2027_84305B.pdf

NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH

Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 84.305B

Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences Request for Applications

Letter of Intent September 3, 2026 https://iesreview.ed.gov/LOI/LOISubmit

Application Package Available August 6, 2026 https://www.grants.gov/

Application Deadline 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 1, 2026 https://www.grants.gov/

Possible Start Dates July 1 – September 1, 2027

See the companion IES Application Submission Guide (https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide) for guidance on preparing and submitting applications through Grants.gov.

https://iesreview.ed.gov/LOI/LOISubmit https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide

Table of Contents Part I: Overview

A. Introduction

B. Overview of the Training Programs

C. Getting Started

1. Technical Assistance for Applicants

2. RFA Organization and the IES Application Submission Guide

3. Ensuring Your Application is Forwarded for Scientific Peer Review

D. Changes in the FY 2027 RFA

Part II: Program Requirements and Recommendations A. Early Career Development and Mentoring

1. Purpose

2. General Requirements

3. Training Program Narrative Requirements

4. Recommendations for a Strong Application

5. Additional Budget Parameters

B. Methods Training for Education Research

1. Purpose

2. General Requirements

3. Training Program Narrative Requirements

4. Recommendations for a Strong Application

5. Additional Budget Parameters and Application Requirements

Part III: Preparing Your Application A. Overview

B. General Formatting

1. Page and Margin Specifications

2. Page Numbering

3. Spacing

4. Font and Type Size

5. Citations

6. Accessibility

C. Required and Optional Appendices

1. Appendix A: Engagement and Dissemination Plan (Required)

2. Appendix B: Response to Reviewers (Required for Resubmissions)

3. Appendix C: Supplemental Materials (Optional)

4. Appendix D: Letters of Agreement (Required)

5. Appendix E: Data Sharing and Management Plan (Required for Early Career Applications)

6. Appendix F: Alignment with SEER Standards

D. Other Narrative Content

1. Project Summary/Abstract

2. Bibliography and References Cited

3. Human Subjects Narrative

4. Biographical Sketches for Key Personnel

Part IV: Competition Regulations and Review Criteria A. Funding Mechanisms and Restrictions

1. Mechanism of Support

2. Funding Available

3. Special Considerations for Budget Expenses

4. Program Authority

5. Applicable Regulations

6. General Terms and Conditions

7. Continuation Awards

B. Additional Award Requirements

1. Pre-Award

2. Post Award

C. Overview of Application and Scientific Peer Review Process

1. Submitting a Letter of Intent

2. Resubmissions and Multiple Submissions

3. Application Processing

4. Scientific Peer Review Process

5. Review Criteria for Scientific Merit

6. Award Decisions

Part V: Compliance and Responsiveness Checklist Part VI: Program Codes

Posted August 6, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 1

Part I: Overview

A. Introduction The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) provides scientific evidence to improve education practice and policy and shares that evidence in ways that can be used by educators, parents, policymakers, researchers, and the public. IES was established by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA – P.L. 107-279), in part to improve academic achievement and attainment and access to educational opportunities for all learners (ESRA, § 111.b.1.B), with a particular focus on low-performing learners (ESRA, § 115.a.1) and those lacking access to high-quality educational opportunities (ESRA, § 115.a.2.A and 115.a.2.B).

In carrying out its mission, IES must ensure that our work and the work we fund is objective, secular, neutral, and nonideological; free of partisan political influence; and free of racial, cultural, gender, or regional bias (ESRA, § 111.b.2).

Within IES, the National Center for Education Research (NCER) supports a program of field-initiated research to build knowledge and understanding of education practice and policy.

In this request for applications (RFA), NCER invites applications for the Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences (ALN 84.305B). For FY 2027, NCER is accepting applications under two programs:

• Early Career Development and Mentoring Program for Education Research (Early Career)

• Methods Training for Education Research (Methods Training)

NCER training programs prepare individuals to conduct education research that advances knowledge within the field and addresses issues important to education policymakers and practitioners.

NCER aims to fund rigorous research that helps solve significant education problems and that is relevant to the teaching and learning needs of the population of the United States. NCER’s ability to support high-quality research depends on the field’s ability to train and support talented researchers, statisticians, and evaluators who bring different backgrounds, perspectives, interests, and experiences to address complex education problems. NCER also seeks to broaden the education research workforce by offering professional development and training opportunities for individuals at multiple career stages in a variety of institutions and education settings across the country.

