University of Pennsylvania Predoctoral Training Program in Interdisciplinary Methods for Field-Based Research in Education

The University of Pennsylvania Predoctoral Training Program in Interdisciplinary Methods for Field-based Research in Education was first funded by IES in 2005. The current focus of the training program is to prepare fellows to conduct research to inform education policy in collaborative partnerships with education agencies and research firms and strengthen the education research workforce and improve the quality, accessibility, use, and relevance of evaluations to inform policy and practice. The predoctoral training program is a collaborative initiative among the Graduate School of Education, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Social Policy and Practice, and the Annenberg School for Communication. Fellows and faculty will be drawn from across the university.

The program will recruit approximately 30 fellows from participating schools and departments for 2- to 3-year fellowships. Prior to acceptance into the program, fellows must complete a year of their department's doctoral program. Each fellowship includes tuition and benefits, a yearly stipend, and a small research and travel fund.

During the training, fellows will participate in an interdisciplinary core curriculum consisting of coursework in quantitative methodology, experimental research design, implementation research and education policy. Fellows will also participate in ongoing research with faculty mentors or research organizations (1 year minimum) and a year-long policy/practice apprenticeship in education agencies or other placements approved by IES. The training program also includes an ongoing interdisciplinary seminar on conducting rigorous, applied education research and methods workshops that complement training available through courses and apprenticeships.