Education Research, Development and Dissemination

Education Research, Development and Dissemination is sponsored by Department of Education. To support research activities that improve the quality of education and, thereby, increase student academic achievement, reduce the achievement gap between high-performing and low-performing students, and increase access to and completion of postsecondary education. This listing is currently active.

Program number: 84. 305. Last updated on 2024-11-15.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH # Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 84. 305A # Education Research Grants Program # Request for Applications Letter of Intent June 27, 2024 https://iesreview. ed.

gov/LOI/LOISubmit Application Package Available May 30, 2024 https://www. grants. gov Application Deadline 11:59:59 Eastern Time on September 12, 2024 Possible Start Dates July 1, 2025–September 1, 2025 See the companion IES Application Submission Guide ( https://ies.

ed. gov/funding/submission_guide. asp ) for guidance on preparing and submitting applications through Grants.

gov. Table of Contents Part I: Overview and Requirements ..................................................................................... 1 A. Purpose of the Education Research Grants Program ..............................................................................

1 B. General Requirements ............................................................................................................................. 2 1.

Eligible Study Populations ................................................................................................................. 2 2. Research Topics and Education Outcomes .......................................................................................

3 3. Education Settings ............................................................................................................................. 4 4.

Project Types ...................................................................................................................................... 4 5. Engagement and Dissemination Plan ...............................................................................................

5 6. Award Limits ...................................................................................................................................... 5 C.

Getting Started......................................................................................................................................... 5 1. Technical Assistance for Applicants...................................................................................................

5 2. Eligible Applicants ............................................................................................................................. 6 3.

Building Your Project Team............................................................................................................... 6 4. RFA Organization and the IES Application Submission Guide ........................................................

7 5. Ensuring Your Application is Forwarded for Scientific Peer Review ............................................... 7 D.

Changes in the FY 2025 Request for Applications ................................................................................. 8 Part II: Research Topics ................................................................................................... 10 A.

Career and Technical Education ........................................................................................................... 10 B. Civics Education and Social Studies ......................................................................................................

11 C. Cognition and Student Learning ............................................................................................................ 11 D.

Early Learning Programs and Policies................................................................................................... 11 E. English Learner Policies, Programs, and Practices ...............................................................................

11 F. Improving Education Systems: Policies, Finance, Organization, Management, and Leadership ........ 12 G.

Literacy ................................................................................................................................................... 12 H. Postsecondary and Adult Education .....................................................................................................

12 I. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education ............................................. 13 J.

Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Context for Teaching and Learning ................................................ 13 K. Teaching, Teachers, and the Education Workforce ...............................................................................

13 Part III: Project Type Requirements and Recommendations ............................................. 14 A. Applying Under a Project Type ..............................................................................................................

14 B. Measurement .......................................................................................................................................... 15 1.

Purpose .............................................................................................................................................. 15 2. Award Limit ......................................................................................................................................

15 3. Requirements .................................................................................................................................... 15 4.

Recommendations for Strong Applications ..................................................................................... 16 C. Exploration ............................................................................................................................................

20 1. Purpose ............................................................................................................................................. 20 2.

Award Limit ..................................................................................................................................... 20 3. Requirements ...................................................................................................................................

20 4. Recommendations for Strong Applications ..................................................................................... 21 D.

Development and Innovation ............................................................................................................... 25 1. Purpose .............................................................................................................................................

25 2. Award Limit ..................................................................................................................................... 25 3.

Requirements ................................................................................................................................... 25 4. Recommendations for Strong Applications ....................................................................................

26 E. Impact ..................................................................................................................................................... 31 1.

Purpose .............................................................................................................................................. 31 2. Award Limit ......................................................................................................................................

31 3. Requirements .................................................................................................................................... 31 4.

Recommendations for Strong Applications .................................................................................... 32 Part IV: Preparing Your Application................................................................................. 39 A.

Overview ................................................................................................................................................ 39 B. General Formatting ...............................................................................................................................

39 1. Page and Margin Specifications ....................................................................................................... 39 2.

