In this request for applications (RFA), NCER invites applications for research to help improve education experiences and outcomes for learners in the United States. 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.
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. Collectively, this research investment builds knowledge in the education sciences, along with practical tools necessary to lead to meaningful change in education practice.
