Congress Triples Education Research Funding Over White House Request

The FY2026 appropriations bill funded the Institute of Education Sciences at $790 million — more than three times the $261 million the White House requested — in one of the most dramatic congressional rejections of a proposed research budget cut this cycle.

A $529 Million Message From Congress

The gap between the administration's request and the enacted level tells a clear story: Congress views education research infrastructure as non-negotiable regardless of executive branch priorities. IES, the research and evaluation arm of the Department of Education, funds the National Center for Education Statistics, the What Works Clearinghouse, and hundreds of research grants that inform K-12 and postsecondary policy nationwide.

The $790 million represents a modest increase over FY2025 levels, but the real headline is what didn't happen. A cut to $261 million would have devastated the agency's capacity to fund new research competitions, maintain longitudinal data systems, and support the regional educational laboratories that serve every state.

Part of a Broader Pattern on Research Funding

The IES outcome mirrors congressional pushback across the FY2026 spending package. The National Institutes of Health received $48.7 billion — a $415 million increase that rejected the proposed 40 percent cut. The bill also blocked the administration's attempt to cap indirect cost reimbursement rates at 15 percent, a provision that would have stripped billions from university research budgets.

The Department of Education overall received $79 billion in discretionary funding, a $217 million increase over FY2025 and approximately $12 billion above the administration's request.

What Education Researchers Should Do

With IES funding preserved, new research grant competitions are expected to proceed on their normal schedule through FY2026. Researchers focused on education technology, literacy interventions, STEM education, and postsecondary outcomes should monitor IES's funding page for upcoming solicitations.

The preserved funding also secures the Regional Educational Laboratories network and the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems program — infrastructure that state education agencies and school districts depend on for evidence-based policymaking. For researchers tracking federal education funding opportunities across IES, NSF, and other agencies, Granted can help match your work to open solicitations.

In-depth analysis of federal education funding is available on the Granted blog.