Page Numbering ............................................................................................................................... 39 3. Spacing..............................................................................................................................................

39 4. Type Size (Font Size) ........................................................................................................................ 39 5.

Citations ............................................................................................................................................ 39 6. Graphs, Diagrams, and Tables .........................................................................................................

40 C. Required and Optional Appendices ...................................................................................................... 40 1.

Appendix A: Engagement and Dissemination Plan (Required) ...................................................... 40 2. Appendix B: Response to Reviewers (Required for Resubmissions)...............................................

41 3. Appendix C: Supplemental Charts, Tables, and Figures (Optional) ................................................ 41 4.

Appendix D: Examples of Program, Practice, Policy, or Assessment Materials (Optional)............ 41 5. Appendix E: Letters of Agreement (Optional) .................................................................................

41 6. Appendix F: Data Sharing and Management Plan (Required) ....................................................... 42 D.

Other Narrative Content ....................................................................................................................... 43 1. Project Summary/Structured Abstract ............................................................................................

44 2. Bibliography and References Cited ................................................................................................. 45 3.

Human Subjects Narrative .............................................................................................................. 45 4. Biographical Sketches for Key Personnel ........................................................................................

45 Part V: Competition Regulations and Review Criteria ...................................................... 47 A. Funding Mechanisms and Restrictions ................................................................................................

47 1. Mechanism of Support ..................................................................................................................... 47 2.

Funding Available ............................................................................................................................ 47 3. Special Considerations for Budget Expenses ..................................................................................

47 4. Program Authority ........................................................................................................................... 48 5.

Applicable Regulations .................................................................................................................... 48 B. Additional Requirements ......................................................................................................................

48 1. Pre-Award ......................................................................................................................................... 48 2.

Post-Award ....................................................................................................................................... 49 C. Overview of Application and Scientific Peer Review Process ...............................................................

50 1. Submitting Your Letter of Intent ..................................................................................................... 50 2.

Resubmissions and Multiple Submissions ...................................................................................... 50 3. Application Processing .....................................................................................................................

51 4. Scientific Peer Review Process ........................................................................................................ 52 5.

Review Criteria for Scientific Merit ................................................................................................. 52 6. Award Decisions ..............................................................................................................................

53 Part VI: Compliance and Responsiveness Checklist .......................................................... 54 Part VII: Required Codes for Item 4b of the SF 424 Cover Sheet ....................................... 56 Education Research Grants / Awards Beginning FY 2025 Posted May 30, 2024 / Page 1 # Part I: Overview and Requirements # A.

Purpose of the Education Research Grants Program Through its National Center for Education Research (NCER), the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) supports a program of field-initiated research to build knowledge and understanding of education practice and policy. IES was established by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA – P. L.

107-279), in part to improve academic achievement and attainment and access to educational opportunities for all learners (ESRA, § 111. b. 1.

B), with a particular focus on low-performing learners (ESRA, § 115. a. 1) and those lacking access to high-quality educational opportunities (ESRA, § 115.

a. 2. A and 115.

a. 2. B).

In carrying out this mission, we are committed to ensuring that our work is objective, secular, neutral, and nonideological; free of partisan political influence; and free of racial, cultural, gender, or regional bias (ESRA, § 111. b. 2.

B). In this request for applications (RFA), NCER invites applications for research to help improve education experiences and outcomes for learners in the United States. All applicants are expected to incorporate the IES Standards for Excellence in Education Research (SEER; https://ies.

ed. gov/seer/ ) into their proposed research, as applicable. SEER encourages rigorous education research that is transparent, actionable, and focused on meaningful outcomes by recommending that researchers: • Make findings, methods, and data open.

• Address inequities in learners' opportunities, access to resources, and outcomes. • Identify interventions' components. • Document treatment implementation and contrast.

• Analyze interventions' costs. • Use high-quality outcome measures. • Facilitate generalization of study findings.

• Support scaling of promising interventions.

