRITING, AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

8.SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES TO SUPPORT LEARNING

9.SPECIAL EDUCATION POLICY, FINANCE, AND SYSTEMS

10.TECHNOLOGY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION

11.TRANSITION OUTCOMES FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Changes in the FY 2013 RFA

There are a number of changes to the Special Education Research Grants program (CFDA 84.324A) in FY 2013. You should carefully read the requirements listed under each topic in Part II, each goal in Part III and under the general submission requirements in Part IV. Major changes include the following:

•The writing style has been modified to address federal requirements for the use of plain language (see

•The research topics have been organized alphabetically.

•The Technology for Special Education research topic now allows Exploration work.

•The title of the Transition topic is changed to Transition Outcomes for Secondary Students with Disabilities. This topic now allows for intervention projects to continue an intervention that began in secondary school settings to postsecondary settings as a bridge to improving post school outcomes.

•The Institute has modified the requirements for each of the research goals.

  • For the Exploration goal, the prohibition on proposing studies that are to provide causal evidence of the impacts of an intervention on student outcomes has been made more explicit.
  • For the Development and Innovation goal, acceptable research designs for the pilot study have been made more explicit.
  • For the Efficacy and Replication goal, the source for evidence of promise of an intervention’s effects has been more closely tied to the acceptable research designs described for the pilot study in the Development and Innovation goal.
  • The fourth research goal has been renamed “Effectiveness” (previously it was named “Scale-up Evaluation”). To apply under the Effectiveness goal, you must:
  • have causal evidence of the intervention’s efficacy from at least two previous studies and
  • include a data sharing plan in which you detail how you will release the data you collect for other researchers and practitioners to use.

•For the Measurement goal, the distinction between projects developing or refining assessments and then validating them versus projects validating existing assessments has been made more explicit.

2. Research Training Program in Special Education:Early Career Development and Mentoring Program (84.324B)NEW!
Application deadline: September 20, 2012. Letter of Intent: July 19, 2012.
Link:
CYFS Summary:InstituteofEducationSciences-ResearchTrainingPrograminSpecialEducationEarlyCareerDevelopmentandMentoringProgram(84.324B).pdf

3. Special Education Initiative: Accelerating the Academic Achievement of Students with Learning Disabilities Research Initiative (84.324D) NEW!
Application deadline: September 20, 2012. Letter of Intent: July 19, 2012.
Link:
CYFS Summary:InstituteofEducationSciences-Special EducationInitiativeAcceleratingtheAcademicAchievementofStudentswithLearningDisabilitiesResearchInitiative(84.324D).pdf