Education Research Grant Programs

Overview

<p><span>The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has 12 programs of research (topics) under its Education Research Grants Program. All 12 topics are included under one Education Research Grants RFA (link provided below). For each topic, we provide a brief description: </span></p> <p><span>Cognition and Student Learning supports research that focuses on how the mind acquires, processes, and uses information to the improvement of education practice in reading, writing, mathematics, science, and study skills; including study strategies (e.g., the timing and ordering of studying, the type of practice), instructional approaches (e.g., optimal ways to present information, the role of feedback and error correction), curricula (e.g., the type and order of content presented, optimal activities and assignments), and assessment (e.g., the optimal format for questions). </span></p> <p><span>Early Learning Programs and Policies supports research on the improvement of school-readiness skills (e.g., pre-reading, pre-writing, early science, early mathematics, and social and behavioral competencies) of Pre-K children (i.e., 3- to 5-year-olds), including research to reduce the academic disadvantage that many children from low-income families face when they begin formal schooling. Work must be conducted in center-based pre-K settings and may address curricula, teacher professional development, or instructional practices; early childhood policy and systems-level initiatives implemented at the federal-, state-, or local-level; and/or assessments of children, teachers, classrooms, or program quality. </span></p> <p><span>Education Leadership supports research on programs, policies, and practices to support leaders in K–12 education systems at the school-, district-, or state-level in order to improve leadership in ways that can lead to beneficial student education outcomes. Education leaders include district superintendents and administrators, school principals, and other personnel in leadership roles such as teacher-leaders, vice- and assistant principals, school boards, turn-around specialists, curriculum supervisors, talent management specialists, assessment directors, and principal supervisors. </span></p> <p><span>Education Technology supports research on innovative and emerging forms of education technology, with the goal of improving academic performance among students in PK-12. The Institute is interested in exploration, development, measurement, and evaluation of education technologies intended for use in authentic education settings, with particular emphasis on how technology may be used to expand educational opportunities in underserved areas and to close achievement gaps, or in how technologies may be used to provide better and quicker feedback to school administrators, teachers, and students on student performance and areas for improvement. </span></p> <p><span>Effective Teachers and Effective Teaching supports research on strategies for improving teacher performance in ways that promote student learning and achievement in reading, writing, mathematics, science, English language proficiency (for ELs), from K-12. Focus is on identifying and understanding (1) the specific knowledge and skills a K–12 teacher must possess to promote student learning; (2) effective approaches to assess teacher knowledge and skills; (3) strategies to help teachers acquire the knowledge and skills they need to improve classroom instruction; and (4) effective programs and policies for teacher recruitment, retention, certification, and evaluation that lead to the promotion of student learning. </span></p> <p><span>English Learners supports research to improve the educational outcomes of English Learners (ELs) from K-12. For IES, English Learner refers to all students whose home language is not English and whose English language proficiency hinders their ability to meet learning and achievement expectations for students at their grade level. IES is interested efforts aimed at reducing the academic achievement gap for the growing number of EL students across the primary and secondary grades</span></p>