Institute of Education Sciences (IES): National Center for Education Research (NCER): Research Training Programs in The Education Sciences

The U.S. Department of Education, through the Institute of Education Sciences and its National Center for Education Research, is accepting applications for the Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences under Assistance Listing Number 84.305B. The program supports the development of education researchers and the methodological capacity of the education research field. The National Center for Education Research seeks rigorous, relevant research that advances knowledge and addresses issues important to education policymakers and practitioners. For this competition, applicants must apply under one of two programs: Early Career Development and Mentoring Program for Education Research or Methods Training for Education Research. Projects are expected to align with applicable Standards for Excellence in Education Research requirements. The Early Career Development and Mentoring Program supports an integrated research and career development plan for early career investigators at academic or non-academic research institutions. The early career researcher must be the sole principal investigator and must complete research and professional development under the guidance of at least one qualified mentor, including at least one mentor at the home institution. The principal investigator must have completed a doctoral degree no earlier than April 1, 2019 and no later than the start of the award period. Academic principal investigators must hold or have accepted an eligible faculty or research scientist position and must not have received tenure by the application deadline. Early Career research must address improving education outcomes or improving education statistical or research methods and must align with a Measurement, Exploration, Development and Innovation, or Statistical and Research Methodology project type. The Methods Training for Education Research program supports training that expands and upgrades the methodological skills of current education researchers. Intended participants can include researchers at colleges, universities, research organizations and firms, state and local education agency research staff, institutional researchers, and individuals in education-focused organizations and companies. Training may address research design, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, data science, artificial intelligence, measurement, replication, mixed methods, missing data, impact variation, and other methods justified as advancing education research. Applicants must have the capacity to conduct training in scientific research methods for education research, and all key training personnel must be named in the application. Training participants supported under this program must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and their work must be relevant to education in the United States. Early Career awards have a maximum duration of four years and a maximum base cost of 500000 in total direct and indirect costs. Eligible faculty and research scientists at non-R1 institutions may request, with justification, up to an additional 200000, limited to 50000 per year, for grant administration and management. Allowable Early Career costs can include research and administrative staff salaries, consultants, research supplies, participant compensation, statistical services, local data collection travel, training and conference expenses, graduate student support for direct grant work, and reasonable accommodations. Funds may not support facility construction, renovation or maintenance, graduate students beyond their direct grant work, or mentors' research. Methods Training awards have a maximum duration of three years and maximum total cost of 800000. Training grants are subject to the applicable indirect cost limitation. Cost sharing and in-kind contributions may be used where applicable but are not required. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov and must be received and validated no later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 1, 2026. The application package became available August 6, 2026. NCER strongly encourages, but does not require as an advancement gate, submission of a letter of intent by September 3, 2026 through the IES Peer Review website. Applications must include the appropriate training program narrative and comply with formatting and page limits. Required materials include Appendix A, Engagement and Dissemination Plan; Appendix D, Letters of Agreement; and Appendix F, Alignment with SEER Standards. Appendix B is required for resubmissions, and Appendix E, Data Sharing and Management Plan, is required for Early Career applications. Other required application content includes a project summary or abstract, bibliography and references cited, human subjects narrative, and biographical sketches for key personnel. Early Career narratives are limited to 22 pages and Methods Training narratives to 15 pages. Only timely, compliant, and responsive applications are forwarded for scientific peer review. Reviewers evaluate applications for scientific merit and practical significance, using the program requirements and recommendations together with professional judgment and expertise. For Early Career applications, the narrative addresses Significance, Research Plan, Career Development Plan, Personnel, and Resources. For Methods Training applications, it addresses Significance, Research Training Plan, Personnel, and Resources. Applicants should clearly justify the importance and feasibility of the proposed work, provide appropriate plans and timelines, demonstrate relevant personnel expertise and institutional resources, and address engagement and dissemination. Applications recommended for funding may undergo clarification, budget review, verification of access to required data or education settings, review of required plans, and research security compliance before an award is made. Possible project start dates are July 1 through September 1, 2027. Program contacts are Courtney Pollack at Courtney.Pollack@ed.gov for Early Career applications and Emily Weaver at Emily.Weaver@ed.gov for Methods Training applications. The RFA does not state an overall program funding amount or a fixed number of awards, and all awards are contingent on the availability of funds and receipt of meritorious applications. The RFA also does not explicitly establish an annual or other recurring application schedule, so this opportunity is treated as non-recurring for data entry purposes.

Address every required narrative element explicitly because applications lacking required content will not advance to peer review. Keep the Early Career narrative within 22 pages and Methods Training narrative within 15 pages and observe all appendix limits because excess pages will be removed. Demonstrate a clear connection among significance, proposed activities, personnel expertise, institutional resources, and intended outcomes. Early Career applicants should clearly integrate the research and career development plans and align training with identified skill gaps. Methods Training applicants should justify the participant population, methodological need, training format, hands-on practice, recruitment approach, and measures of training success. Document access to necessary settings and data and obtain required letters of agreement. Address applicable SEER Standards and develop practical engagement and dissemination plans. Ensure the application is received and validated by Grants.gov before the deadline.