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Funding Opportunities

Steps to Applying for IES Grants

    Identify a current funding opportunity

    Find an opportunity that matches your research interests and the deadlines for that opportunity
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    Sign up for IES newsflashes
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    Learn more about the application process by attending virtual office hours

    Ask questions about the application process and choosing an appropriate funding opportunity.
    Virtual office hour help
    View a video on the application review process.
    Watch now

    Download the Application Submission Guide below, find your Request for Applications and application package (search for ALN 84.305 or ALN 84.324).

    Download the IES Application Submission Guide
    IES Application Submission Guide
    Search for Request for Applications
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    Download the application package (Search for ALN 84.305 or ALN 84.324).
    Learn more

    Upload important documents

    Submit your Letter of Intent (optional but strongly encouraged).
    Upload now

    Register or update your organization on Grants.gov and SAM.gov

    Grants.gov
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    SAM.gov
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    Read the Department's Fact Sheet for information about the Federal government's transition from DUNS Number to Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
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    Submit documents before your deadline

    Submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline.
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    Application deadline
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Learn About the Funding Process at IES

Scientific peer review
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The Office of Science is responsible for the scientific peer review process for the grant applications.

Office of Science
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Peer Review Process
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Lists of peer reviewers
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Funding help
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Online Resources for Applicants

Need more information about potential funding opportunities? Explore frequently asked questions, attend virtual office hour sessions, or browse available resources. 

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Upcoming request for applications

Education Research and Development Center Program - 84.305C

Education Research and Development Center Program - 84.305C
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Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences - 84.305B

Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences - 84.305B
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Special Education Dissertation Research Fellowship Program — 84.324G

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) provides scientific evidence to improve education practice and policy and shares th...
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Building Evidence of Effectiveness of Strategies to Increase Postsecondary Student Su...

First, the program seeks to build the capacity of state higher education agency (or equivalent), college, and university empl...
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Statistical and Research Methodology in Education — 84.305D

In this Request for Applications (RFA), NCER invites applications for projects that will contribute to its Statistical and Re...
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FY 2025 RFAs will be posted on a rolling basis.

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Submission guide

The IES Application Submission Guide provides information on how to prepare and submit applications through Grants.gov to the research and research training grant programs in IES's National Centers for Education Research (NCER), Special Education Research (NCSER), and Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE). Use this guide to learn about IES-specific guidance and recommendations to help you ensure your application is complete and submitted on time. See the Request for Applications for your competition for important information about substantive requirements and submission deadlines.

FY2025 Application Submission Guide

Unsolicited Grant Opportunities

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The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) will consider unsolicited applications for research, evaluation, and statistics projects that would make significant contributions to the mission of the organization.

Under this announcement, we will consider applications for projects that are not eligible under our FY2025 grant competitions, both open and closed. The applicant must demonstrate that the project was not eligible under one of our FY2025 grant competitions. A project that lacks student education outcomes and would be eligible under an FY2025 competition if student education outcomes had been included is not eligible as an unsolicited project under this announcement. In addition, we do not provide funds for projects that consist solely of program delivery or the provision of services to students. Activities supported by IES must be relevant to U.S. schools.

IES will also not consider applications under this unsolicited announcement that in prior years would have been eligible under IES competitions or topics that are not being run in FY2025. This includes, but is not limited to, the National Center for Education Research's Postdoctoral Education Research Training program (irregularly competed as a topic under ALN 84.305B), and the National Center for Special Education Research's Postdoctoral Research and Methods Training programs (irregularly competed as topics under ALN 84.324B).

 

FY 2025 Unsolicited grant opportunities
FEATURED VIDEO
IES Peer Review Panel Discussions

IES Peer Review Panel Discussions

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FEATURED VIDEO
After Submitting an IES Application

The Office of Science, which oversees the peer review of grant applications, invites you to watch a short video about what happens to your IES grant application after you submit it to Grants.gov.

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Learn More about IES Grants 

Please read an Overview of IES Research and Research Training Grants Programs to learn more about research and training programs supported by IES. You can also learn more about grants funded by IES by using our project search tool. 

Need Help? For general inquires, contact IES. For questions about specific funding opportunities, contact the National Center for Education Research (84.305 RFAs) or the National Center for Special Education Research (84.324 RFAs).

Upcoming office hours

Workshop/Training

Data Science Methods for Digital Learning Platforms

Aug 18, 2025
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Upcoming workshop/trainings

Workshop/Training

Data Science Methods for Digital Learning Platforms

Aug 18, 2025
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Workshop/Training

Meta-Analysis Training Institute (MATI)

Jul 28, 2025
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Workshop/Training

Bayesian Longitudinal Data Modeling in Education Sciences

Jul 21, 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Yes. However, IES strongly encourages you to submit one. If you miss the deadline for submitting an LOI, contact the appropriate program officer for guidance.

No.

An institution may submit multiple applications to a single IES grant program, or to a single topic within a grant program, only if the applications are substantively different from one another.

Yes. An institution may submit separate applications to more than one program. Submitting an application to any grant program has no bearing on applying to the other grant programs.

Yes. Products derived from IES-funded grants may be copyrighted and used by the grantee for proprietary purposes, but the U.S. Department of Education reserves a royalty-free, non-exclusive, and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such products for Federal purposes and to authorize others to do so [2 C.F.R. § 200.315(b)(2014); https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=2:1.1.2.2.1.4.30.16&rgn=div8].

It depends. You may apply to any IES grant program if your institution is located outside of the territorial United States except for our training grant programs. IES awards training grants only to institutions within the territorial United States.

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