Commissioners' Welcome

Joan McLaughlin Profile Image

Joan McLaughlin

Commissioner,
NCSER

Welcome to the 2022 IES Principal Investigators Meeting! Our theme this year is Advancing Equity and Inclusion in the Education Sciences. Over the past 20 years, IES has supported rigorous and relevant research to help identify, measure, and address disparities in education access and outcomes. However, disparities persist and have been further exacerbated by COVID-19, underscoring the importance of advancing equity and inclusion in the education sciences. As outlined in our Diversity Statement, IES is committed to research on a diverse range of schools and participants to identify what works for whom and under what conditions; grant applications from minority serving institutions; and the collection, analysis, and reporting of statistical information that includes analysis by diverse backgrounds and experiences.


Because of the virtual meeting format this year, we will be hosting a more streamlined version of the PI Meeting with fewer, but more targeted sessions. Our specific meeting objectives for this year include:

  • Celebrating the 20th anniversary of IES by reflecting on our accomplishments and planning how we can further advance the education sciences
  • Spotlighting new research findings and methodological approaches from IES-funded projects
  • Encouraging connections between IES fellows and others who may be seeking new research or career opportunities, and individuals who want to build new partnerships or fill open positions
  • Encouraging the dissemination of IES-supported findings to a wider audience of users, including policy makers, practitioners, educators, and the public
  • Exploring ways of scaling up IES-funded projects to increase their use and impact

Our Co-Chairs for this year’s PI Meeting are Brian Boyd (University of Kansas) and Doré LaForett (Child Trends; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). We appreciate their efforts in developing the meeting theme, recommending sessions, and identifying speakers to make this virtual meeting engaging and useful to you.


We look forward to starting the New Year and celebrating the 20th anniversary of IES with you!


Elizabeth Albro, Commissioner, NCER

Joan McLaughlin, Commissioner, NCSER

Elizabeth Albro Profile Image

Elizabeth Albro

Commissioner,
NCER