An Overview of the Mathematics Research and Development Center Funding Opportunities

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An Overview of the Mathematics Research and
Development Center Funding Opportunities

• Institute of Education Sciences
• U.S. Department of Education

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• Getting Started
• Preparing the Project Narrative
• Preparing the Application
• Reviewers Perspectives
• Submitting a Proposal
• What Happens Next?
• Final Reminders

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Getting Started
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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 is available
  on
• http//ies.ed.gov/funding
• For future RFAs, sign up for the IES Newsflash
• http//ies.ed.gov/newsflash/

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http//ies.ed.gov
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Finding Application Packages

• October Application Package and the IES
  Application Submission Guide will be available on
  August 3, 2009 on www.grants.gov

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Research Development Centers

• National Research Development Centers Program
• 84.305C
• Special Education Research Development Center
  Program
• 84.324C

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Overall Purpose of National R D Centers

• Contribute to solution of a specific education
  problem specified within each RD Center topic,
  and generate new knowledge relevant to that focus
• Provide relatively rapid research and scholarship
  on supplemental questions related to RD Center
  topic area
• Provide national leadership within the RD Center
  topic

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R D Center Project Narrative

• Significance
• Research Plan
• Personnel
• Plans for Other Center Activities
• Management and Institutional Resources

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Education Research and Development Center Program
(84.305C)

• TOPIC ONE Scaling Up Effective Schools
• TOPIC TWO Mathematics Standards Assessment
• TOPIC THREE Cognition and Mathematics Instruction

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National RD Center on Mathematics Standards and
Assessment

• TOPIC TWO

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Center Goals (Math Standards Assessment)

• Establish a mathematics standards and assessment
  framework based on empirical evidence
• Conduct research on assessment construction and
  methods for setting standards

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Significance (Math Standards Assessment)

• Identify state or consortium of states with whom
  the team will work
• Describe theoretical and empirical foundation
  that will inform the standards and assessment
  work
• Provide compelling rationale for why this
  proposed research will improve assessments and
  standard setting methods

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Research Plan (Math Standards Assessment) (a)
Procedure for establishing mathematics standards
assessment framework

• Describe proposed process for development of
  mathematics standards from PK-Grade 9
• Described proposed process for development of
  assessment frameworks for state assessments of
  mathematics achievement

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Research Plan (Math Standards Assessment) (b)
Methodological requirements

• Describe research plan clearly and in sufficient
  detail
• Provide evidence that team has considered and
  planned for possible difficulties in
  implementation of research plan
• Include detailed description of data analysis
  procedures

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Personnel (Math Standards Assessment)

• Expertise in mathematics content, learning
  mathematics content (e.g., cognitive psychology),
  and testing (including psychometrics)
• Methodological expertise to carry out the
  proposed projects
• Sufficient expertise working with education
  delivery settings to carry out proposed project
• Experience relevant to national leadership
  activities
• Representative from state education agency

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National Research and Development Center on
Cognition Mathematics Instruction

• TOPIC THREE

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Goals (Cognition and Math Instruction)

• To improve student learning in mathematics by
  redesigning an existing mathematics curriculum in
  ways that will substantially improve student
  outcomes
• Use what is currently known about improving the
  acquisition, retention, and transfer of knowledge
  to the redesign

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Significance (Cognition and Math Instruction)

• Identify existing mathematics curriculum that
  will be revised
• Must span 3-year sequence from K-Grade 9
• Explain choice of curriculum
• Provide theoretical and empirical rationale for
  redesign of instructional approach to chosen
  mathematics curriculum

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Research plan (Cognition and Math Instruction)

• Revise chosen curriculum using revise-test-redesig
  n-test process
• What revisions are planned
• What procedures will be followed for initial and
  subsequent revising of the curriculum
• What procedures will be followed to determine if
  the revised materials function as intended

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Research plan (Cognition and Math Instruction)

• b) Evaluate effect of revised curriculum
  intervention
• - Studies using randomized assignment to
  treatment and comparison conditions are strongly
  preferred
• - Describe measures
• - Provide detailed analysis plan

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Personnel (Cognition and Math Instruction)

• Expertise in mathematics content, cognitive
  science, and curriculum development or redesign
• Methodological expertise to carry out the
  proposed projects
• Sufficient expertise working with education
  delivery settings to carry out proposed project
• Experience relevant to national leadership
  activities

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Special Education Research and Development Center
Program

• TOPIC ONE Assessment and Accountability
• TOPIC TWO Improving Mathematics Instruction for
  Students with Mathematics Difficulties