IES expects all IES-funded research to implement the Standards for Excellence in Education Research, or SEER (https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/standards-excellence-education-research-seer). The 2027 Standards (SEER 27) are organized into 4 domains.

• Domain 1. Objectivity and Scientific Integrity

• Domain 2. Relevance

• Domain 3. Open Science

• Domain 4. Intervention Research

Each application for IES funding is required to describe how their project is aligned with applicable SEER Standards. Appendix F outlines which Standards are applicable to each type of project.

B. Overview of the Training Programs Your application must be directed to one of the two training programs listed below and meet the requirements set out for the relevant program as described in Part II in order to be sent forward for scientific peer review.

The Early Career program provides support for an integrated research and career development plan for early career investigators at institutions of higher education or non-academic research organizations who are developing education research careers. The awards provide support for research and career development (including salary for protected time to conduct research and engage in career development https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/standards-excellence-education-research-seer

Posted August 6, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 2 activities) that includes training under the guidance of an experienced mentor or mentors. The Early Career program also offers the option for early career investigators employed by institutions of higher education not classified as R1 to request additional funding for grant administration and management.

The Methods Training program funds training to help current education researchers, including state and local education agency research staff, maintain and enhance their research and analysis skills in order to conduct rigorous and relevant education research.

C. Getting Started

1. Technical Assistance for Applicants NCER strongly encourages applicants to submit a letter of intent on the IES Peer Review website (https://iesreview.ed.gov/LOI/LOISubmit). IES will offer virtual office hours (https://ies.ed.gov/funding/help) for general guidance on grant writing and submitting your application and choosing the appropriate competition and project type.

The program officers for the Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences are:

• Early Career: Dr. Courtney Pollack (Courtney.Pollack@ed.gov)

• Methods Training: Dr. Emily Weaver (Emily.Weaver@ed.gov)

2. RFA Organization and the IES Application Submission Guide To submit a compliant, responsive, and timely application, applicants will need to review two documents:

1. This RFA provides information on how to prepare an application that is compliant and responsive to the requirements. Part I provides an overview of the competition and training programs. Part II provides detail on the requirements and recommendations for each training program. Part III provides information about formatting, the appendices, and other narrative content for the application. Part IV describes competition regulations and review criteria. Part V provides a checklist that you can use to ensure that you have included all required application elements to advance to scientific peer review. Part VI provides the codes that you will enter in Item 4b of the SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance form.

2. The IES Application Submission Guide (https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide) provides important information about how to find, complete, and submit an application package in Grants.gov and IES-specific guidance and recommendations to help you ensure your application is complete and received without errors on time through Grants.gov.

We strongly recommend that both the principal investigator (PI) and the authorized organization representative (AOR) read both documents, whether submitting a new or revised application.

3. Ensuring Your Application is Forwarded for Scientific Peer Review Only compliant and responsive applications received before the date and time deadline are peer reviewed for scientific merit and practical significance. The PI and the AOR should work together to ensure that the application meets these criteria.

(a) On-time submission

• Received and validated by Grants.gov no later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 1,

(b) Compliance

• Includes the required training program narrative (see Part II)

• Adheres to all formatting requirements (see Part III.B) https://iesreview.ed.gov/LOI/LOISubmit https://ies.ed.gov/funding/help mailto:Courtney.Pollack@ed.gov mailto:Emily.Weaver@ed.gov

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• Adheres to all page limit maximums for the training program narrative and appendices. IES will remove any pages above the maximum before forwarding an application for scientific peer review

• Includes all required appendices (see Part III.C) o Appendix A: Engagement and Dissemination Plan o Appendix B: Response to Reviewers (Resubmissions only) o Appendix D: Letters of Agreement o Appendix E: Data Sharing and Management Plan (Early Career applications only) o Appendix F: Alignment with SEER Standards

(c) Responsiveness

• Meets the general requirements for the selected training program (see Part II)

• Meets the training program narrative requirements for the selected training program (see Part II)

D. Changes in the FY 2027 RFA Everyone involved in preparing and submitting an application, whether new or revised, should carefully read all relevant parts of this RFA. Major changes to the Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences for FY 2027 are listed below and described fully in the relevant sections of the RFA.

• Training Programs. For FY 2027, NCER is accepting applications under two programs: Early Career and Methods Training.

• Guidance on Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). IES added guidance on the use of AI in preparing grant applications (see Part III.A). The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the development of grant applications is allowable. Applicants submitting a grant application must certify on the standard application form to the “true, complete, and accurate” nature of all of the contents of their grant application, regardless of whether it is generated by AI (https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2025-16571).

