NATIONAL CENTER FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION RESEARCH

Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 84.324T

Transformative Research in Special Education Request for Applications

Letter of Intent October 29, 2026 https://iesreview.ed.gov/LOI/LOISubmit

Application Package Available October 16, 2026 https://www.grants.gov

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

Possible Start Date July 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://www.grants.gov/ https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide

Table of Contents

Part I: Overview A. Introduction B. The Transformative Program C. Getting Started

1. Technical Assistance for Applicants

2. Letter of Intent

3. RFA Organization and the IES Application Submission Guide

4. Eligible Applicants

5. Project Team

6. Ensuring Your Application Receives Scientific Peer Review

Part II: Program Requirements and Recommendations A. General Requirements

1. Focus of the Transformative Solution

2. Education Outcomes

3. Education Setting

4. Award Limits

5. Co-Design Partners

6. Cost Sharing

B. Project Narrative Requirements

1. Transformative Potential

2. Research and Development Approach

3. Deliverables and Metrics Plan

4. Personnel

5. Resources

C. Recommendations for Strong Applications

1. Transformative Potential

2. Research and Development Approach

3. Deliverables and Metrics Plan

4. Personnel

5. Resources

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

C. Required and Optional Appendices

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

2. Appendix B: Response to Reviewers (Not Applicable/Do Not Submit)

3. Appendix C: Supplemental Materials (Optional)

4. Appendix D: Letters of Agreement (Optional)

5. Appendix E: Data Sharing and Management Plan (Required)

6. Appendix F: Alignment with SEER 27 (Required)

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 Review Process

1. Submitting Your Letter of Intent

2. Resubmissions and Multiple Submissions

3. Application Processing

4. Scientific Peer Review Process

5. Review Criteria for Transformative Potential and Scientific Merit

6. Award Decisions

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

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 4

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 Special Education Research (NCSER) supports research to:

1. Expand knowledge and understanding of the needs of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities to improve the developmental, education, and transition outcomes of such individuals

2. Improve services provided under, and support the implementation of, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.)

In this Request for Applications (RFA), NCSER invites applications for the Transformative Research in Special Education Grants program (ALN 84.324T) as part of the Accelerate, Transform, and Scale (ATS) Initiative. IES models programs in the ATS Initiative on the federal government’s Advanced Research Projects Agencies (ARPAs) and the National Institutes of Health Common Fund, to generate exceptionally innovative solutions to high-priority issues in education.

Through the Transformative Research in Special Education Grants program, NCSER seeks to support research and development of transformative solutions to seemingly intractable problems and challenges in special education. Transformative projects enact bold and innovative thinking, involve interdisciplinary collaboration, are inherently risky, and use high-quality research approaches to create high-reward, scalable solutions with the potential to lead to dramatic improvements for students with or at risk for disabilities.

The fiscal year (FY) 2027 Transformative Research in Special Education Grants program seeks applications to research and develop transformative solutions to dramatically improve preservice teacher education systems so they can better attract, train, and retain preK-12 general and special education teachers who are prepared to provide high-quality instruction and substantially improve outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities.

Preservice teacher education is a key time for teacher development and an important lever for ensuring the next generation of educators have the knowledge and skills necessary for improving outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities. However, substantial challenges facing teacher education systems limit their ability to prepare teachers to meet the needs of students with or at risk for disabilities. For example, leaks in the early stages of the teacher pipeline, including declining enrollment and completion rates in teacher preparation programs and teachers with special education certification choosing not to pursue special education teaching positions, have led to reductions in the supply of well-qualified special education teachers, despite increased demand. The proliferation of alternative teacher preparation programs has contributed to increased variability in program content and the preparedness of teachers coming out of these programs. Additionally, even though a significant portion of students with disabilities are educated in the general education classroom, preservice general education teachers receive very little training for teaching students with disabilities.

The challenges facing teacher education systems are not new. Although policymakers, practitioners, and researchers have worked to mitigate these challenges, they have become more complex over time. Given

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 5 the rapidly changing educational landscape and multiple pathways for teacher certification, the time is ripe for focused attention and investment to create transformational change at the systems level.

