Overview of IES Education Research Training Grants

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Overview of IES Education Research Training
Grants

• Elizabeth R. Albro, Ph.D.
• Associate Commissioner
• Teaching and Learning Division
• National Center for Education Research

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• Overview of the Institute
• Research Grant Programs
• Training Grant Programs
• Preparing and Submitting an Application
• What Happens Next?

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Overview of the Institute of Education Sciences
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Legislative Mission of IES

• Describe the condition and progress of education
  in the United States
• Identify education practices that improve
  academic achievement access to education
  opportunities
• Evaluate the effectiveness of Federal and other
  education programs

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Long-Term Research Goals

• Develop or identify programs, practices,
  policies, approaches that enhance academic
  achievement
• Identify what does not work and thereby encourage
  innovation and further research
• Explain variations in effectiveness of education
  programs, practices, policies, approaches

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Current Research Grant Programs

• National Center for Education Research
• National Center for Special Education Research

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• Education and Special Education Research Grants
• Postdoctoral Research Training Programs
• National Research and Development Centers
• Statistical and Research Methodology in Education
• Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs
  and Polices

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Postdoctoral Research Training Programs

• Postdoctoral Research Training Programs in the
  Education Sciences (84.305B)
• Postdoctoral Research Training Programs in
  Special Education (84.324B)

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Goal of the Postdoctoral Training Programs

• To provide training to postdoctoral fellows so
  that they can gain the knowledge and skills
  necessary to conduct the types of research the
  Institute funds
• Consider both research goals and topics in
  preparing your training plan

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IES Research Goals

• G1 Explore programs, practices, or malleable
  factors associated with better student outcomes
• G2 Develop new education interventions
• G3 Evaluate the efficacy of interventions
• G4 Evaluate the impact of interventions
  implemented at scale
• G5 Develop and/or validate measurement tools

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Topics in Education Research Grant Program

• Reading and Writing
• Mathematics and Science Education
• Cognition and Student Learning
• Social and Behavioral Context for Academic
  Learning
• Teacher QualityRead/Write
• Teacher QualityMath/Science
• Education Leadership
• Education Policy, Finance, and Systems

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Topics in Education Research Grant Program

• Early Childhood Programs and Policies
• Middle and High School Reform
• Interventions for Struggling Adolescent and Adult
  Readers and Writers
• English Language Learners
• Postsecondary Education
• Education Technology

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Topics in Special Education Research Grant
Program

• Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special
  Education
• Reading, Writing, and Language Development
• Mathematics and Science Education
• Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support
  Learning
• Transition Outcomes for Special Education
  Secondary Students

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Topics in Special Education Research Grant
Program

• Cognition and Student Learning in Special
  Education
• Teacher Quality
• Related Services
• Special Education Policy, Finance, and Systems
• Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Requirements Postdoctoral Training Programs
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Eligible applicants

• Academic institutions in the U.S. and its
  territories that grant doctoral degrees in fields
  relevant to education
• Training Directors must be the Principal or
  Co-Principal Investigator on one or more
  education research grants currently supported by
  the Institute or other sources

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Training Plan Narrative include 4 sections

• Significance
• Research Training Fellowship Plan
• Personnel
• Resources

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Significance

• Potential contribution of the proposed
  postdoctoral research training program for
  training postdoctoral fellows to gain the
  knowledge and skills necessary to conduct the
  types of research IES funds

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Significance

• Clearly identify and describe the topical and
  methodological focus of postdoctoral training to
  be provided
• Research Topics
• Research Goals
• Programs are NOT expected to provide training on
  all topics and/or all methodologies

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Research Training Fellowship Plan

• Research training activities
• Plan for recruiting postdoctoral fellows and
  eligibility requirements of fellows

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In Research Training Activities section,

• describe how fellows will gain the breadth of
  skills and understanding necessary to conduct
  rigorous applied research in education
• describe how fellows will develop the capacity to
  independently carry out such research, including
  applying for grant funding and submitting results
  for publication in peer-reviewed journals

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In Plan for Recruiting Postdoctoral Fellows

• Describe recruiting plan, including outreach
  efforts to encourage applications from members of
  underrepresented minorities

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Fellow Eligibility Requirements

• Must be citizens or permanent residents of the
  United States
• Must have received their Ph.D. prior to beginning
  training
• Special permission is needed to have a
  postdoctoral fellow who was a faculty member's
  predoctoral advisee