NCER’s Education Research Grants program supports both basic and applied research that builds scientific knowledge and theory of teaching, learning, and organizing education systems; yields outcomes and products that are useful to learners and the educators and education institutions that serve them; and informs stakeholders about the cost and practical benefits and effects of programs, practices, and policies on relevant outcomes for learners across the lifespan (ESRA, § 112.

1).

As part of this program, NCER funds the development and validation of assessments to support education research and practice; exploratory research to build conceptual frameworks and generate hypotheses to guide future applied research; the development and pilot testing of innovative programs, practices, and policies; and impact studies—initial efficacy, replication, and follow-up studies—to determine the benefits of programs, practices, and policies for learner education outcomes (See more about the project types in Part III ).

Collectively, this research investment builds knowledge in the education sciences, along with practical tools necessary to lead to meaningful change in education practice. NCER is committed to funding a broad range of research on improving learner education outcomes and reducing achievement and opportunity gaps, as described below in Part I. B.

2 Research Topics and Education Outcomes. We have identified three cross-cutting themes that reflect current challenges in education and could be addressed across multiple research topics for the FY 2025 competition. These cross-cutting themes are not intended to be restrictive.

Applicants are welcome to propose projects appropriate for any of the research topics discussed in Part II Research Topics . • Chronic absenteeism. Student attendance has been a longstanding concern in the K-12 education system, and chronic absenteeism rates have soared following the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this same time, there has been a similar increase in K-12 teacher absences.

NCER is interested in Education Research Grants / Awards Beginning FY 2025 Posted May 30, 2024 / Page 2 supporting research projects that (1) address correlates, causes, and consequences of chronic absenteeism; (2) develop programs, practices, and policies to reduce chronic absenteeism, and (3) tackle inconsistency in measurement of chronic absenteeism across schools, districts, and states.

While chronic absenteeism is a specific challenge in K-12 education, there are persistent and growing concerns about similar challenges in attendance and persistence in postsecondary and adult education programs, including stopping out and dropping out of these programs.

NCER welcomes projects across all topic areas and project types that will identify effective programs, practices, and policies to reduce chronic absenteeism in K-12 contexts and increase attendance and persistence in postsecondary and adult education settings. • Technology.

In a world of rapidly evolving technologies, including tools that rely on artificial intelligence (AI), NCER encourages applicants to propose projects that address critical questions about the uses and limitations of technology in education environments. NCER welcomes projects across all topic areas and project types that incorporate and examine the use of technology to improve education outcomes for all learners. • English Learners.

Improving outcomes and meeting the needs of millions of English learners (ELs) continues to be a pressing issue as the EL population in the U.S. expands rapidly across a range of geographic regions, grade levels, ages, and education settings. The experiences of ELs within rural school settings and among adult learners are especially understudied.

The prevalence of ELs means that many if not all research projects have the opportunity to consider the unique circumstances associated with educating and conducting research with ELs. Proposed research should consider the needs of ELs in the sample at all stages of research from inception and design through analysis and dissemination.

NCER welcomes projects across all topic areas and project types that will yield useful insights and effectively address education outcomes for EL populations. IES believes that stakeholder engagement in research and dissemination efforts has the potential to increase the quality, usefulness, and use of the research it funds. As such, NCER anticipates that applicants will engage stakeholders in the design and conduct of their projects.

NCER expects grantees to disseminate evidence in a way that is useful to and accessible by learners, educators, parents, policymakers, researchers, and the public (ESRA, § 112. 2). To support broad access to research data and study findings, IES grantees must comply with the IES Policy Regarding Public Access to Research (https://ies.

ed. gov/funding/researchaccess. asp ) and adhere to other open science practices and SEER principles ( https://ies.

ed. gov/seer/ ) where applicable. NCER program officers ( listed by research topic in Part II ) are available to help applicants refine their proposals.

You may contact NCER program officers at any point prior to submission of your application to discuss your research idea and whether it is a good fit for this or any other IES research grant program. # B. General Requirements Applications to the Education Research Grants program must meet these requirements to be sent forward for scientific peer review.

# 1. Eligible Study Populations NCER funds education research that addresses the needs of learners from prekindergarten through postsecondary and adult education.