IES expects all IES-funded research to implement the Standards for Excellence in Education Research (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 grant activities align with applicable standards in SEER 27 (see Appendix F).

B. The Transformative Program The Transformative Research in Special Education Grants program has two phases of potential funding.

This RFA is for Phase 1 (see Part II.A.4 for award limits for each phase).

• Phase 1: The goal is to create a transformative solution to dramatically improve teacher education systems so they can better attract, train, and retain preK-12 general and special education teachers who are prepared to provide high-quality instruction and substantially improve outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities. The project team will propose a set of project-specific deliverables and metrics that IES will use to evaluate whether the project is on track and achieves its Phase 1 objectives. Objectives for Phase 1 might include developing the transformative solution for dramatically improving teacher education systems; determining the necessary evidence for key players to adopt the transformative solution; and/or gathering evidence for the transformative solution at the systems, educator, and/or student levels. Although IES does not expect Phase 1 projects to measure education outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities, applications should make clear the theory of change for the transformative solution to substantially improve these outcomes.

• Phase 2: If the project successfully achieves the Phase 1 objectives, the project team may be eligible to apply for an additional 2-year period of funding, pending availability of funds.

Although Phase 2 activities will be project-specific, the goal is to propose a logical extension of Phase 1 activities that connects to education outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities.

By the end of Phase 2, the project team should have evidence from high-quality research of the potential for the transformative solution to dramatically improve teacher education systems and educator outcomes and to have a substantial positive impact on students’ education outcomes.

IES will share application requirements for Phase 2 directly with Phase 1 awardees in a separate, future set of instructions.

C. Getting Started

1. Technical Assistance for Applicants

IES will offer virtual office hours (https://ies.ed.gov/funding/help) for general guidance on grant writing, submitting your application, and choosing the appropriate grant program. The ATS-Hub also https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/standards-excellence-education-research-seer https://ies.ed.gov/funding/help

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 6 provides resources for applicants to this competition (https://ats-hub.org/resources/?tx_category=applicant-support).

The program officer for this grant competition is Dr. Courtney Pollack (courtney.pollack@ed.gov).

2. Letter of Intent

IES strongly encourages applicants to submit a letter of intent on the IES Peer Review website (https://iesreview.ed.gov/LOI/LOISubmit). The letter of intent is non-binding and optional but strongly recommended. IES staff use the information in letters of intent to identify the expertise needed for the scientific peer review panels and to secure enough reviewers to handle the anticipated number of applications. See Part IV.C.1 for more information on what to include in your letter of intent.

3. RFA Organization and the IES Application Submission Guide

To submit a compliant, responsive, and timely application, you 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 this grant program. Part II provides detail on the requirements and recommendations for the program. Part III provides information about general formatting, appendices, and other narrative content for the application. Part IV provides information on competition regulations, the review process, and review criteria. Part V provides a checklist to ensure you have included all required application elements for the application to advance to scientific peer review. Part VI provides the program code 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 submission procedures and IES-specific guidance and recommendations to help you ensure the application is complete and received without errors on time through Grants.gov.

IES strongly recommends that both the principal investigator (PI) and the authorized organization representative (AOR) read both documents.

4. Eligible Applicants

Institutions that have the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid research are eligible to apply.

Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, institutions of higher education and non-profit, for-profit, public, or private organizations and entities.

5. Project Team

IES encourages applicants to consider the potential benefit of interdisciplinary teams and teams that bring together varied expertise and perspectives. IES recommends that applicants include in the project team individuals with specific familiarity with teacher education systems and the educator and student populations of interest.

Applications should include as key personnel all team members who will make substantial contributions to the work. Describe key personnel in the personnel section of the project narrative and include their biographical sketches as file attachments in the application. Key personnel will be listed on the grant award notification (GAN) when IES makes a new award.

