Institute of Education Sciences (IES): Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Policy and Practice in Special Education CFDA Number 84.324N | ED GRANTS 092717 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 092717 002

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), within the U.S. Department of Education, is offering a discretionary grant competition titled "Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Policy and Practice in Special Education" under CFDA 84.324N. This opportunity is part of IESs broader FY 2018 slate of research competitions and is administered through the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). At a high level, the goal is to build and support research networks that can tackle high-priority, real-world issues in special education where better evidence could directly inform policy decisions and day-to-day practice in schools and related settings.

The program purpose reflects IESs larger mission: to provide national leadership in expanding foundational knowledge about (1) developmental and school readiness outcomes for infants and toddlers with or at risk for disabilities and (2) education outcomes for students across the full education pipeline, from early learning through postsecondary and adult education. In practical terms, IES funds research intended to produce reliable, valid, and useful evidence on education practices and interventions that improve learning, academic achievement, and access to educational opportunity. The intended audiences for the resulting research are broad and include parents, educators, students, researchers, and policymakers, with an emphasis on generating findings that can credibly guide decisions and improve outcomes for learners with disabilities.

This competition sits within a larger set of ten IES research competitions for FY 2018 spread across two IES centers. NCER (the National Center for Education Research) is running five competitions covering general education research, education research and development centers, partnerships and collaborations aimed at problems of practice or policy, and two competitions focused on low-cost, short-duration evaluations of education interventions. NCSER (the National Center for Special Education Research) is also running five competitions, including special education research, research training programs in special education, two low-cost, short-duration evaluation competitions specific to special education interventions, and this specific competition focused on research networks addressing critical policy and practice problems in special education. The notice also references multiple CFDA numbers connected to these competitions (including 84.305A, 84.305C, 84.305H, 84.305L, 84.324A, 84.324B, 84.324L, and 84.324N), underscoring that applicants must identify and apply to the correct competition number for their intended project.

Eligibility is intentionally broad, but capacity expectations are clear: applicants must have the ability to carry out scientifically valid research. Eligible entities include a wide range of public and private organizations and agencies, institutions of higher education, and both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. The source data lists eligible applicants as state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled higher education institutions; private colleges and universities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and other entities that meet the competition requirements. This breadth is designed to encourage proposals from research-intensive universities as well as research-capable organizations that operate closer to policy and practice settings, such as school districts, regional entities, and specialized education organizations.

Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, and the notice is explicit that applications cannot be submitted by email. Applicants are expected to download the application package from Grants.gov, complete it offline, and then upload and submit it through the platform. A small but important technical instruction is included: when searching in Grants.gov, applicants should search by the CFDA number without the alpha suffix (for example, search "84.324" rather than "84.324N"). This matters because the downloadable packages are indexed in a way that can cause confusion if the suffix is included. The opportunity listing provides an original closing date of October 26, 2017, and it is identified in Grants.gov with the opportunity number ED-GRANTS-092717-002.

Finally, the description emphasizes that what is provided in the listing is only a synopsis and that the authoritative requirements are found in the official Federal Register notice. That official notice is where applicants must look for the detailed rules and expectations, including any pre-application requirements, formatting and content requirements, submission procedures, performance measures, priority language, and program contact information. In other words, this listing tells you what the competition is and who can apply, but the Federal Register notice tells you exactly how to apply and what a compliant, competitive application must include.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Institute of Education Sciences (IES): Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Policy and Practice in Special Education CFDA Number 84.324N" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.324.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-09-27.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-10-26. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Others.

Apply for ED GRANTS 092717 002

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