1 If you are proposing research that is focused solely on the needs of learners with or at risk for disabilities from birth through postsecondary education, you must apply to the separate grant programs run by the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER; https://ies. ed. gov/ncser ).

The only exception is > 1For the purposes of this RFA, adult education refers to the system and authorized providers that serve learners at least 16-years old who are not enrolled in the standard K-12 system but are or could be preparing for, transitioning into, or currently enrolled in adult literacy programs, as defined in Title II, the “Adult Education and Family Literacy Act”, of the 2015 Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA), such as Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, Integrated Education Training, Family Literacy, Integrated English Language and Civics.

Education Research Grants / Awards Beginning FY 2025 Posted May 30, 2024 / Page 3 for research focused on learners with or at risk for disabilities in adult education settings which you must submit to this competition. # 2. Research Topics and Education Outcomes Your application must be directed to one of the 11 research topics in the Education Research Grants program accepting applications in FY 2025.

NCER encourages you to also identify a secondary research topic if it is appropriate for the proposed research. Topics are intentionally broad to encourage innovative ideas and research questions. Research proposed under each topic may address questions about the education outcomes of learners at any developmental or school level from prekindergarten through postsecondary and adult education.

See the topic descriptions in Part II Research Topics for more about the purpose for each. Contact the program officers listed by topic for advice on which topic provides the best fit for your proposed research. All applications to this grants program must propose research that measures at least one academic outcome, examples of which are provided below.

Two topics, “Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Context for Teaching and Learning” and “Teaching, Teachers, and the Education Workforce,” require additional education outcomes that are described below. # (a) Academic Outcomes–Required for All Applications IES supports research on academic outcomes that reflect learning and achievement in content domains, as well as learners’ successful progression through education systems.

IES is interested in the following academic outcomes: • For prekindergarten– school readiness outcomes, including pre-reading, language, vocabulary; early-STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) knowledge; English language proficiency; and digital literacy; as well as social, emotional, and behavioral competencies (including self-regulation and executive function) that prepare young children for school • For kindergarten through Grade 12– learning, achievement, and higher order thinking in the academic content areas of literacy, STEM, and social studies; 2 English language proficiency; career and technical education (CTE) attainment; 3 digital literacy; and progression through education systems as indicated by course and grade completion, retention, high school graduation, and dropout.

Given high levels of chronic absenteeism that have persisted since the onset of the COVID pandemic, you may propose to use chronic absenteeism as your required measure of academic outcomes of K-12 learners for FY 2025.

• For postsecondary education– learning, achievement, and higher order thinking in postsecondary courses; and access to, persistence in, progress through, and completion of postsecondary education, which includes developmental education and corequisite support courses, bridge programs, for-credit and non-credit programs that lead to occupational credentials and certificates, and for-credit programs that lead to associate’s or bachelor’s degrees • For adult education– achievement in literacy, English language proficiency, and numeracy, as well as access to, persistence in, progress through, and completion of adult education courses and programs including the full range of course and program types described in Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2015 (WIOA; https://www.

dol. gov/agencies/eta/wioa ) > 2Social studies outcomes are defined as a learner’s understanding of government structures and processes and how to be an engaged and knowledgeable citizen through skills and knowledge in civics, citizenship, geography, history, and economics.

> 3CTE attainment is defined as an indicator of mastery of CTE content or skills such as CTE course grades or credits earned, technical skills, assessment scores, industry certification, or employment outcomes in a field related to the CTE training.

Education Research Grants / Awards Beginning FY 2025 Posted May 30, 2024 / Page 4 # (b) Educator Outcomes–Required for Teaching, Teachers, and the Education Workforce Applications and Optional for Other Applications IES supports research that addresses the role of educators in improving learners’ academic outcomes.

If you are applying under the Teaching, Teachers, and the Education Workforce topic you must propose to measure educator knowledge, skills, beliefs, behaviors, and/or practices in addition to the required measures of learners’ academic outcomes.

If you are proposing research focused on pre-service preparation, you must propose to measure the outcomes of the pre-service educators as well as the outcomes of the learners they ultimately teach.