• Changes to Appendices.

ο IES added a new appendix, Alignment with SEER Principles, that is required for all applications. Appendix F must include information about how the project aligns with the current Standards for Excellence in Education Research (SEER; https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/standards-excellence-education-research-seer).

ο Appendix C, Summary of Research and Training Projects, is no longer required. Instead, Appendix C is optional and should be used to include supplemental materials.

Applications to the Methods Training program should describe prior methods training projects in the personnel section of the training program narrative.

ο The page limit for Supplemental Materials (now Appendix C) has been reduced from 10 pages to 5 pages.

• Pre-Award Requirements. IES added two new pre-award requirements.

ο If your application is being considered for funding, IES program officers will review the completeness and acceptability of the information in Appendix F: Alignment with SEER Standards prior to making the new award.

ο All recipients of IES research and research training funds are required to be in compliance with the research security requirements described in Part IV prior to receiving IES funding.

• Early Career PI Eligibility. There are several changes to the eligibility criteria for Early Career applicant institutions and PIs. (1) The eligibility window was extended, such that PIs must have completed a doctoral degree no earlier than April 1, 2019 and no later than the start of the award period. (2) PIs who are faculty at academic institutions must not have received tenure from their institution by the application submission deadline.

• Early Career Research Project Types. NCER added a requirement to specify a project type that describes the research you propose to do. Applicants may propose to conduct Measurement, Exploration, or Development and Innovation projects.

• Early Career Award Limits. The maximum award for Early Career grants has been increased to $500,000. Additionally, Early Career PIs at institutions that are not R1 institutions may https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2025-16571

Posted August 6, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 4 request, with justification, up to an additional $200,000 (maximum of $50,000 a year) to support the costs of grant administration and management.

• Methods Training Program Narrative Page Limits. The page limits for the training program narrative were reduced from 20 to 15 pages for the Methods Training program.

Posted August 6, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 5

Part II: Program Requirements and Recommendations For the FY 2027 Research Training Programs, you must submit your application to one of the two research training programs. You must identify your chosen program on the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance form (Item 4b) in the application package using the appropriate code (see Part VI for a list of program codes; for more information on the SF-424 form, see the IES Application Submission Guide at https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide).

The training programs differ by eligible applicants, trainees, types of training opportunities, and expected outcomes. For each training program, refer to the following:

• The Purpose section for the types of research training supported under each training program.

• The General Requirements section for the requirements an application must meet in order to be sent forward for scientific peer review.

• The Training Program Narrative Requirements section for the specific content that you must address in the training program narrative in order to be sent forward for scientific peer review.

• The Recommendations for Strong Applications section for recommendations to improve the quality of your application. The recommendations are included to support (1) applicants in writing proposals and (2) reviewers in evaluating proposals that align with IES’s expectations of high-quality research that has scientific merit and practical significance. IES asks reviewers to use these recommendations, in conjunction with their professional judgment and expertise, to determine application quality.

NCER’s training programs aim to prepare participants to conduct research that addresses the needs of learners from prekindergarten through postsecondary and adult education. If you are proposing research training that is focused on learners with or at risk for disabilities, you must apply to the separate training grant program run by the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER;

https://ies.ed.gov/about/national-center-special-education-research-ncser;

https://ies.ed.gov/funding/grants/2027/research-training-programs-special-education-84-324b). Such applications will be deemed non-responsive to this competition and will not be forwarded for peer review.

The only exception to this is for research training focused on learners enrolled in or who would qualify for adult education programs with or at risk for disabilities.

IES encourages applications from all eligible institutions with the capacity to provide high quality education research training, including non-R1 institutions that have not previously received funding from IES to conduct research training.

https://ies.ed.gov/about/national-center-special-education-research-ncser https://ies.ed.gov/funding/grants/2027/research-training-programs-special-education-84-324b

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A. Early Career Development and Mentoring Program Officer: Courtney Pollack (Courtney.Pollack@ed.gov)

1. Purpose The Early Career program (https://ies.ed.gov/funding/research/programs/research-training-programs-in-the-education-sciences/early-career-development-and-mentoring) supports grants that prepare early career researchers at research institutions (academic and non-academic) to conduct high-quality research that advances knowledge within the education sciences and addresses issues important to education policymakers and practitioners. Under the Early Career program, investigators complete an integrated research and career development plan with guidance from experienced mentors. The research and career development plans should be complementary, in that the proposed research may inform which skills need enhancement just as the training and mentoring will provide those needed skills to successfully conduct the research.