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Special Education Research and Development Center
on Improving Mathematics Instruction for Students
with Mathematics Difficulties
TOPIC TWO
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Goals (Improving Math Instruction)

• To use cognitive science to develop innovative
  approaches to improving instruction for students
  with learning difficulties in mathematics
• To extend scientific knowledge of the underlying
  cognitive processes that contribute to learning
  difficulties in mathematics

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Focused Program of Research (Improving Math
Instruction)

• Explore underlying cognitive processes that
  impede mathematics performance in students with
  mathematics difficulties for the purpose of
  identifying possible targets for intervention
• Develop and test innovative instructional
  approaches or other interventions for students
  with mathematics difficulties based on underlying
  cognitive principles
• .

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Significance (Improving Math Instruction)

• Identification of students with mathematical
  difficulties (preschool-grade 12)
• Rationale for cognitive processes to be explored
• Rationale for innovative instructional approaches
  that will be developed

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Research plan (Improving Math Instruction)

• Methods used to explore underlying cognitive
  processes that impede mathematics performance
• Methods used to develop innovative instructional
  approaches
• Timeline of research activities

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Personnel (Improving Math Instruction)

• Expertise in learning mathematics content (e.g.,
  cognitive psychology or cognitive development),
  mathematics difficulty, and mathematics
  instruction
• Methodological expertise necessary to carry out
  the proposed projects
• Sufficient expertise working with education
  delivery settings
• Experience relevant to national leadership
  activities

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Plans for Other Center Activities (All Centers)

• Supplemental studies
• Smaller, quick-response research projects
• Can be completed within a 9 to 12 month time
  period
• Describe two example supplemental studies the
  applicant considers useful to undertake

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Plans for Other Center Activities (All Centers)

• (b) Leadership activities
• Such as, developing position papers, hosting
  meetings, engaging in dialogue with researchers
  and practitioners
• Provide two examples of types of activities that
  might be useful to undertake

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Management and Institutional Resources (All
Centers)

• Plans and procedures for overall management of
  the Center and coordination of multiple
  scientists and other partners
• Plans for coordinating with schools and districts
  or other education delivery settings involved in
  the projects of the Center

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Personnel (All Centers)

• Include section in narrative, specify all key
  personnel
• Summarize relevant experience
• Specify role on this project and percentage of
  effort devoted to project
• Use biographical sketches (CVs) to further
  document expertise and productivity

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Appendix A (All Centers)

• Clear timeline of activities
• Letters of agreement from participating teachers,
  schools, or districts as required

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Funding available for RD Centers

• 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 (total cost direct
  indirect) per year
• 5 years

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Formatting Requirements

• Abstract is 1 page single-spaced.
• Project narrative is no longer than 35 pages
  single-spaced.
• Bibliography has no page limit.
• Each biographical sketch is limited to 4 pages.
• Budget justification has no page limit.
• Appendix A can be no longer than 15 pages.
• Appendix B can be no longer than 10 pages.

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Additional Reminders

• Pay attention to what can and cannot be included
  in the Appendices
• Have a colleague who isnt involved in the
  project read a draft

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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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Submitting an Application

• All applications must be submitted electronically
  to
• http//www.grants.gov
• By 43000 pm Washington DC time on the date
  listed in the RFA for the competition to which
  you are submitting

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Final Application Submission

• On-line forms are complete
• PDFs of application contents have been uploaded
• Authorized representative has completed the final
  step of the electronic process.
• You have received email acknowledging receipt of
  your application.

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What Happens Next?
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Peer Review

• Application is reviewed for compliance.
• Compliant applications are assigned to a review
  panel.
• Typically four panel members will conduct primary
  review of each application.
• At panel meeting, the most competitive
  applications are reviewed by full panel.

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Peer Review Process Information

• http//ies.ed.gov/director/sro/peer_review/index.a
  sp

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Notification

• All applicants will receive email notification of
  the status of their application.
• All applicants receive copies of reviewer
  comments.

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Final Reminders
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Dont Forget...

• Start early
• Read the Request for Applications
• Talk with the program officer
• Start the online submission process early

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ies.ed.gov

• Cognition Math Instruction
• Elizabeth Albro elizabeth.albro_at_ed.gov
• Math Standards Assessment
• David Sweet david.sweet_at_ed.gov
• Improving Math Instruction/Math Difficulties
• Celia Rosenquist celia.rosenquist_at_ed.gov
• Rob Ochsendorf robert.ochsendorf_at_ed.gov