Institute of Education Sciences (IES): Education Research CFDA Number 84.305A | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), part of the U.S. Department of Education, announced a set of FY 2017 discretionary grant competitions under the broader umbrella of education research and special education research. The overall aim of these research grant programs is to build and share trustworthy, evidence-based knowledge about education practices that help students learn, raise academic achievement, and expand equitable access to educational opportunities. The intended audience for the research is broad and practical, including parents, teachers and school leaders, students, researchers, and policymakers. IES frames these competitions as a way to invest federal resources in research areas considered national priorities or areas of clear national need, with an emphasis on producing reliable and valid findings that can inform real-world decisions.

This particular opportunity is associated with the Education Research program (CFDA 84.305A), but it is presented alongside a package of nine related competitions run through two IES centers. The notice lists the relevant CFDA programs covered by the broader announcement: 84.305A (Education Research), 84.305B (Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences), 84.305D (Statistical and Research Methodology in Education), 84.305H (Partnerships and Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice or Policy), 84.305L (Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Education Interventions), 84.305N (Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice), and the special education counterparts 84.324A (Special Education Research), 84.324B (Research Training Programs in Special Education), and 84.324L (Low-Cost, Short-Duration Evaluation of Special Education Interventions). In other words, the announcement is not only about one grant line; it is a coordinated set of competitions that collectively support research, methods development, training, partnerships, evaluation work, and networked research efforts.

IES describes its mission for these grants as providing national leadership in expanding core knowledge and understanding in two major outcome areas: first, developmental and school readiness outcomes for infants and toddlers with or at risk for disabilities; and second, education outcomes for students across the full pipeline, from early childhood education through K-12, postsecondary, and adult education. This signals that the research scope is intentionally broad in terms of age/grade span, while also highlighting a strong commitment to improving outcomes for learners with disabilities or those at risk, alongside improving outcomes for all learners.

From an applicant standpoint, eligibility is wide and includes many common education and research organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) entities, as specified); and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. The listing also includes an “Others” category with a note to consult the official notice for clarification, which is a reminder that the Federal Register notice governs any nuances, limitations, or additional conditions.

The funding mechanism is described as discretionary, and the listed funding instruments include both grants and cooperative agreements, indicating that some awards may involve a more hands-on federal role depending on the competition and project structure. The announcement emphasizes that the synopsis provided is not a substitute for the official Federal Register notice. Applicants are directed to rely on the Federal Register publication for the authoritative details such as pre-application and application requirements, priorities, performance measures, and program contacts. It also points readers to free access to the Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations through GPO resources, reinforcing that official compliance details live there.

Submission is strictly electronic through Grants.gov. Applicants are instructed to locate and download the correct application package via Grants.gov, complete it offline, and then upload and submit it through the site. Email submission is explicitly not allowed. A small but important technical instruction is included: when searching for the application package on Grants.gov, applicants must search by the CFDA number without the letter suffix (for example, search “84.305” rather than “84.305A”). This matters because using the suffix could cause applicants to miss the correct application package. The opportunity information lists the Funding Opportunity Number as ED GRANTS 030816 001, with an original and current closing date of August 4, 2016, and a posting/creation date of March 8, 2016. Award ceiling and expected awards are not specified in the provided summary, which again suggests applicants would need the official notice to understand award sizes, project periods, and anticipated funding levels by competition.

Overall, this IES announcement is essentially a consolidated call for rigorous, policy- and practice-relevant research projects and related capacity-building efforts across general education and special education. It aims to fund work that strengthens the evidence base, improves methodological tools and training, encourages partnerships focused on real problems in schools and systems, and supports evaluation approaches that can generate useful findings efficiently. For anyone considering applying, the practical next step implied by the notice is to identify the specific competition and CFDA line that best fits the proposed work, then use the Federal Register notice to confirm requirements and priorities, and finally submit the application package through Grants.gov using the correct CFDA number search format.

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