The purpose of this program is to prepare investigators to conduct the type of research that NCER funds.

Research under the Early Career program must align to one project type (see Part II.A.3) and must address improving education outcomes or improving education statistical and/or research methods.

NCER expects the scope of Early Career projects to align with the award limits, the requirement for the early career researcher to be the sole PI, and the need for the PI to balance the goals of the research with the career development plan. Relatedly, NCER does not expect the PI to be an expert on all aspects of the proposed research. The proposed mentoring and training activities should support the PI in carrying out the aspects of the research with which they are less experienced. The sections below on the Training Program Narrative Requirements and Recommendations for a Strong Application specify the level of detail expected in the training program narrative.

Early Career PIs are expected to (a) complete research similar to the type supported by NCER; (b) obtain the skills necessary to carry out this type of research as part of a longer-term research agenda; (c) develop the ability to communicate their research findings effectively to researchers, education policymakers, practitioners, and the public; and (d) develop grant and research project management skills including preparing future grant applications and research projects. In addition, Early Career PIs are expected to build professional skills and networks that support working with researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other education stakeholders.

2. General Requirements Applications must meet the requirements set out in this section in order to be sent forward for scientific peer review.

(a) Eligible Applicants For the Early Career Program, IES provides funds to the institution of the PI who submitted the application for support of their research and career development. Applicants to the Early Career program must be a research institution (academic or non-academic). Institutions located in the territorial United States that have the ability and capacity to conduct rigorous research are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, non-profit and for-profit organizations and public and private agencies and institutions, such as colleges and universities.

(b) Principal Investigator (PI) The PI has the authority and responsibility for the proper conduct of the research, including the appropriate use of federal funds and the submission of required scientific progress reports, and is the primary point of contact with IES. The PI is designated by the institution submitting the application.

The early career researcher must be the sole PI. No other PIs or co-PIs may be identified.

The PI must have completed a doctoral degree no earlier than April 1, 2019, and no later than the start of the award period. IES will use the date on which the university granted the PI’s doctoral degree. For mailto:Courtney.Pollack@ed.gov https://ies.ed.gov/funding/research/programs/research-training-programs-in-the-education-sciences/early-career-development-and-mentoring https://ies.ed.gov/funding/research/programs/research-training-programs-in-the-education-sciences/early-career-development-and-mentoring

Posted August 6, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 7 example, if the PI's dissertation defense was on March 25, 2019, but the university granted the degree on April 2, 2019, the PI would be eligible to apply.

For PIs at academic institutions, the PI must hold a faculty position or research scientist position1 that includes research as a major component of their position at the applying academic institution or must have accepted an offer for such a position to begin before the start of the award. Visiting faculty, those in adjunct positions, or those in positions that focus on training/teaching (e.g., postdoctoral fellows, teaching-only positions, lecturers) are not eligible. The PI must not have received tenure by the application submission deadline. For PIs at non-academic organizations, the PI must hold a non-temporary research position with a research career track inside the organization or must have accepted an offer for such a position to begin before the start of the award. If the PI has accepted an offer from an academic or non-academic institution, the PI must include a letter of support in Appendix D from the future home institution or organization that indicates they made an offer and that the PI has accepted it.

The following eligibility criteria will not be used in determining responsiveness, but if an application is recommended for funding, the PI must meet the following criteria:

• The PI must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

• The PI must not have served as a PI or co-PI on a research grant from IES.

The PI’s doctorate may be in any field from which they can apply their knowledge and skills, with the support of their mentors, to research in the education sciences.

(c) Mentors Training must be provided under the guidance of at least one mentor. The PI may have co-mentors depending on their training needs and location. One mentor should be designated as the primary mentor.

The term mentors includes both primary and co-mentors.

At least one mentor (primary or co-mentor) must be at the PI’s home institution.

Mentors must not include the PI’s primary graduate school advisor, dissertation advisor, or postdoctoral supervisor. A faculty member who served on a dissertation committee but did not have a direct advisor-advisee relationship with the PI is eligible to serve as a mentor.

Mentors may be from academic or non-academic institutions, such as nonprofit and for-profit organizations or public and private agencies, that conduct rigorous education research.

(d) Education Settings and Outcomes Research proposed must be relevant to formal education in the United States and must either address

(1) improving education outcomes or (2) improving education statistical and/or research methods.