The PI is the primary point of contact with IES. 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. The PI is designated by the institution submitting the application. Other personnel having authority and responsibility for the research and use of grant funds should be co- Principal Investigators (co-PIs). There may be only one PI for the grant award, regardless of whether more than one person will share the authority and responsibility for leading and directing the proposed https://ats-hub.org/resources/?tx_category=applicant-support https://ats-hub.org/resources/?tx_category=applicant-support mailto:courtney.pollack@ed.gov

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 7 research. Anyone can serve as a co-PI on a grant, including members of the project team who are at different institutions or those serving as consultants.

While not required at the time of application, all key personnel must have a persistent identifier (PID), such as ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID; https://orcid.org/) at the time of award. For all key personnel who have a PID at the time of application, include the PID in the biographical sketch and in the “Credential, e.g., agency login” field on the Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form in the application package. See the IES Application Submission Guide (https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide) for more information about this form in the application package. All key personnel must have a PID as a condition of award.

6. Ensuring Your Application Receives Scientific Peer Review

Only compliant and responsive applications received before the date and time deadline are peer reviewed for transformative potential and scientific merit. 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 December 11,

(b) Compliance

• Includes the required project narrative (see Part II)

• Adheres to all formatting requirements (see Part III)

• Adheres to all page limit maximums for the project 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 E: Data Sharing and Management Plan (DSMP) o Appendix F: Alignment with SEER 27

(c) Responsiveness

• Meets all general requirements (see Part II.A)

• Meets all project narrative requirements (see Part II.B) https://orcid.org/

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 8

Part II: Program Requirements and Recommendations

A. General Requirements Applications must meet these general requirements to receive scientific peer review.

1. Focus of the Transformative Solution

The transformative solution must focus on dramatically improving teacher education systems so they can better attract, train, and retain preK-12 general and special education teachers who are prepared to provide high-quality instruction and substantially improve outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities.

2. Education Outcomes

(a) Teacher Outcomes

Phase 1 research must examine outcomes for preK-12 special education teachers and/or general education teachers (as teacher candidates and/or after they become in-service teachers) who have a responsibility for educating students with or at risk for disabilities. Outcomes may include, but are not limited to, knowledge and skills; certification/licensure; workforce entry; instructional practices; job satisfaction; well-being; and retention/attrition.

Research must focus on preservice teachers; however, in-service special education or general education teachers may be part of the sample if appropriate for the research and development objectives.

(b) Outcomes for Students With or At Risk for a Disability

IES does not require Phase 1 projects to measure education outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities. However, Phase 2 projects must measure these student outcomes. Applications for Phase 1 must include an explicit theory of change that hypothesizes how transforming teacher education systems would improve teacher outcomes and, in turn, education outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities.

Education outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities support success in school and afterwards and may include developmental, school readiness, literacy, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics), social/emotional/behavioral, functional, secondary/transition, or postsecondary outcomes.

3. Education Setting

Research must be relevant to education in the United States and must address factors under the control of U.S. education systems.

4. Award Limits

The table below provides the maximum award amount and duration for the Transformative Research in Special Education Grants program. Applicants for this program must not exceed the limits on award duration and cost per year for Phase 1 and should request the actual duration and amount of funding necessary for the proposed scope of work, rather than the maximum IES allows. Maximum award amount and duration for Phase 2 are for reference only. IES will share application requirements for Phase 2 in a separate, future set of instructions, pending availability of funds.

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 9

Maximum Grant Duration

Maximum Grant Award Per Year

Maximum Total Grant Award

Phase 1 3 years $1,250,000 $3,750,000

Phase 2 2 years $1,500,000 $3,000,000

In the application, provide a detailed budget justification for Phase 1 that explains how the requested costs are allowable, allocable, and reasonable (see 2 CFR 200, Subpart E; https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title- 2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E) and reflect the proposed scope of work. See the IES Application Submission Guide (https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide) for information about completing the SF 424 Research and Related Budget form that is part of the application package available through Grants.gov and for information about what to include in the budget justification.

5. Co-Design Partners The application must describe a plan for establishing co-design partners, who are representatives from key groups that will be affected by the transformative solution (e.g., pre-service teacher candidates, in-service teachers, deans of schools of education, teacher educators, principals, parents, students with disabilities, and related services providers). Co-design is a collaborative research and development process in which the project team works with these partners to develop the transformative solution.