# (c) Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Competencies–Required for Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Context for Teaching and Learning Applications and Optional for Other Applications IES supports research on social skills, emotional skills, attitudes, behaviors, and mental health that are important to learners’ success in school and beyond.

If you are applying under the Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Context for Teaching and Learning topic as either a primary or secondary topic, you must propose to measure both learners’ academic outcomes and learners’ social, emotional and/or behavioral competencies.

# (d) Employment and Earnings Outcomes–As Appropriate IES supports research on employment and earnings outcomes such as hours of employment, job stability, and wages and benefits. Include these outcomes in addition to the required academic outcomes when appropriate. Proposed research must be relevant to education in the United States and must address factors under the control of U.S. education systems.

Formal education in the United States includes but is not limited to center-based prekindergarten programs, public and private K-12 schools, community colleges, technical colleges, and 4-year colleges and universities. In addition, there are also formal programs under the control of education agencies that take place out of school including after-school, distance learning, and online.

Additionally, adult education programs can be operated by community-based organizations, libraries, and other entities receiving support from government education agencies and occur in a variety of settings. Contact an IES program officer listed by research topic if you have questions about the setting you have identified for your proposed research and whether it is responsive to the requirements of this program.

For FY 2025, your application must be directed to one of the following four project types: Development and Innovation See the project type descriptions in Part III for more information about the purpose of each type, requirements that you must address in your application, and recommendations for a strong application.

Program officers ( listed by research topic ) can advise on which project type provides the best fit for your proposed project. In general, you should select the project type that most closely aligns with the purpose of the research you propose, regardless of the specific methodology you plan to use. IES encourages using a mixed methods approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative methods for all project types, as appropriate.

Education Research Grants / Awards Beginning FY 2025 Posted May 30, 2024 / Page 5 # 5. Engagement and Dissemination Plan Stakeholder engagement in research and dissemination efforts has the potential to increase the quality, usefulness, and use of IES-funded research.

IES expects applicants to describe (1) how input from stakeholders has informed the development of their application; (2) how, if funded, they intend to further engage stakeholders in the research process and in the dissemination of results; and (3) their history of implementing similar engagement and dissemination strategies, if any.

The plan should articulate how the applicant, if funded will, (1) elicit input from learners, educators, policymakers, researchers, parents/caregivers, and/or other relevant audiences; (2) consider its applicability for enhancing the relevance of the project, while maintaining the objectivity of the research; and (3) adapt research and dissemination activities accordingly.

A wide range of engagement and dissemination strategies, techniques, and platforms may be appropriate. Depending on the goals of the project, how and when the research team engages with stakeholders and disseminates information about their project may vary.

Applicants should describe their engagement and dissemination history in ways that demonstrate their ability and capacity to carry out their plan for engaging with stakeholders and disseminating research findings transparently and accessibly.

To support transparency and accessibility in scholarly dissemination, and in keeping with IES’s commitment to open science best practices and the IES Policy Regarding Public Access to Research (https://ies. ed. gov/funding/researchaccess.

asp ), applicants are encouraged to plan and budget for: (1) preregistration of their research, (2) curation of data and analysis code to facilitate ease of data sharing and reanalysis, and (3) publication of findings in open access journals.

IES grantees must comply with the IES Public Access Policy by ensuring that the full text of their accepted peer-reviewed scholarly publications is submitted to ERIC (Education Resources Information Center; https://eric. ed. gov/ ) immediately upon acceptance for publication and by sharing final data at time of publication or, if unpublished, five years after the IES award ends, whichever comes first.

Peer reviewers will score Engagement and Dissemination as a separate criterion in the review process. Applications to the Education Research Grants program may not exceed the following limits on award duration and cost by project type and should reflect the actual time and amount of funding necessary to conduct your proposed scope of work , rather than the maximums allowable by IES.

In your application, provide a detailed budget justification that explains how the requested costs are allowable, allocable, and reasonable (see 2 CFR 200, Subpart E; https://www. ecfr. gov/current/title- 2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E ) and reflect the proposed scope of work.

