IES and NSF Release Guidelines for Education Research and Development

A new report from the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation provides important cross-agency guidelines for preparing successful proposals and carrying out research funded by the two agencies—including obtaining meaningful findings and actionable results.

The report describes six types of research that can generate evidence about how to increase student learning:

  1. Foundational Research provides the fundamental knowledge that may contribute to improved learning and other relevant education outcomes.
  2. Early-Stage or Exploratory Research examines relationships among important constructs in education and learning to establish logical connections that may form the basis for future interventions or strategies to improve education outcomes.
  3. Design and Development Research develops solutions to achieve a goal related to education or learning such as improving student engagement or mastery of a set of skills.
  4. Efficacy Research allows for testing of a strategy or intervention under “ideal” circumstances, including with a higher level of support or developer involvement than would be the case under normal circumstances.
  5. Effectiveness Research examines effectiveness of a strategy or intervention under circumstances that would typically prevail in the target context.
  6. Scale-up Research examines effectiveness in a wide range of populations, contexts, and circumstances, without substantial developer involvement in implementation or evaluation.

For each research type, the report describes the purpose and expectations for theoretical and/or empirical justifications, research design, project outcomes, and external review.

To read the full report, go to http://ies.ed.gov/aboutus/.

 

How to Win Government Grants in Tough Times: Part 2

Nothing short of an A+ proposal wins in this environment. Preparing ahead of time is critical to writing a competitive proposal. Typically guidelines are announced only 30 days in advance, so most successful writers have started the process much sooner.

Before the guidelines become available, you can search for the previous RFP. Typically, guidelines do not change much and you can use the previous RFP to start early.

Getting high points from reviewers is key. Most RFPs provide evaluation criteria with the total number of points for each section. Try to secure bonus and priority points wherever possible. You may wish to serve as a reviewer to learn what reviewers expect to see in a proposal.

Once the RFP becomes available, read and re-read the document fully. Design your narrative and budget together. You may wish to develop a logic model so you can see your plan on one page.  Some RFPs now require a logic model.

Plan for multidisciplinary collaborations to build a stronger proposal. Secure partners, evaluators, and letters of commitment in advance. Write job descriptions for key personnel and gather attachments for appendices.

Remember to write your proposal in a journalistic style omitting technical jargon. To improve the clarity of your writing, use headers, short sentences, and repetition. Most importantly, contact the OER as soon as you decide to pursue a funding opportunity, so we can help facilitate the process.

Look for Part 3 of “How to Win Government Grants in Tough Times” in the November issue of the Research Bulletin.

Excerpted from The Chronicle of Philanthropy Webinar, August 13, 2013

Awarded Projects for September 2013

College of Education – Awarded Projects – September 2013
Principal Investigator: Michael Bowie (Recruitment, Retention and Multicultural Affairs)
Co-PI: Theresa Vernetson (Dean’s Area, Administration)
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Project Title: College Reach Out Program (CROP)
Project Period: 09/01/2013—08/31/2014
Award Amount: $82,374.64
Principal Investigator: Patricia Snyder (CEECS/SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida State University
Project Title: Embedded Practices and Intervention with Caregivers (EPIC)
Project Period: 06/01/2013—05/31/2016
Award Amount: $87,846.00
Principal Investigator: Alice Kay Emery (SESPECS)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Florida Department of Education
Project Title: Working with the Experts Project (Part B) 2013—2014
Project Period: 08/01/2013—07/31/2014
Award Amount: $175.000.00
Principal Investigator: Kent Crippen (STL)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Project Title: ChANgE Chem: Transforming Chemistry with Cognitive Apprenticeship for Engineers
Project Period: 09/15/2013—08/31/2015
Award Amount: $194,617.00

Submitted Projects for September 2013

College of Education – Submitted Projects – September 2013
Principal Investigator: Maria Coady (STL)
Co-PI: Ester de Jong (STL), Candace Harper (STL)
Funding Agency: The Spencer Foundation
Proposal Title: Mainstream Teachers of ELLs’ Use of Student Performance Data and Linguistic Pedagogical Knowledge to Inform Instructional Practices
Requested Amount: $297,138.00
Principal Investigator: Suzanne Colvin (STL)
Co-PI: N/A
Funding Agency: Procter & Gamble
Proposal Title: Transforming Higher Education Teaching and Learning for the 21st Century
Requested Amount: $9,350.00
Principal Investigator: Anna McDaniel (College of Nursing)
Co-PI: M. David Miller (SHDOSE)
Funding Agency: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Proposal Title: Simulation Team Training for Timely Intervention During Respirator Deterioration
Requested Amount: $30,642.00