(1) For research that addresses improving education outcomes, you must propose to measure one or more education outcomes of learners, which can reflect learning and achievement in content domains, as well as learners’ successful progression through education systems.

(2) Education outcomes are not required for research to improve education statistical and/or research methods.

Education outcomes vary by age, and may include school readiness outcomes that prepare young children for school; English language proficiency; academic achievement in one or more disciplinary areas; career and technical education (CTE) outcomes; and progression through education systems, as indicated by course and grade completion, retention, high school graduation, and dropout in K-12 settings, and by access to, persistence in, progress through, and completion of postsecondary and adult education. In addition, if you are examining the role of educators in improving learners’ education outcomes, you must

1 Research scientist titles vary across institutions; for example, research associate, research analyst, research investigator, research professor, etc., and may include “assistant” or “associate” in the title.

Posted August 6, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 8 propose to measure educator knowledge, skills, beliefs, behaviors, and/or practices, in addition to the required measures of learners’ education outcomes.

As appropriate, your research may also include additional learner outcomes, such as social, emotional, and behavioral competencies and labor market outcomes.

Education in the U.S. is delivered in a wide range of formal settings, such as center-based prekindergarten, public and private K-12 schools, community colleges, and 4-year colleges and universities. In addition, there are also formal programs under the control of education agencies that take place out of school including after-school, distance learning, and online. Additionally, formal adult education programs can be operated by community-based organizations, libraries, and other entities receiving support from government education agencies. IES does not support research that is implemented only in informal contexts outside of education systems.

(e) Award Limits Applications must conform to the following limits on duration and cost:

• The maximum duration is 4 years.

• The maximum cost is $500,000 (total cost = direct + indirect). See the discussion of indirect cost rate in Part IV.

• Faculty and research scientists at institutions that are not R1 institutions may request, with justification, up to an additional $200,000 (maximum of $50,000 a year) to support the costs of grant administration and management. Funds for grant administration may support a grant and/or budget manager or assistants to carry out such tasks as overseeing the budget and invoices or working with or for the other offices at the university involved in grant management (e.g., Office of Sponsored Projects). The IES program officer will review your request for these additional funds as part of the pre-award process. See Part IV.A.3 for information on what to include in the budget you submit with your application. This competition will use the 2025 Carnegie Classifications to determine eligibility. R1 Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity are ineligible. For more information, see https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/institutions/?inst=&research2025%5B%5D=2&researc h2025%5B%5D=3.

3. Training Program Narrative Requirements The training program narrative must include five sections – Significance, Research Plan, Career Development Plan, Personnel, and Resources. The five sections must include the content described below to be considered responsive to the requirements of this RFA. Applications lacking this specific content will not be forwarded for peer review.

The Training Program Narrative must adhere to the formatting guidelines (see Part III.B) and be no more than 22 pages. If the narrative exceeds this page limit, IES will remove any pages after the 22nd page of the narrative.

See Recommendations for a Strong Application for recommendations to improve the quality of your application. The recommendations are included to support (1) applicants in writing proposals and (2) reviewers in evaluating proposals that align with IES’s expectations of high-quality research that has scientific merit and practical significance. IES asks reviewers to use these recommendations, in conjunction with their professional judgment and expertise, to determine application quality.

The narrative should clearly demonstrate the integration of your research and career development plans. The research and career development plans may influence one another bi-directionally. The proposed research may inform which skills need enhancement just as the training and mentoring will provide those needed skills to conduct successful research.

(a) Significance https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/institutions/?inst=&research2025%5B%5D=2&research2025%5B%5D=3 https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/institutions/?inst=&research2025%5B%5D=2&research2025%5B%5D=3

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The purpose of this section is to explain why the proposed research and career development plans are important.

You must

• Describe your need for further career development.

• Provide an overview of your proposed research project including whether it will address improving education outcomes or improving education statistical and/or research methods (Part II.A.2.d).

• Identify a project type that reflects the type and purpose of the work you will do from the list below.

o Measurement projects develop, refine, and/or validate assessments for use by educators or education researchers.

o Exploration projects examine relations between malleable factors at the learner, educator, education setting, and/or policy level and meaningful education outcomes. A variety of approaches are appropriate under Exploration, including primary data collection and analyses, secondary data analyses, meta-analyses, or some combination of these approaches.

o Development and Innovation projects develop or modify and pilot test new or modified interventions (programs, practices, or policies) that are intended to produce beneficial impacts on learner education outcomes.

o Statistical and Research Methodology projects develop new methodological approaches, extend and improve existing methods, or create other tools that can enhance the ability of researchers to conduct high quality, scientific education research.

