Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 092815 002
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), within the U.S. Department of Education, offered this FY 2016 discretionary grant competition through its National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) under CFDA 84.324L. The core idea of the program is to fund fast, practical, and credible evaluations of special education interventions that state educational agencies (SEAs) or local educational agencies (LEAs) already believe could improve student outcomes in the near term. Rather than supporting long, expensive research timelines, this opportunity is meant to generate useful evidence for policymakers and practitioners quickly, often within a single semester or one school year, so districts and states can make better decisions sooner.
A defining feature of the competition is its emphasis on low-cost studies with strong causal designs. Projects are considered low cost because they are expected to rely heavily on existing administrative records or other readily available data sources, instead of expensive new data collection. They are short duration because the full project must be completed within a two-year window. In practice, this means the intervention should be implemented and the primary outcomes should be collected in the first year, with analysis and dissemination completed by the end of year two. The program is set up for interventions that can plausibly show measurable impacts quickly and for outcomes that researchers can access without major delays.
Even though the projects are designed to be faster and less expensive than typical education research, IES expects them to be rigorous. The notice highlights randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and regression discontinuity designs (RDDs) as the preferred evaluation approaches, specifically because, when implemented well, they can meet What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards without reservations. The overall goal is to produce findings that stakeholders can trust when determining whether an intervention is actually effective.
Eligibility is structured around partnerships, not single organizations working alone. Applicants must form a research partnership that includes at least one research institution and at least one SEA or LEA. The partnership must designate one principal investigator (PI) who will be responsible for overall administration of the award, and that PI can come from either the research organization or the education agency partner. On the research side, a wide range of entities may qualify as the research institution partner as long as they have the capacity to carry out scientifically valid research; this can include universities, nonprofits, for-profits, and public or private agencies. On the education agency side, SEAs and LEAs are eligible as the implementing partners, defined broadly as public agencies primarily responsible for educating students across prekindergarten through K-12 and beyond (including postsecondary and adult education contexts, as applicable).
A key boundary in the program is that the grant is not meant to pay for implementing the intervention itself. The SEA and/or LEA is expected to support implementation, while the IES award primarily supports the evaluation work: study design, data access and management, analysis, and reporting/dissemination. This structure is meant to ensure the intervention is viable in real-world settings and that the study is testing something the agency is already positioned to carry out, rather than a program that exists only because research funding made it possible.
From an administrative standpoint, applications had to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, and applicants were instructed to search by the CFDA number (84.324L for the special education competition). The opportunity listing notes a maximum award amount (award ceiling) of $250,000, with an original closing date of January 12, 2016. Program authority is grounded in the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.), and the notice also points applicants to the official Federal Register announcement for the complete requirements, priorities, performance measures, and contact information.
In short, CFDA 84.324L is designed for research-practice partnerships that can quickly and credibly test special education interventions already being carried out by districts or states, using strong causal methods and mostly existing data, with the aim of delivering actionable results within two years at relatively modest cost.Apply for ED GRANTS 092815 002
- The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Institute of Education Science (IES): Special Education Research: Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions CFDA Number 84.324L" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.324.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2015-09-28.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-01-12. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is CFDA 84.324L (FY 2016) trying to fund?
This competition funds fast, practical, and credible evaluations of special education interventions that state educational agencies (SEAs) or local educational agencies (LEAs) already believe could improve student outcomes in the near term. The focus is on generating useful evidence quickly so policymakers and practitioners can make better decisions sooner.
Which federal office offered this grant opportunity?
The opportunity was offered by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) within the U.S. Department of Education, through its National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER).
What makes this program different from longer education research grants?
This program emphasizes short-duration, low-cost studies that can produce actionable findings quickly. Rather than supporting long and expensive research timelines, projects are expected to deliver results on a much faster schedule, often within a single semester or one school year for implementation and primary outcome collection.
How long can a funded project last?
The full project must be completed within a two-year window. In practice, the intervention should be implemented and the primary outcomes collected in the first year, with analysis and dissemination completed by the end of year two.
What does "low-cost" mean in the context of this competition?
Projects are expected to rely heavily on existing administrative records or other readily available data sources, rather than expensive new data collection efforts. The intent is to keep studies affordable while still producing credible evidence.
What kinds of evaluation designs does IES prefer for these studies?
The notice highlights randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and regression discontinuity designs (RDDs) as preferred approaches because, when implemented well, they can meet What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards without reservations.
What is the overall standard of rigor expected?
Even though projects are intended to be faster and less expensive than typical education research, IES expects rigorous causal evaluations that produce trustworthy findings for stakeholders deciding whether an intervention is effective.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is structured around partnerships. Applicants must form a research partnership that includes at least one research institution and at least one SEA or LEA.
Can a single organization apply by itself?
No. The competition requires a partnership that includes both (1) a research institution partner and (2) an SEA or LEA partner.
What types of organizations can serve as the research institution partner?
A wide range of entities may qualify as the research institution partner, as long as they have the capacity to carry out scientifically valid research. This can include universities, nonprofits, for-profits, and public or private agencies.
What types of organizations can serve as the education agency partner?
The implementing partner must be an SEA or LEA. These are defined broadly as public agencies primarily responsible for educating students across prekindergarten through K-12 and beyond (including postsecondary and adult education contexts, as applicable).
Who can be the Principal Investigator (PI)?
The partnership must designate one Principal Investigator who is responsible for overall administration of the award. The PI can come from either the research organization or the education agency partner.
Does the grant pay for implementing the intervention?
No. A key boundary of the program is that the grant is not meant to pay for implementing the intervention itself. The SEA and/or LEA is expected to support implementation.
What does the IES award primarily pay for?
The IES award primarily supports the evaluation work, such as study design, data access and management, analysis, reporting, and dissemination.
Why does the program require agencies to support implementation themselves?
This structure is intended to ensure the intervention is viable in real-world settings and that the evaluation tests something the agency is already positioned to carry out, rather than a program that exists only because research funding made it possible.
What is the maximum award amount?
The opportunity listing notes an award ceiling (maximum award amount) of $250,000.
How were applications submitted?
Applications had to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.
How do applicants find the listing in Grants.gov?
Applicants were instructed to search by the CFDA number, which for this special education competition is 84.324L.
What was the original closing date for this competition?
The original closing date was January 12, 2016.
What legal authority supports this grant program?
The program authority is grounded in the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9501 et seq.).
Where can applicants find the complete official requirements and details?
The notice points applicants to the official Federal Register announcement for complete requirements, priorities, performance measures, and contact information.
What kinds of interventions are a good fit for this competition?
The competition is designed for interventions that can plausibly show measurable impacts quickly and for outcomes that can be accessed without major delays, often using existing administrative data.
What is the intended end product of a funded project?
The intended outcome is actionable, credible evidence on whether a special education intervention is effective, delivered quickly enough to inform near-term decisions by districts and states.
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