Involvement of representatives from key groups ensures their perspectives are central to the transformative solution, which will strengthen its relevance, usability, feasibility, and potential scalability.

Applicants do not need to have co-design partners in place by the application submission date, though they may. At the time of application, applicants should identify the relevant key groups and discuss plans for the composition, roles, and responsibilities of the set of co-design partners in the research and development approach section of the project narrative (see Part II.C.2). Applicants should plan for co-design partners to participate in both Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Grantees may establish co-design partners as part of Year 1 activities. Continuation funding in Years 2 and 3 is contingent on the grantee having co-design partners in place before the end of Year 1. At the time of the first-year annual report, the grantee will provide their program officer with a letter from each co-design partner that outlines their roles and responsibilities.

6. Cost Sharing The application must describe a plan to identify a cost sharing partner and implement a cost sharing arrangement. Cost sharing contributions may come from state, local, or private sources; cost sharing partners may be the grant recipient, subrecipient, or third parties. Applicants do not need to have the cost sharing commitment in place by the application submission date, though they may. Applicants should discuss their plans to identify a cost sharing partner and implement a cost sharing arrangement in the resources section of the project narrative (see Part II.B.5).

During Year 1, the grantee must secure cost sharing in an amount equal to at least 5 percent of the total federal funds provided under the grant, as cash or in-kind contributions. For example, if the grant recipient requests $3,750,000 from IES, an additional $187,500 must be generated in cash or in-kind contributions to support the grant. Continuation funding in Years 2 and 3 is contingent on the grantee having a cost sharing agreement in place before the end of Year 1.

At the time of the first-year annual report, the grantee will provide their program officer with (1) a letter from the cost sharing partner that outlines the cost sharing agreement with the contribution amount in cash or in-kind support and (2) a revised budget and budget justification that includes the plan for spending the cost sharing amount in Years 2 and 3 of the grant. Cost sharing contributions may be used for any allowable grant expenses. Unrecovered indirect costs may not be used to meet match https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 10 requirements. See 2 CFR 200.306 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part- 200/subpart-D/section-200.306) for more information about cost sharing.

B. Project Narrative Requirements The project narrative must include five sections: Transformative Potential, Research and Development Approach, Deliverables and Metrics Plan, Personnel, and Resources. The five sections of the project narrative must include the content below to be responsive to the requirements of this RFA. Applications lacking this specific content will not receive peer review.

The project narrative must adhere to the formatting guidelines (see Part III.B) and be no more than 18 pages. If the narrative exceeds this page limit, IES will remove any pages after the 18th page of the narrative.

An application that meets the project narrative requirements alone doesn’t necessarily constitute a strong application; see Recommendations for Strong Applications (Part II.C) for recommendations to improve the quality of the application.

1. Transformative Potential

In this section, provide an overview of the specific problem, the transformative solution to address that problem, and the populations of teachers and students who are the focus of the transformative solution.

The application must describe the:

• Specific problem with teacher education systems that the transformative solution will address

• Teachers and students who are the focus of the transformative solution and the teacher and student outcomes you hypothesize the transformative solution will improve

• Potential of the transformative solution to dramatically improve teacher education systems in ways that will better attract, train, and retain preK-12 general and special education teachers who are prepared to provide high-quality instruction and will substantially improve outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities

2. Research and Development Approach

In this section, describe the Phase 1 objectives and the research and development process that will produce a transformative solution for dramatically improving teacher education systems.

The application must describe the:

• Phase 1 objectives

• Research and development approach

• Plan for establishing co-design partners (see Part II.A.5) before the end of Year 1

3. Deliverables and Metrics Plan

In this section, describe the deliverables and metrics that will provide evidence that the project has met the Phase 1 objectives and has the potential to dramatically improve teacher education systems and https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 11 educator outcomes, and in turn, substantially improve education outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities.

The application must describe the:

• Phase 1 project deliverables (that is, the outputs or outcomes)

• Metrics (that is, quantifiable measures) that will show the project has met the Phase 1 objectives

4. Personnel

In this section, describe the team’s experience and expertise to research and develop the transformative solution for dramatically improving teacher education systems, showing that team members will commit enough time to the project.