(b) Research Plan The purpose of this section is to describe the aims and methodology for the proposed research.

IES anticipates that some aspects of your research plan will be less detailed based on your current level of experience and training, and when this is the case, you should describe how these aspects will be further developed through the proposed training and mentoring.

You must

• Describe the research you intend to do including the research design, key measures, and data analysis procedures.

• If you are proposing to do research that will build evidence about how to improve learners’ education outcomes, describe how you will measure those outcomes.

• If you are proposing to develop or improve a statistical or research method or product for education researchers, describe how you will determine that the method or product works as intended and can be used by education researchers.

(c) Career Development Plan The purpose of this section is to describe your training goals, the proposed mentoring and additional training activities, and how those activities will help you reach your goals.

This plan should describe how the proposed training and mentoring will provide the skills to successfully conduct the research.

You must

• Describe the mentoring and additional training activities in which you intend to participate.

(d) Personnel The purpose of this section is to describe the relevant expertise, responsibilities, and time commitments for you, your mentor(s), and any other personnel.

You must

• Describe your expertise as well as the expertise of your mentor(s) and other personnel.

• Describe how you meet the eligibility requirements to be the PI of an Early Career grant.

• Specify the date on which you were granted your doctoral degree.

Posted August 6, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 10

• Identify your mentors, including at least one mentor at your institution.

• Specify the names of your dissertation or graduate school advisor and (if relevant) your postdoctoral supervisor.

(e) Resources The purpose of this section is to describe the institutional resources to support you in successfully carrying out the proposed research and career development plans.

You must

• Describe the resources available to support you in conducting the proposed project.

4. Recommendations for a Strong Application IES provides these recommendations to improve the quality of your application. The recommendations are included to support (1) applicants in writing proposals and (2) reviewers in evaluating proposals that align with IES’s expectations of high-quality research that has scientific merit and practical significance. IES asks reviewers to use these recommendations, in conjunction with their professional judgment and expertise, to determine application quality.

(a) Significance Briefly describe and justify your career development goals, including why you need additional training and mentoring in these areas. Describe why these goals are important for helping you accomplish the proposed research activities and preparing you to conduct high-quality and meaningful education research going forward.

Describe the progression from your prior research to the research that will occur over the award period to the line of research that you will develop in the future.

Describe the research study, including its theoretical and empirical rationale.

Justify the need for the research and how the results will inform education practice and/or policy.

Address the following recommendations for your proposed project type.

Project Type Significance Recommendations

Measurement Describe the assessment, including the construct(s) it will measure as well as its intended use and population.

Exploration Describe the malleable factors you propose to study and the relations you expect them to have with learner education outcomes.

Development and Innovation

Describe the intervention, its implementation, and the population intended to benefit from it.

Describe the theory of change for the intervention. The theory of change should make clear why the intervention is expected to change learner outcomes, based on theory and prior research. You may include a visual representation of your theory of change in Appendix C. This visual representation should specify intervention components, mechanisms of change, proximal outcomes, and distal outcomes (as applicable).

Describe the intervention’ s potential uptake by educators and feasibility of implementation in the proposed settings.

Statistical and Research Methodology

Describe the specific statistical and/or research method you will develop or improve or the product(s) you will develop to support better use of existing methods.

Discuss how education researchers will obtain and use the method or product(s).

Posted August 6, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 11

(b) Research Plan The level of detail provided in this section should align with your expertise and proposed training activities. You may provide less detail on those aspects of your proposed research for which you intend to receive additional training and mentoring and you should note this intention. You should propose a research plan that is feasible to carry out within the context of an Early Career grant (which is expected to be smaller and narrower than a research plan proposed under other NCER research grant programs) and provide a justification for its feasibility.

Describe the aims of the research project, including your specific research question(s) and hypotheses.

Justify the feasibility of the research plan.

Provide a timeline for each step in your project, including research and career development activities. The timeline may be discussed in the training program narrative and/or presented in Appendix C.

If you propose to do research that will build evidence about how to improve learners’ academic outcomes:

Describe your sample, what population it represents, its size, and its relation to addressing the overall aims of the project. IES does not expect you to provide a power analysis in your application; however, you should describe and justify the expected sample size, including the implications of the sample size for statistical power and the ability to draw conclusions from statistical analyses.

• Describe the setting where your research will take place.

• Describe the measure(s) you will use to assess variables of interest, including the required learner education and discuss their reliability and validity for the intended purpose and population.

