IES established the Early Career Development and Mentoring Program for Education Research (Early Career Program) to prepare and support early career researchers at academic and non-academic research institutions and organizations to conduct high-quality education research that advances knowledge within the field of education sciences and addresses issues important to education policymakers and practitioners.
The Early Career Program provides support to early career faculty employed by institutions of higher education or early career researchers at non-academic research organizations who are developing education research careers. Under the Early Career program, investigators complete an integrated research and career development plan with guidance from experienced mentors. This program is part of IES's larger effort to develop a pipeline of talented education researchers who bring fresh ideas, approaches, and perspectives to addressing the issues and challenges faced by the nation's diverse students and schools. IES seeks to support principal investigators' (PIs) preparation to conduct the type of research IES funds in its research grant programs.