Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII): Investing in Innovation (I3) Fund: Validation Grants CFDA Number 84.411B | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the i3 Fund Validation Grants opportunity (CFDA 84.411B)?

The Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) Investing in Innovation (i3) Fund Validation Grants (CFDA 84.411B) is a U.S. Department of Education discretionary grant competition intended to help schools and districts address persistent education problems by expanding interventions that already show credible results. This particular opportunity is for the i3 "Validation" tier, which focuses on scaling approaches supported by moderate evidence of effectiveness.

2) Which federal agency is offering this grant?

This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Education through the Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII).

3) What is the purpose of i3 overall?

The i3 program is designed to support solutions that improve education outcomes and to strengthen the evidence base about what works in education, for whom it works, and under what conditions it works. It emphasizes both implementation and learning as projects expand.

4) What does "Validation grant" mean in the i3 program?

A Validation grant is the middle tier in i3's multi-tier structure. Validation grants support projects with moderate evidence of effectiveness and are intended to help those projects grow beyond an initial site into broader implementation (regional or national), while maintaining or improving the results that made the intervention worth scaling.

5) How does the i3 multi-tier funding structure work?

i3 uses a multi-tier structure that ties award size and purpose to the strength of research evidence behind the proposed intervention. Generally, smaller awards support ideas with limited evidence that still need development and early testing, while larger awards support interventions backed by rigorous evaluations and ready for broad expansion. This opportunity is specifically for the Validation tier.

6) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is focused on two main applicant types: (1) local educational agencies (LEAs), and (2) nonprofit organizations applying in partnership with one or more LEAs or with a consortium of schools.

7) Can a nonprofit organization apply on its own?

Not under the eligibility description provided here. Nonprofit organizations are described as eligible when they apply in partnership with one or more LEAs or with a consortium of schools.

8) What types of schools does the program emphasize serving?

The program emphasizes improving outcomes for students in high-need schools. Exact definitions of "high-need schools" are controlled by the official Federal Register notice.

9) What kinds of outcomes or activities are Validation projects expected to produce?

Validation projects are expected to scale an intervention supported by moderate evidence while also contributing practical knowledge about implementation during expansion. This includes learning what supports are necessary, what barriers appear across different contexts, and whether effectiveness holds up as delivery expands to a larger scale.

10) Does this program require an evaluation?

Yes. A defining requirement is that every i3 project must generate additional evidence of effectiveness. Grantees must reserve part of their project budgets for an independent evaluation, consistent with the official notice.

11) What does "independent evaluation" mean for this opportunity?

The summary states that evaluation must be independent and funded through a reserved portion of the project budget. Specific requirements (such as evaluator qualifications, evaluation design expectations, or reporting details) are governed by the official Federal Register notice.

12) Why is the evaluation requirement included?

The evaluation requirement is intended to ensure the funded work adds to the broader education field by producing credible findings that practitioners and policymakers can use when deciding whether to adopt or invest in similar strategies.

13) When was this opportunity posted and what was the deadline?

The opportunity was posted on May 16, 2016. The application deadline was July 15, 2016.

14) How many awards were expected?

The expected number of awards was 2.

15) What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling listed for this competition is $11,500,000.

16) What funding instrument types are associated with this opportunity?

The funding instrument types listed include grants and cooperative agreements.

17) How were applications submitted?

Applications had to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.

18) How do applicants find the application package on Grants.gov?

Applicants were instructed to search by the base CFDA number 84.411 (without the letter suffix). In other words, search for 84.411 rather than 84.411B when locating the package.

19) What does "moderate evidence of effectiveness" mean?

This synopsis states that Validation grants require moderate evidence of effectiveness, but it does not define the term. Definitions and the controlling standard for what qualifies as "moderate evidence" are provided in the official Federal Register notice.

20) What does it mean to scale "regionally" or "nationally" for this grant?

The synopsis indicates that Validation grants support expansion to a regional level or a national level. Precise definitions of "regional" and "national" scale are controlled by the official Federal Register notice.

21) Is the synopsis the official source for all requirements?

No. The synopsis is not the controlling source. The official Federal Register notice is the controlling source for specifics such as definitions, priorities, required application components, selection criteria, performance measures, and detailed submission instructions.

22) What kinds of requirements might be found only in the Federal Register notice?

According to the synopsis, the official notice governs items such as: definitions (including "moderate evidence" and "high-need schools"), the precise meaning of "regional" and "national" scale, any absolute or competitive priorities, required application components, selection criteria, performance measures, and detailed submission instructions.

23) What is the historical origin of the i3 program mentioned in the summary?

The i3 program was originally established under section 14007 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

24) What is the central idea behind i3 funding described in the summary?

The program is built around the idea that federal dollars should both support promising solutions and strengthen the evidence base about educational effectiveness across different students and contexts.