See the IES Application Submission Guide ( https://ies. ed. gov/funding/submission_guide.

asp ) for information about completing the SF 424 Research and Related Budget form that is included in the application package available through Grants. gov, and for information about what should be included in the budget justification. # 1.

Technical Assistance for Applicants We strongly encourage all applicants to contact NCER program officers (listed by research topic) during the application planning and preparation process. Applicants may do so at any time via phone or e-mail.

IES Project Type Maximum Duration Maximum Cost Measurement 4 years $2,000,000 Exploration 4 years $1,700,000 Development and Innovation 4 years $2,000,000 Impact 5 years $4,000,000 Education Research Grants / Awards Beginning FY 2025 Posted May 30, 2024 / Page 6 Program officers can offer feedback on whether your research idea is a good fit for this or any other IES research grant program and can address substantive or methodological issues concerning your specific proposal.

IES program officers can work with applicants until the time the application is submitted to Grants. gov. We strongly encourage you to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) on the IES Peer Review website (https://iesreview. ed.

gov/LOI/LOISubmit ). If you do so, a program officer will contact you regarding your proposed project. IES also offers webinars ( https://ies.

ed. gov/funding/webinars/index. asp ) and virtual office hours ( https://ies.

ed. gov/funding/technicalassistance. asp ) for general guidance on grant writing and submitting your application and choosing the appropriate competition, topic, and project type.

Institutions that have the ability and capacity to conduct rigorous research are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, non-profit and for-profit organizations and public and private agencies and institutions, such as colleges and universities. Broadening Participation in the Education Sciences 4: IES is committed to broadening institutional participation in its research grant programs.

IES encourages applications from minority-serving institutions (MSIs) that meet the eligibility criteria for this RFA.

MSIs include Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Predominantly Black Institutions, and Native American-Serving, Nontribal Institutions. # 3. Building Your Project Team All IES work benefits from diverse perspectives.

Our ability to support high-quality research depends upon our ability to support talented researchers, and other project team members, from all backgrounds (https://ies. ed. gov/aboutus/diversity.

asp ). IES research projects demand project teams with a wide variety of expertise to ensure the research is of high quality. Team members making substantial contributions to the work should be considered as key personnel, described in the Personnel section of the Project Narrative, and have a biosketch included.

The Principal Investigator (PI) is the primary point of contact with IES. The PI has the authority and responsibility for the proper conduct of the research, including the appropriate use of federal funds and the submission of required scientific progress reports. The PI is designated by the institution submitting the application.

Other personnel having authority and responsibility for the research and use of grant funds should be designated as co-Principal Investigators (co-PIs). Only one PI may be identified as the PI for the purposes of making a grant award, regardless of whether more than one person will share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the proposed research.

The PI and any co-PIs will be listed on the grant award notification (GAN) when a new award is made. You may identify anyone to serve as a co-PI on a grant, including members of the project team who are at different institutions or those who may be serving as a consultant. Co-Investigators (co-Is) may also be listed on the GAN at the awardee’s discretion.

Although not required at the time of application, all key personnel must have a persistent identifier (PID), such as an ORCID iD (Open Researcher and Contributor ID; https://orcid. org/ ) at the time of award.

For all key personnel who have a PID at the time of application, include the PID in the biosketch and in the “Credential, e.g., agency login” field on the Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) > 4Section 114 of the Education Science Reform Act of 2002 charges IES with undertaking “initiatives and programs to increase the participation of researchers and institutions that have been historically underutilized in Federal education research activities of the Institute, including historically Black colleges or universities or other institutions of higher education with large numbers of minority students.

” Education Research Grants / Awards Beginning FY 2025 Posted May 30, 2024 / Page 7 form in the application package. See the IES Application Submission Guide (https://ies. ed.

gov/funding/submission_guide. asp ) for more information about this form in the application package. All key personnel must have a PID as a condition of award.

# 4. RFA Organization and the IES Application Submission Guide To submit a compliant, responsive, and timely application, you will need to review two documents: 1. This RFA , which provides information on how to prepare an application that is compliant and responsive to the requirements.