The application must describe the:

• Project team

5. Resources

In this section, describe the team’s organizational capacity and access to resources to execute a project of this size and complexity, and any settings, collaborators, or datasets that will support the research and development.

The application must describe the:

• Available resources to conduct the project

• Plan to identify a cost sharing partner and implement a cost sharing arrangement (see Part II.A.6)

C. Recommendations for Strong Applications IES provides these recommendations to improve the quality of the application. The recommendations support (1) applicants in writing applications and (2) reviewers in evaluating applications that align with IES’s expectations of high-quality research that has transformative potential and scientific merit. IES asks reviewers to use these recommendations, in conjunction with their professional judgment and expertise, to determine application quality.

1. Transformative Potential

Describe the specific problem related to teacher education systems you will address and the importance of this problem to key groups in pre-service teacher education (e.g., pre-service teacher candidates, in-service teachers, deans of schools of education, teacher educators, principals, parents, students with disabilities, and related services providers). You may provide clear evidence of the significance of the problem to key groups in pre-service teacher education by including letters from members of one or more of those key groups in Appendix D.

Provide an overview of the transformative solution that you will research and develop to address the problem. Describe how the solution would truly transform teacher education systems and educator outcomes, and in turn, substantially improve education outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities.

Identify the population of teachers and students who are the focus of the transformative solution and why the solution meets a critical need for those populations.

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 12

Describe the theory of change that specifies how the transformative solution would improve teacher outcomes and, in turn, education outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities. If there is limited relevant literature to support the theory of change due to the high level of innovation, describe in detail the underlying logic or rationale that supports how the transformative solution would improve teacher and student outcomes.

2. Research and Development Approach

Specify the Phase 1 objectives, the research and development approach, key measures including their reliability and validity, and the data analytic approach. Given the high level of innovation, conventionally detailed research plans and pilot data are not required. In lieu of pilot data, clarify the logic of the research and development approach and how it is achievable in the context of the application’s goals and timeline.

Describe the co-design process, including the plan for establishing co-design partners by the end of Year 1 to ensure the perspectives of individuals from key groups (e.g., pre-service teacher candidates, in-service teachers, deans of schools of education, teacher educators, principals, parents, students with disabilities, and related services providers) are central to the transformative solution.

• Specify the key groups relevant to the transformative solution.

• Describe how you will identify co-design partners.

• Describe how co-design partners will contribute to the research, development and/or implementation of the transformative solution.

Discuss the approach to assess adaptability for different contexts and the potential for scaling.

Because implementation challenges are inherent to innovative research, IES expects teams to continually assess progress and adjust plans to achieve Phase 1 objectives. Describe plans to continually reassess the approach, possible alternative paths at critical junctures in the Phase 1 timeline, and general strategies to maximize the likelihood of success.

Describe strategies to protect the objectivity of the research and development activities, including after you implement the cost sharing arrangement.

Provide a clear timeline as a table or figure in either the project narrative or as supplemental material in Appendix C. Discuss the timeline only in the project narrative.

3. Deliverables and Metrics Plan

For each Phase 1 objective, describe the deliverables and metrics that will provide evidence the project is meeting its goals each year. A comprehensive plan includes metrics for the potential to make a dramatic impact on preservice teacher education and educator outcomes and a timeline to produce the metrics and deliverables. Example metrics are whether the transformative solution works as intended, is feasible and relevant for key groups, generates interest and enthusiasm among members of key groups, and/or shows promise to improve educator outcomes and/or education outcomes for students with or at risk for disabilities.

Describe the result of Phase 1 that would signal the transformative solution has the potential to improve student outcomes. If awarded Phase 2 funding, by the end of Phase 2, the project team should have evidence from high-quality research of the potential for the transformative solution to have a substantial positive impact on students’ education outcomes.

Include a high-level overview of what you would propose for Phase 2, if you were to receive additional funding. Include sufficient detail to show the plan to gather student education outcome data would be feasible.

