Institute of Education Sciences (IE) Statistical and Research Methodology in Education CFDA Number 84.305D | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Statistical and Research Methodology in Education grant opportunity (CFDA 84.305D) is a discretionary FY 2016 funding competition run by the U.S. Department of Education through IES, under the authority of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. It sits within IES broader set of research competitions intended to strengthen the evidence base in education by supporting high-quality, scientifically valid research. The overall thrust of IES funding described in the notice is to build fundamental knowledge about what improves education outcomes across the full education pipeline, from early childhood through postsecondary and adult education, and to expand understanding of developmental and school readiness outcomes for infants and toddlers with or at risk for disabilities. In practice, this particular CFDA track emphasizes the tools of the field: statistical and research methods that make education studies more credible, informative, and useful for decision-making.

The central purpose behind IES research grant programs, as described in the notice, is to produce reliable and valid information about education practices that support learning, improve academic achievement, and expand access to educational opportunity. The intended audience is broad and practical: parents, educators, students, researchers, and policymakers are all named as end users of the knowledge produced. The notice also makes clear that IES uses these competitions to target areas of national need, meaning projects are expected to contribute more than local insights and instead advance knowledge and capability that can matter at scale. For the Statistical and Research Methodology in Education competition specifically, the emphasis is on improving the methodological foundations that education researchers and evaluators rely on, which can include creating, refining, or validating statistical approaches, research designs, measurement strategies, and analytic tools that strengthen causal inference, improve precision, reduce bias, or otherwise raise the quality and usefulness of education research.

This competition is one of eight IES research competitions announced for FY 2016 and is administered through the National Center for Education Research (NCER). NCER is described as running six competitions total: Education Research; Education Research Training; Education Research and Development Centers; Statistical and Research Methodology in Education; Partnerships and Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice or Policy; and Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice. Alongside NCER, the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) runs two additional competitions: Special Education Research and Special Education Research Training. The notice lists the related CFDA numbers across these competitions (84.305A, 84.305B, 84.305C, 84.305D, 84.305H, 84.305N, 84.324A, and 84.324B), positioning 84.305D as part of a coordinated suite of federal investments meant to strengthen both general and special education research.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is offered as either a Grant or a Cooperative Agreement under the Funding Opportunity Number ED-GRANTS-041515-004, categorized under Education Research, Development and Dissemination (CFDA 84.305). The announcement states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement, which typically lowers barriers for applicants that may not have discretionary funds to contribute. Applications were posted April 15, 2015, with the application package made available May 21, 2015, and a deadline for transmittal of applications of August 6, 2015 (with an archive date of September 5, 2015). While these dates are historically specific to the FY 2016 cycle, they also reflect the standard IES pattern: a public notice, a defined window for preparing an application, and a firm electronic submission deadline.

Eligibility is intentionally broad but capability-based. The notice states that applicants with the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid research are eligible to apply, including (but not limited to) nonprofit and for-profit organizations and public and private agencies and institutions such as colleges and universities. The eligible applicant types listed include state governments, county and city or township governments, federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations, special district governments, independent school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education), and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. The practical takeaway is that IES is less focused on institutional label and more focused on whether the applicant can credibly execute rigorous education research and manage a federal award.

The submission requirements are also very explicit: applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, and applicants are expected to download the application package, complete it offline, and upload it through the portal. The notice emphasizes that applications cannot be submitted by email. It also gives a small but important instruction that affects searching and access: when locating the application package in Grants.gov, applicants must search by the CFDA number without the letter suffix (for example, search for 84.305 rather than 84.305D). The notice repeatedly advises applicants to rely on the official Federal Register application notice for the authoritative details on eligibility, priorities, required components, performance measures, and submission procedures, and it points readers to free access to the Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations via GPO Access.

Finally, the opportunity includes contact points for both technical submission issues and program content questions. For difficulties accessing the full announcement electronically or with Grants.gov systems, the notice lists Julius Cotton (ED Grants.gov FIND Systems Admin) at 202-245-6288 and EducationGrantInquiries@ed.gov. For programmatic questions, it lists the Program Manager, Phil Gagne at IES, U.S. Department of Education, with a phone number (202-219-1412) and email (Phil.Gagne@ed.gov). The overall message of the notice is that this funding stream is meant to strengthen education research by advancing the statistical and methodological backbone of the field, while fitting into a larger IES portfolio designed to improve education outcomes through better evidence.

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