In this announcement, the Institute of Education Sciences (Institute) requests applications to form Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Policy and Practice in Special Education (Networks). The purpose of the Networks program is to focus resources and attention on high-priority issues in special education and to create both a structure and process for researchers who are working on these issues to share ideas, build new knowledge, and strengthen their research and dissemination capacity. The ultimate objectives of the Networks program are to advance the field’s understanding of an issue beyond what an individual research project or team is able to do on its own and to assist policymakers and practitioners in using this information to strengthen education policies and programs and improve student education outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities.
For FY 2018, the Institute invites proposals focused on integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), frameworks that provide multiple levels of support through coordinated, research-based practices, strategies, and structures to meet the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of all learners. The Institute is soliciting proposals that address the needs of children with or at risk for disabilities within integrated MTSS in elementary schools.