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Personnel

• Specify proposed role of Training Director/PI and
  all key personnel in the training program, within
  15-page narrative
• Elaborate how research expertise of the key
  personnel reflect content and methodological foci
  of the Institute
• Training Directors time commitment to the
  program clearly stated in the narrative

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Resources

• Available at the participating institution
• Field settings (e.g., schools, software
  development laboratories) with which the Training
  Director/PI has a relationship that could support
  fellows research projects

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Appendix A Required Contents

• Summary Table of ongoing education research
  projects conducted by PI and other faculty in
  proposed training program
• Letter of support from participating institution

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Summary Table Contents

• Name of the fellows primary postdoctoral mentor
• Research projects completed or currently being
  conducted by postdoctoral fellows who received
  support under a prior award
• Topic and methods used for each project
• Publications of current former postdoctoral
  fellows
• Current positions of former postdoctoral fellows

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Appendix A may also include

• Up to 3 pages of responses to reviewer comments
  if application is a resubmission
• Information describing research activities and
  publications of current prior fellows, if
  applicant is a current IES Postdoctoral Training
  grantee

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Current Postdoctoral Grantees Seeking New Funding

• Applications for new postdoctoral funding may not
  overlap with existing postdoctoral funding
• Applications seeking new funding must include a
  summary table in Appendix A that describes
  professional outcomes of fellows

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Note

• Multiple postdoctoral training program awards may
  be held at a single university
• IF
• Different faculty responsible for separate
  training programs
• Training programs have unique areas of research
  emphasis

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Postdoctoral Program Awards Provide

• Stipend support (50,000 per year)
• Fringe benefits support (10,500 per year)
• May request funds to support fellow research
  travel
• Maximum amount of award is 655,000 over 5 years
• IDC 8 on allowed costs

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Current Education Research Training Awards

• 17 NCER Postdoctoral Programs
• 5 NCSER Postdoctoral Programs
• 13 Predoctoral Programs
• 26 Universities

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• Preparing and Submitting an Application

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Getting Started

• Request for Applications
• IES Grants.gov Application Submission Guide
• Application Package

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Finding Requests for Applications

• FY 2010 Requests for Applications and the IES
  Grants.gov Application Submission Guide are
  available on
• http//ies.ed.gov/funding/10rfas.asp

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• Education Research Training RFA (84.305B)
• http//ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2009_84305B.pdf
• Special Education Research Training RFA (84.324B)
• http//ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2009_84324B.pdf
• Applications due June 25, 2009

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http//ies.ed.gov
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Finding Application Packages

• FY 2010 Application Packages for Research
  Training Programs are currently available on
  www.grants.gov

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Formatting Requirements for Postdoctoral
Applications

• Abstract 1 page single-spaced
• Training program narrative no longer than 15
  pages single-spaced
• Bibliography no page limit
• Each biographical sketch 4 pages
• Budget justification no page limit
• Appendix A no longer than 10 pages

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Help Us Help You

• Read the RFA carefully
• Call or email IES program officers early in the
  process
• IES program staff can review draft proposals, and
  provide feedback
• Dont be afraid to contact us!

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Follow Directions and Attend to Details

• Read Requests for Applications and Application
  Instructions carefully
• Eligible Applicants
• Special Requirements
• Content and Formatting Requirements
• Application Submission and Processing
• Application Due Dates

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Reviewers Perspectives

• Write clearly and concisely
• Address the points described in RFA
• Organize information in logical sequence
• Label sections and number pages
• Make it easy for reviewers to find and understand
  the information

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What Happens Next?
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Peer Review

• Proposal is reviewed for compliance.
• Compliant proposals are assigned to a review
  panel.
• Two or three panel members conduct primary review
  of each application.
• Most competitive applications are reviewed by
  full panel at the panel meeting.

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Notification

• All applicants will receive email notification of
  the status of their application.
• All applicants receive copies of reviewer
  comments.
• If you are not granted an award the first time,
  consider resubmitting, and talk to your program
  officer.

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• NCSER
• Celia Rosenquist
• (202) 219-202
• Celia.Rosenquist_at_ed.gov

• NCER
• Edward Metz
• [phone]
• Edward.Metz_at_ed.gov
• Elizabeth Albro
• [phone]
• Elizabeth.Albro_at_ed.gov