Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program—Early-Phase Grants

Overview

<p><strong>Purpose of Program:</strong> The EIR program, established under section 4611 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended (ESEA), provides funding to create, develop, implement, replicate, or take to scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based (as defined in this notice), field-initiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment for highneed students; and rigorously evaluate such innovations. The EIR program is designed to generate and validate solutions to persistent education challenges and to support the expansion of those solutions to serve substantially larger numbers of students. The central design element of the EIR program is its multi-tier structure that links the amount of funding an applicant may receive to the quality of the evidence supporting the efficacy of the proposed project, with the expectation that projects that build this evidence will advance through EIR’s grant tiers: ‘‘Early-phase,’’ ‘‘Mid-phase,’’ and ‘‘Expansion.’’</p> <p>Early-phase grants must demonstrate a rationale (as defined in this notice). The Department expects that Earlyphase grants will be used to fund the development, implementation, and feasibility testing of a program, which prior research suggests has promise, for the purpose of determining whether the program can successfully improve student achievement and attainment for high need students. These Early-phase grants are not intended simply to implement established practices in additional locations or address needs that are unique to one particular context. The goal is to determine whether and in what ways relatively newer practices can improve student achievement and attainment for highneed students.<br>This notice invites applications for Early-phase grants only. The notices inviting applications for Mid-Phase and Expansion grants were published in the Federal Register on June 7, 2021 (86 FR 30292 and 86 FR 30302, respectively).</p> <p>The FY 2021 Early-phase competition includes four absolute priorities and three competitive preference priorities. All Early-phase applicants must address Absolute Priority 1. Early-phase applicants are also required to address one of the other three absolute priorities. Applicants addressing Absolute Priority 3 also have the option to address Competitive Preference Priority 1. Applicants have the option of addressing Competitive Preference Priority 2 and Competitive Preference Priority 3 and may opt to do so regardless of the absolute priority they select. Applicants may choose to address multiple competitive preference priorities.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Absolute Priority 1—Applications that Demonstrate a Rationale.</strong> Establishes the evidence requirement for this tier of grants. All Early-phase applicants must submit prior evidence of effectiveness that meets the demonstrates a rationale evidence standard.</li> <li><strong>Absolute Priority 2—Field-Initiated Innovations—General.</strong> Allows applicants to propose projects that align with the intent of the EIR program statute: To create and take to scale entrepreneurial, evidence-based, fieldinitiated innovations to improve student achievement and attainment.</li> <li><strong>Absolute Priority 3—Field-Initiated Innovations—Promoting STEM Education, With a Particular Focus on Computer Science.</strong> Support innovations to improve student achievement and attainment in the STEM field, consistent with efforts to ensure our Nation’s economic competitiveness by improving and expanding STEM learning and engagement, including computer science (as defined in this notice). -<span style="font-size:1em">Within this absolute priority, the Department includes <em><strong>Competitive Preference Priority 1—</strong></em></span><em><strong>Computer Science (up to 5 points)</strong></em> that focuses on expanding opportunities in computer science for underserved populations such as minorities, girls, and youth from rural communities and low-income families, to help reduce achievement and attainment gaps.</li> <li><strong>Absolute Priority 4—Field-Initiated Innovations—Fostering Knowledge and Promoting the Development of Skills That Prepare Students To Be Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens.</strong> Advance innovation, build evidence, and address the learning and achievement of highneed students beginning in Pre-K through grade 12. The priority promotes social and emotional learning (SEL) skills that prepare students to be informed, thoughtful, and productive individuals</li> </ul> <p> </p><ul> <li><em><strong>Competitive Preference Priority 2—Innovative Approaches to Addressing the Impact of COVID–19 on Underserved Students and Educators (up to 5 points).</strong></em> Encourage applicants to propose projects that focus on the needs of underserved students (as defined in this notice) most impacted by COVID–19. The EIR program statute refers to ‘‘high-needs students.’’ In addressing the needs of underserved students, the statutory requirement for serving ‘‘highneeds students’’ can also be addressed.</li> <li><em><strong>Competitive Preference Priority 3—Promoting Equity and Adequacy in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities (up to 5 points).</strong></em> Offer applicants the option of proposing projects that promote equity. Improving educational equity and adequacy is a priority for the Nation’s education system, with particular emphasis on supporting underserved students</li> </ul>