If you propose to develop a statistical or research product for education researchers, describe

• The measures to determine if the method or product works as intended

• The measures to determine whether education researchers can successfully use the method and product(s)

Describe your research design with enough detail to demonstrate that it will address each of your research questions. IES encourages the use of mixed methods research, defined as the integration of qualitative and quantitative methodologies in a single study, for all project types. Results obtained from mixed methods studies have the potential to enrich our understanding of education research questions, issues, and outcomes.

Address the following recommendations for your proposed project type.

Project Type Research Plan Recommendations

Measurement

Describe the iterative development process (if applicable).

Describe the types of validity evidence you will collect and the procedures for doing so.

Exploration

For primary data collection and analyses, describe the procedures for collecting and scoring data, and (if applicable) any qualitative data collection and coding protocols.

For secondary data analyses, identify the datasets you will use and the key variables you will examine. Discuss any limitations of the dataset(s). If applicable, note whether you already have access to the data or whether you will need to request access.

For meta-analyses, describe the study inclusion and exclusion criteria and procedures for searching for, coding, and extracting data from studies.

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Demonstrate that there are enough studies available with the relevant information to allow an adequate dataset to be constructed.

Development and Innovation

Describe how you will iteratively develop the intervention, evaluate its usability and feasibility, determine needed improvements, and make necessary adjustments.

Describe the pilot study to determine the intervention’s promise for improving learner education outcomes.

Statistical and Research Methodology

Explain the major activities and sequence of steps you will follow to develop the method and product(s).

Describe the procedures for end-user testing to determine whether education researchers can successfully use the method and product(s), including the setting and sample.

Explain your proposed analyses and how they will address your research questions.

(c) Career Development Plan The career development plan should include training and mentoring on the aspects of your research plan that you are less familiar with and are described in less detail in the application.

Describe three to four overarching training goals and how they support or complement your research plan, address gaps in your knowledge and training, and contribute to your longer-term research agenda.

Training goals may focus on expanding your content-area knowledge, methodological skills, and/or development as a scholar.

Specify how the mentors will help you reach your training goals, guide you through the process of refining and implementing your research plan, and guide your development as a researcher. Mentoring activities may include regular meetings to discuss the research plan and progress (primary mentors are expected to communicate with PIs at least once per month); review of your career development plan and suggestions for particular activities or directed readings; and additional guidance that will be useful for your development as a scientist, including reviews of manuscripts for publication, products, and grant applications.

Describe a plan for coordinating mentoring activities among the mentors if there are co-mentors.

Describe your planned training activities and how they will help you reach your training goals. For each activity, specify what it entails, with which training goal(s) it is aligned, the timing, and whether it is campus-based or external to your home institution. Training activities could include, but are not limited to, courses offered by your institution, IES-funded methods trainings, grant-writing seminars, and statistics workshops. Training activities may also include, but should go beyond, typical career development activities expected of all early career researchers, such as attending and presenting at conferences.

Describe how the content and timing of activities in your career development plan are integrated with the research plan. For instance, if you propose to participate in a training related to designing and conducting randomized controlled trials (RCTs), you should demonstrate how that will be completed prior to conducting an RCT as part of your research project. A timeline may be discussed in the training program narrative and/or presented in Appendix C.

(d) Personnel Describe your experience conducting and disseminating education research.

Specify the percent of time and calendar months per year (academic plus summer) you will devote to the project. Explain how you will have time to conduct your proposed research and accomplish your training plan given your other responsibilities. IES anticipates that you will allocate a minimum of 20% and

Posted August 6, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 13 maximum of 50% of your 12-month calendar-year time to your research training project, with the specific amount depending on other duties and commitments such as your course load, other faculty responsibilities, and other sources of salary funding.

Describe the qualifications of your mentor(s), their proposed roles in training, and how their experience and expertise align with your proposed research project and career development plan.

• If proposing multiple mentors, identify which is the primary mentor and include mentors with a variety of areas of expertise. For instance, one mentor may have expertise in the relevant content area and the other may have expertise in another aspect of your proposed research or career development plan, such as the research methods.

• Specify a mentor at your home institution who can help guide your career development there (for example, by helping you navigate the institution’s procedures for grant submission and grant management) as well as provide additional content and/or methodological expertise.

• Describe your mentors’ prior experiences mentoring early career researchers, including faculty or postdoctoral fellows.

• Describe your mentors’ experience engaging relevant communities throughout the research process, from conceptualization through dissemination.