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 13

4. Personnel

Strong applications will include a project team with expertise relevant to each aspect of the project. IES encourages applicants to consider the potential benefit of interdisciplinary teams and teams that bring together varied expertise and perspectives. IES recommends that applicants include in the project team individuals with specific familiarity with teacher education systems and the educator and student populations of interest.

Describe how the qualifications, experience, and expertise of the project team will contribute to the success of the research and development for a truly transformative solution that produces the desired outcomes for its intended population(s).

Identify the management structure of the team and procedures to keep the project on track, ensure the quality of its work, and maintain objectivity including:

• Roles and responsibilities of personnel

• Proportion of time personnel will devote to the project, expressed as percent effort over a 12-month calendar year

• Methods to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, including strategies to overcome discipline-specific barriers that can impede this collaboration

5. Resources

Strong applications will demonstrate there is sufficient research infrastructure and institutional capacity to carry out the research and development of the transformative solution. Do not rely on an institution’s overall reputation. Instead, describe the specific research infrastructure and capacity at both the primary applicant institution and any subaward institutions:

• Describe the institution’s capacity to manage a grant of this size and access to resources available at the primary institution and any subaward institutions.

• Describe access to the settings in which the research and development of the transformative solution will take place and/or access to necessary datasets. In Appendix D, you may include letters of agreement documenting participation and cooperation from settings that will take part in the research and development; and/or access to data, data licenses, or existing memoranda of understanding. Strong letters convey that organizations understand and agree to their specific roles and project activities. Letters of agreement are optional.

• Describe access to specific communications offices and/or organizations that will facilitate the dissemination plan (see Appendix A).

• Describe the plan 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.

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 14

Part III: Preparing Your Application

A. Overview The application contents—individual forms and their PDF attachments—represent the body of an application to IES. Read the IES Application Submission Guide (https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide) to learn how to prepare a complete application that is submitted on time through Grants.gov (https://grants.gov).

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).

B. General Formatting To ensure that reviewers can read your application and that all applicants have similar expectations for length and space, IES specifies the following formatting conventions. These requirements apply to the PDF file as submitted, unless otherwise specified. For an application to be compliant and sent forward for review, the applicant should ensure that each narrative section follows both the page limit maximums and the formatting guidelines below, unless otherwise specified.

1. Page and Margin Specifications

For all IES grant applications, a “page” is 8.5 in. x 11 in. on one side only with 1-inch margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

2. Page Numbering

Add page numbers using the header or footer function and place them at the bottom or upper right corner for ease of reading.

3. Spacing

Text must be single spaced.

4. Font and Type Size

Use a font that is 12-point. Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. Font size for tables, figures, charts, and diagrams may be 10-point.

5. Citations

Use parenthetical author-date style for citations rather than numeric citations that correspond to the reference list.

C. Required and Optional Appendices The required project narrative in Part II.B is followed by several appendices. Some of these appendices are required and some are optional. When you submit your application through Grants.gov, you will create a single PDF file that contains the project narrative and all appendices and include it as an attachment in the application package. Include appendices in alphabetical order and simply skip an appendix if it is not required for your application or if you choose not to include an optional appendix. See the IES Application Submission Guide (https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide) for more https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide https://grants.gov/ https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2025-16571

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 15 information about preparing and submitting your application using the required application package for this competition through Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov/).

The project narrative and appendices are critical parts of the IES application because they include the substantive content that will be reviewed for transformative potential and scientific merit.

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

You must include Appendix A after the project narrative. Appendix A must meet the general formatting guidelines and be no more than three pages. If Appendix A exceeds the page limit, IES will remove any pages after the third page of the appendix before forwarding for scientific peer review.

The Engagement and Dissemination Plan is intended to demonstrate that the research you propose will attend to and reach the intended audience. The Engagement and Dissemination Plan should:

• Identify the specific groups relevant to the transformative solution.

• Describe how the proposed research reflects engagement with relevant key groups throughout the research process, including in the development of the application.

• Describe how you will, in practical and accessible ways, disseminate findings to relevant key groups.

• Describe the engagement and dissemination history of key personnel in ways that demonstrate the team’s ability and capacity to carry out the plan of engaging with different audiences and disseminating research findings transparently and accessibly.

