Institute of Education Sciences (IES): Education Research: Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice Assistance Listing Number 84.305N | ED GRANTS 112020 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 112020 001

This funding opportunity is a discretionary Department of Education grant administered through the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), specifically its National Center for Education Research (NCER), under Assistance Listing (CFDA) 84.305N. It is offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally means the federal agency expects to have substantial involvement in the work (for example, coordinating network activities, providing technical input, or helping shape dissemination and collaboration structures). The overarching goal is to support scientifically valid education research in areas of clear national need and to ensure that the resulting evidence is reliable, useful to the public, and relevant to improving learning outcomes, academic achievement, and equitable access to educational opportunities.

The program is framed around the creation and support of research networks focused on critical, high-priority problems of education policy and practice. Rather than funding isolated studies, NCER is using this mechanism to concentrate attention and resources on a defined set of pressing issues and to build an organized structure that helps researchers collaborate. The intent is to create conditions where investigators working on similar challenges can share ideas, align methods when appropriate, build cumulative knowledge more efficiently, and strengthen both their research capacity and their ability to communicate findings to stakeholders. In other words, the network model is designed to accelerate progress by connecting people and projects, not just by paying for individual research activities.

In this particular opportunity, IES indicates it is establishing two specific networks to meet statutory requirements under section 133(c)(1) of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, which calls for national research and development centers. The two networks named are the Adult Skills Network and the Digital Learning Platforms Network. While the synopsis does not provide detailed topical scopes or required activities for each network, the titles signal the major domains: one focused on adult skills (often tied to adult education, workforce skills, literacy, numeracy, and related learning pathways) and another focused on digital learning platforms (which can include platform-based instruction, learning management systems, educational software ecosystems, and the policies and practices shaping their use). The key takeaway is that the federal government is trying to organize sustained, national-level research and development capacity around these topics, rather than treating them as one-off research priorities.

Eligibility is broad, centered on an applicant's ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid research. Eligible applicants include many types of entities across the public, private, nonprofit, and higher education sectors. The listing explicitly includes state governments, county governments, 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 (both with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and other eligible entities. This breadth reflects the program's emphasis on research capability rather than restricting eligibility to a narrow institutional type, and it leaves room for universities, research firms, nonprofit research centers, and public agencies to lead or participate.

For nonprofits, the synopsis highlights the federal regulatory requirement (34 CFR 75.51) for documenting nonprofit status. Acceptable documentation includes: an IRS determination recognizing 501(c)(3) tax-deductible contributions; certification from a state taxing body or the state attorney general confirming nonprofit operation and that no net earnings benefit private individuals; a certified copy of incorporation or similar organizing documents clearly establishing nonprofit status; or documentation applicable to a parent organization plus a statement confirming the applicant is a local affiliate. This is essentially a compliance reminder that nonprofit applicants must be prepared to prove their status in one of the allowable ways.

The posted closing date in the opportunity data is March 11, 2021, and the opportunity was created on November 23, 2020. The synopsis repeatedly emphasizes that it is not the authoritative source for requirements, and that applicants must rely on the official Federal Register notice for complete details. That official notice is where an applicant would find the full set of required elements such as application components, pre-application steps (if any), submission instructions, performance measures, priorities, and program contact information. It also points applicants to the Department of Education's Common Instructions for discretionary grant programs (Federal Register, February 13, 2019, 84 FR 3768) for standard submission and procedural rules, including the addresses and mechanisms for obtaining and submitting an application.

In practical terms, this opportunity is best understood as federal support for building coordinated, topic-focused education research networks that can produce stronger, more cumulative evidence and improve how that evidence is shared and used. The emphasis is not only on generating knowledge, but also on creating the infrastructure and routines that make research communities more effective: structured collaboration, idea exchange, coordinated knowledge-building, and improved dissemination capacity. Applicants considering this program would typically need to show both technical research strength and an ability to convene and manage a networked effort aligned with one of the named focus areas, while following the detailed requirements laid out in the Federal Register notice.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Institute of Education Sciences (IES): Education Research: Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice Assistance Listing Number 84.305N" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.305.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-11-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-03-11. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Others.

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