Part I sets out these requirements for a grant application. Parts II and III provide further detail on two of those requirements, research topics and project types, respectively. Part IV provides information about general formatting and the other narrative content for the application, including required appendices.

Part V provides general information on competition regulations and the review process. Part VI provides a checklist that you can use to ensure you have included all required application elements to advance to scientific peer review . Part VII provides the codes that you will enter in Item 4b of the SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance form.

2. The IES Application Submission Guide (https://ies. ed.

gov/funding/submission_guide. asp ), which provides important information about submission procedures and IES-specific guidance and recommendations to help you ensure your application is complete and received without errors on time through Grants. gov. We strongly recommend that both the PI and the authorized organization representative (AOR) read both documents, whether submitting a new or revised application.

# 5. Ensuring Your Application is Forwarded for Scientific Peer Review Only compliant and responsive applications received before the date and time deadline are peer reviewed for scientific merit and practical significance. The PI and the AOR should work together to ensure that the application meets these criteria.

• Received and validated by Grants. gov no later than 11:59:59 p. m.

Eastern Time on September 12, 2024. o See the separate IES Application Submission Guide https://ies. ed.

gov/funding/submission_guide. asp for more information about how to submit your application on-time through Grants. gov. • Includes the required project narrative (see Part III ) • Adheres to all formatting requirements (see Part IV ) • Adheres to all page limit maximums for the project narrative and appendices.

IES will remove any pages above the maximum before forwarding an application for scientific peer review • Includes all required appendices (see Part IV ) o Appendix A: Engagement and Dissemination Plan (All applications) o Appendix B: Response to Reviewers (Resubmissions only) o Appendix F: Data Sharing and Management Plan (All applications) • Meets requirements for all applications (see Parts I, II, and III) o Education Outcomes (by Research Topic) o Education Settings Education Research Grants / Awards Beginning FY 2025 Posted May 30, 2024 / Page 8 • Meets Project Narrative Requirements for the selected IES Project Type (see Part III ).

# D. Changes in the FY 2025 Request for Applications Everyone involved in preparing and submitting an application, whether new or revised, should carefully read all relevant parts of this RFA. Major changes to the Education Research Grants program (ALN 84.

305A) competition in FY 2025 are listed below and described fully in relevant sections of the RFA. Engagement and Dissemination Plan –IES has changed the Dissemination History and Plan to Engagement and Dissemination Plan. See Part I.

B. 5 and Part IV. C.

1 for more information about what to include in the required Engagement and Dissemination Plan. Academic Outcomes –NCER will consider measures of chronic absenteeism for K-12 learners as meeting the requirement that all applications to this program must include measures of Academic Outcomes. • Cross-cutting themes are those that IES has identified as of great importance and that might be addressed across multiple research topics.

For FY 2025, these themes are: chronic absenteeism, technology, and English learners. These themes are not intended to limit the foci of applications submitted under our research topics.

• Encouragement to identify a secondary research topic –while it is a requirement to identify a single research topic for your application, this year NCER also encourages applicants to select a secondary topic in addition to the required primary research topic when it is appropriate for the proposed research.

• Topic names - we changed the names of two of our research topics to provide a more accurate description of the research each supports. o Policies, Practices, and Programs to Support English Learners is now called English Learner Policies, Programs, and Practices. o Improving Education Systems is now called Improving Education Systems: Policies, Finance, Organization, Management, and Leadership.

IES Public Access Policy Requirements Where to include persistent identifiers (PIDs) for key personnel –while optional at the time of application, all key personnel must have a PID such as an ORCID iD (Open Researcher and Contributor ID; https://orcid. org/ ) as a condition of award.

If key personnel have a PID at the time of application, include it in the biosketches and in the “Credential, e.g., agency login” field on the Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form in the application package. See the IES Application Submission Guide ( https://ies. ed.

gov/funding/submission_guide. asp ) for more information about this form in the application package. We have made changes to requirements and recommendations for