The Engagement and Dissemination Plan is the only information that may be in Appendix A; IES will remove all other materials prior to review of the application.

2. Appendix B: Response to Reviewers (Not Applicable/Do Not Submit) Appendix B is not applicable to this RFA because there are no resubmissions for this program for FY2027.

IES will remove any content prior to review of the application.

3. Appendix C: Supplemental Materials (Optional)

Appendix C must meet the general formatting guidelines and be no more than five pages. If Appendix C exceeds this page limit, IES will remove any pages after the fifth page of the appendix before forwarding for scientific peer review.

In Appendix C, you may include figures, charts, or tables with supplementary information. For example, you may include a timeline that identifies the timing of key deliverables and the collection of metrics that demonstrate the project is meeting its objectives, a diagram of the management structure of the team, or examples of measures to collect data like individual test items, tests, surveys, and observation and interview protocols. You may also include examples of curriculum materials, computer screen shots, or assessment items. Font size for tables, figures, charts, and diagrams may be 10-point.

These are the only materials that may be in Appendix C; IES will remove all other material prior to review of the application.

4. Appendix D: Letters of Agreement (Optional)

Appendix D must meet the general formatting guidelines. There is no recommended page length for Appendix D. In Appendix D, you may provide letters of agreement from teacher preparation programs, districts, and/or other settings or data sources that will participate in or provide data for the research and/or individuals who will serve as consultants. You may also use this appendix to provide copies of

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 16 letters that provide clear evidence of the importance of the identified problem to key groups in pre-service teacher education.

Letters of agreement should include enough information to convey that the author of the letter understands the nature of the time commitment, timing of participation, required space and personnel, resources the organization would contribute to the research project, the ways that organization personnel would coordinate with the project team (e.g., quarterly meetings with administrative staff, weekly research team observations in classrooms), and data provision (if applicable) in time to meet the project timeline.

Ensure that the letters reproduce well so that reviewers can easily read them. Do not reduce the size of the letters. See the IES Application Submission Guide (https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide) for guidance on the size of file attachments.

These are the only materials that may be in Appendix D; IES will remove all other material prior to review of the application.

5. Appendix E: Data Sharing and Management Plan (Required)

All applications must include a Data Sharing and Management Plan (DSMP) in Appendix E. Appendix E must meet the general formatting guidelines and be no more than five pages. If Appendix E exceeds this page limit, IES will remove any pages after the fifth page of the appendix before forwarding for scientific peer review.

See the IES Public Access Guidance (https://ies.ed.gov/about/public-access-research) for additional tools and materials to assist with developing a Data Sharing and Management Plan (DSMP) and adherence with existing policies.

The costs associated with implementation of the DSMP may be covered by the grant and should be included in the budget and explained in the budget narrative.

IES program officers will be responsible for reviewing the completeness of the proposed DSMP. The scientific peer reviewers do not evaluate the DSMP in their review of applications. If your application is considered for funding based on the scores received during the scientific review process but the DSMP is determined incomplete or insufficient, you will be required to provide additional detail regarding the

DSMP.

When you, the PI, and authorized organization representative (AOR) sign the cover page of the grant application, you will be assuring compliance with the IES Policy Regarding Public Access to Research (https://ies.ed.gov/about/public-access-research) as well as other policies and regulations governing research awards. This entails immediately uploading full text of accepted or published manuscripts to ERIC that are based on IES-funded data, as well as the sharing of data no later than either immediately upon publication or five years after the end date of the grant, whichever occurs first.

Once the DSMP is approved by IES, you and your institution are required to carry it out and to report progress and problems and requests to amend through the regular reporting channels. Compliance with IES data sharing requirements is expected even if the final dataset may not be completed and prepared for data sharing until after the grant has been completed. In cases of noncompliance, subsequent awards to individuals or institutions may be affected. By addressing the items identified below, your DSMP describes how you will meet the requirements of the IES policy for data sharing and adopt best practices for adherence to open science principles.