Describe the time commitments of your mentors for your project.

• Describe the anticipated number and length of meetings per month as well as the amount of time to be devoted to other mentoring activities.

• Specify their percent effort for each year of the project. Their effort should be commensurate with the mentoring activities and reflect the time they will devote to the project, including any donated time. IES anticipates that your mentors’ combined time commitment to the project will be at least 5% per calendar year.

Describe other personnel, including their proposed roles, qualifications, and time commitments. For example,

• Personnel such as research assistants and a project manager can provide support for coordinating and/or conducting research activities, such as recruitment and data collection.

• Personnel such as consultants, advisory board members, or statisticians can provide support on specific aspects of your research plan or fill gaps in your mentorship and training (for example, by providing consultation on statistical analyses). These personnel should have unique and specific roles that are different from those served by the mentors.

(e) Resources Describe your institution’s capacity to support early career researchers in managing grants and monitoring spending. If applicable, non-R1 applicants should discuss the additional grant management support they are requesting as part of the grant and explain why it is necessary.

Describe your institution’s experience supporting early career researchers through training workshops, seminars, and/or discussion groups with senior researchers.

Describe any facilities, such as computers or labs, and resources provided by your institution that are relevant for the successful completion of the project.

Describe your access to resources available at your mentor’s institution, if different from your own, to support your research, your training, or both.

Describe your plans for acquiring any resources that are not currently accessible, will require significant expenditures, and are necessary for the successful completion of the project, such as equipment, test materials, curricula, or training materials.

Describe your resources, including access to specific offices and organizations, to carry out your plans to disseminate results as described in the required Engagement and Dissemination Plan in Appendix A.

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5. Additional Budget Parameters The following requirements for Early Career applications will not be used in determining responsiveness to the RFA, but applications recommended for funding will be required to adjust their budgets, if necessary, to meet these requirements before receiving grant funds.

The budget should include the costs of conducting the proposed research and career development plans.

These may include such costs as research and administrative staff salary, consultants, research supplies (e.g., software, assessments), participant compensation, statistical services (including personnel and computer time), local travel for data collection, and registration and travel for training workshops or conferences.

The budget may also include the following:

• Salary to cover up to 50% of the PI’s time on the project and related fringe benefits.

• Up to $20,000 per year across all mentors. If there are co-mentors, the $20,000 must be divided among all the mentors based upon their role in the project. Institutions may have different ways of allocating funds to mentors. Mentors may be compensated using honoraria, salary including fringe benefits, or through cost sharing or in-kind contributions. Regardless of compensation method, the federal government contribution cannot exceed $20,000 per year. In-kind contributions and cost sharing are allowed but are not required and they are not taken into consideration during the review of the application, nor do they influence funding decisions.

• Funding for graduate students, including stipends, fringe benefits, and tuition remission.

• Funding for travel, including to the annual IES PI Meeting, for the PI and mentor(s) to meet, for professional research conferences, and for specialized training workshops available through other entities (such as summer institutes in methodology or statistical analysis).

• Funding for any reasonable accommodations for the PI or research staff.

• For faculty at non-R1 institutions only, optional funding for grant administration (up to $50,000 per year and $200,000 total in direct and indirect costs) may be used to support a grant and/or budget manager or assistants to carry out such tasks as overseeing the budget and invoices or working with or for the other offices at the university involved in grant management (for example, Office of Sponsored Projects). See Part IV.A.3 for information on what to include in the budget you submit with your application. The IES program officer will review your request for these additional funds as part of the pre-award process.

Grant funds must not be used for the following:

• Facility construction, renovation, or maintenance

• Support for graduate students beyond their direct work on the grant; for example, grant funds should not be used to support graduate student research or travel to conferences

• Mentors’ research

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B. Methods Training for Education Research Program Officer: Emily Weaver (Emily.Weaver@ed.gov)

1. Purpose The Methods Training program (https://ies.ed.gov/funding/research/programs/research-training-programs-in-the-education-sciences/methods-training-for-education-research) supports training of current education researchers to expand and upgrade their methodological skills. Education researchers include individuals located in colleges and universities and research organizations and firms, as well as individuals working in state and local education agencies, education-focused organizations, and companies that have developed and deployed education related products and services. Supported training should respond to the ongoing development and adaptation of methods concerning the design of education studies, data collection, data analysis, and practical interpretation of the results of analyses.

For FY 2027, NCER encourages applications that will provide training intended to do one or more of the following:

(1)…