Education Innovation and Research (formerly Investing in Innovation (i3) Fund)

To support the creation, development, implementation, replication, and scaling up of evidence-based, field-initiated innovations designed to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students through a tiered-evidence framework that su

The Education Innovation and Research program supports the creation, development, implementation, replication, and scaling up of evidence-based, field-initiated innovations designed to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students and the rigorous evaluation of such innovations. Education Innovation and Research incorporates a tiered-evidence framework that ties the size of the Federal investment to the evidence base for funded interventions, with the Department providing smaller awards for start-up funding to test promising innovations while investing greater funding for large-scale replications of proven interventions to assess their effectiveness in multiple settings and with diverse student populations. Types of awards include: (1) early-phase grants for the development, implementation, and feasibility testing of an intervention or innovation which prior research suggests has promise, in order to determine whether the intervention can improve student academic outcomes; (2) mid-phase grants for implementation and rigorous evaluation of interventions that have been successfully implemented under early-phase grants or have met similar criteria for documenting program effectiveness; and (3) expansion grants for implementation and replication evaluation of interventions that have been found to produce a sizable impact under a mid-phase grant or have met similar criteria for documenting program effectiveness. All grantees must carry out rigorous, independent evaluations of the effectiveness of their projects.

(1) Local educational agencies (LEAs); (2) State educational agencies (SEAs); (3) the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE); (4) consortia of LEAs or SEAs; (5) nonprofit organizations; or (6) SEAs, LEAs, or the BIE in consortia with a nonprofit organization, a business, an educational service agency, or an institution of higher education.

High-need students in LEAs will benefit.

The Department will awards 3 types of grants: (1) early-phase grants for the development, implementation, and feasibility testing of a program which prior research suggests has promise, in order to determine whether the program can improve student achievement (similar to Development grants under i3); (2) mid-phase grants for implementation and rigorous evaluation of programs that have been successfully implemented under early-phase grants or have met similar criteria for documenting program effectiveness (similar to Validation grants under i3); and (3) expansion and replication of programs that have been found to produce a sizable, important impact under a mid-phase grant or have met similar criteria for documenting program effectiveness (similar to Scale-up grants under i3). All grantees must carry out a rigorous independent evaluation of the effectiveness of their project.

The Notice Inviting Applications will specify the length of assistance. In previous years grants were awarded for 3-5 year project periods

Criteria will be contained in the program guidance.

Applications are reviewed by panels of peer reviewers. Points are awarded on the basis of the published selection criteria, are ranked on the basis of the points awarded, and are selected for funding based on the rank order. Applicants must meet the evidence requirement applicable to the type of grant for which the applicant applied. Grantees must provide matching funds equal to 10 percent of their grant award (in cash or in-kind) from Federal, State, local, or private sources, and the Secretary may waive this requirement under certain circumstances. At least 25 percent of the funds appropriated for the program must be used for awards to serve rural areas, contingent on receipt of enough applications of sufficient quality.

Approximately 4 months from receipt of applications.