The DSMP should include the following:

• Sharing Platforms o The pre-registration repository where you will pre-register your study, and the timeline for preregistering (within the first year of the project).

https://ies.ed.gov/application-submission-guide https://ies.ed.gov/about/public-access-research https://ies.ed.gov/about/public-access-research

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 17 o The data repository where you plan to share your data, and an indication of the selected repository’s adherence with the National Science and Technology Council document entitled “Desirable Characteristics of Data Repositories for Federally Funded Research” (https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/113528). IES discourages sharing on a personal/institutional website or by request.

o If there are data that cannot be shared, the repository or location where you will share information about how you obtained or accessed the data source(s), along with codes and analytic approach utilized.

• Data Description o The type of data to be shared.

o Any data that will not be shared, and grounds for exclusions which may include privacy protections, proprietary data, and/or indigenous data sovereignty. See section 7.2 of the ED Public Access Plan (https://ies.ed.gov/about/public-access-research) for additional information regarding potential restrictions on data sharing.

o Procedures for managing and for maintaining the confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information.

o How the data set will be formatted and configured and your approach to curating, cleaning, and preparing data for sharing, taking into consideration guidance from IES’s Sharing Study Data: A Guide for Education Researchers (https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/resource-library/resource/tooltoolkit/sharing-study-data-guide-education-researchers).

o Your dataset documentation including code books and any decisions made about the data that would be important for replicating the results.

o Your intentions to share statistical/analysis code to support reproducibility, including format and location.

• Administrative Plan o Management plan designating roles and responsibilities of project or institutional staff in the management and retention of research data, including a discussion of any changes that will occur should you and/or others with key responsibilities for data sharing and management leave the project or their institution.

o Expected schedule for data sharing (no later than immediately upon publication or 5 years after the award end date, whichever is sooner), how long the data will remain accessible (available for at least 10 years), and acknowledgement that the timeframe of data accessibility will be reviewed at the annual progress reviews and revised as necessary.

o Anticipated costs associated with implementing the DSMP (including resource and labor costs) that are reflected in the application’s budget and budget justification.

o Whether re-use of data will require a data use agreement and, if so, what conditions users must meet to access the data.

o Approaches to disseminating the availability and location of data to support discoverability for reuse purposes.

This is the only material that may be in Appendix E; IES will remove all other material prior to review of the application.

6. Appendix F: Alignment with SEER 27 (Required)

In Appendix F, you must include a table describing the alignment of your application with the standards in SEER 27 (https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/standards-excellence-education-research-seer). Appendix F https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/113528 https://ies.ed.gov/about/public-access-research https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/resource-library/resource/tooltoolkit/sharing-study-data-guide-education-researchers https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/resource-library/resource/tooltoolkit/sharing-study-data-guide-education-researchers https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/resource-library/resource/tooltoolkit/sharing-study-data-guide-education-researchers https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/standards-excellence-education-research-seer

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 18 must meet the general formatting guidelines and be no more than three pages including the required table. If Appendix F exceeds this page limit, IES will remove any pages after the third page of the appendix before it is forwarded for scientific peer review.

Fill in the table below with a high-level summary of how your proposed project aligns with each domain/standard in SEER 27 and refer to the location in the narrative where additional details about project alignment are included. If a particular domain/standard is not relevant for your project, mark not applicable.

SEER 27 Domain/ Standard

High-level summary of how the proposed project meets these standards

Pages in Narrative and/or Appendix

Domain 1 Objectivity and Scientific Integrity

Theory and Hypotheses

Research Design

Communication of Uncertainty

Integrity

Conflicts of Interest

Domain 2 Relevance

Relevant and Student- Outcomes Focused

Engagement

Generalizability

Design for Scale Applicable only to development and impact evaluations.

Domain 3 Open Science

Pre-registration

Open Data

Open Methods

Open Access

Posted October 16, 2026 Institute of Education Sciences | 19

Domain 4

Intervention Research

Only complete the Domain 4 elements if you are conducting a development study or an impact evaluation.

Core Components

Implementation and Treatment Contrast Applicable only to impact evaluations.

High Quality Measures

Distal Outcomes

Cost and Cost-…