From the IES Director: Introducing Operation Reverse the Loss

In a recent blog, Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Director Mark Schneider discusses the education crisis due to COVID-19 and presents preliminary ideas for a new initiative with the working title of Operation Reverse the Loss. This effort aims to speed up the mechanisms IES uses to identify, scale, and verify the effectiveness of interventions that show promise in reversing learning loss for students at greatest risk.

Core components of Operation Reverse the Loss:

  1. Understand conditions on the ground by conducting School Pulse surveys modeled after the U.S. Census.
  2. Encourage small businesses to provide schools with innovative learning solutions by releasing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) applications in early December.
  3. Grow the body of research with the greatest potential to reverse learning loss by focusing substantial funding on a few instructional practices with the strongest claims to effectiveness. An “off-cycle” RFA will systematically support rapid testing of interventions likely requiring researchers to increase their use of platforms and other tech-based delivery systems for rapid-cycle, targeted tests, and replications of interventions.

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From the IES Director: Res ipsa loquitur

In a recent blog, Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Director Mark Schneider points to the Latin phrase res ipsa loquitur meaning “the thing speaks for itself.” This phrase came to mind as he reviewed the final set of results from the national 2019 reading and math assessments. The results were devastating—even more so because they mirrored the findings from 4th and 8th grade reading and math released earlier this year.

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U.S. Department of Education Provides Link to Webinar: Federal STEM Education Strategic Plan 2 Years Later

In 2018, the federal government released its 5-year STEM Education Strategic Plan, Charting a Course for Success: America’s Strategy for STEM Education. In this webinar, senior federal officials from the U.S. ED, NASA, NSF, and DoD highlight the accomplishments in implementing the plan across the nation over the last 2 years.

View the webinar here: https://edstream.ed.gov/webcast/Play/f3fa61ddc9eb4ff9b31407079394b1901d

The webinar will be archived soon along with the slides at https://www.ed.gov/stem.

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NIH Releases New Policy for Data Management and Sharing

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released its Final NIH Policy for Data Management and Sharing representing a commitment to share and make broadly available the results of publicly funded research. The new requirements were formed over many years with feedback from numerous stakeholders throughout the process.

The new final policy applies to all research funded or conducted by NIH that results in the generation of scientific data. NIH is providing a 2-year implementation period, and the final policy goes into effect on January 25, 2023. The current NIH Data Sharing policy, in effect since 2003, remains in effect until January 24, 2023.

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eRA Commons Provides New Features to Just-in-Time Screen

eRA Commons has enhanced the Just-in-Time screen to provide new features such as large color-coded buttons to upload, delete, or view attachments and a new navigation bar. The apps icon, when clicked, will provide a dropdown menu of eRA modules. Enhanced features also include new real-time validations and save confirmation.

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UF IRB Provides Updates on Electronic Informed Consent Forms (eIC or eConsent) and Telephonic Consent

The research community is showing increasing interest in using electronic media to supplement or replace paper-based informed consent processes. An eIC may be used to provide information usually contained within the written informed consent document, evaluate the subject’s comprehension of the information presented, and document the consent of the subject or the subject’s legally authorized representative (LAR). The UF IRB has approved the REDCap version of the eIC process, and confirmed that it meets all local and federal consenting requirements. If you wish to use REDCap as your eIC option, please review our Electronic Informed Consent Forms – eIC Guideline.

The IRB must approve the use of telephonic consent as part of your routine consenting process. Unanticipated telephone consent may be allowed for certain situations, but if you perceive the need for a telephone consent process as a standard part of your research, you will need to submit a revision to your study. For more information and telephonic consent procedures, please review the IRB’s Telephonic Consent Guideline. Please also review the IRB’s Telephone Script for Recruiting Subjects Guideline as typically, a script is required when using telephonic consent.

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Research Projects Card Debuts in ONE.UF

UF faculty can now quickly access valuable information about their research projects — such as the end date and how much of their budget remains — on their smartphones, tablets, or desktops through the ONE.UF electronic portal.

David Norton, UF’s vice president for research, said the Research Projects card is a good example of how UF Research is working to reduce the administrative burden on faculty as they manage their research projects.

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Awarded Projects for October 2020

Congratulations to Christopher Busey for his award from the Spencer Foundation; Lynda Hayes for her award from the Florida Department of Education; Hyunyi Jung for her award from the National Science Foundation; Justin Ortagus for his subcontract award William T. Grant Foundation Flow Through from Pennsylvania State University; Jennifer Park-Jadotte for her subcontract award U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Flow Through from the Florida Office of Early Leaning; Jennifer Park-Jadotte for her subcontract award Louisiana Department of Education Flow Through from Children First Professional Development Center; Philip Poekert for his award from Lauren’s Kids; Paige Pullen and Philip Poekert for their award from the Florida Department of Education; Patricia Snyder and Darbianne Shannon for their award from the U.S. Department of Education/OSEP; and Wanli Xing for his subcontract award National Science Foundation Flow Through from Texas Tech University.

For more details, see the Awarded Projects table.

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Submitted Projects for October 2020

Best wishes to Hannah Bayne and Della Moseley for their proposal to the William T. Grant Foundation; Julie Brown, Catherine Paolucci, and Anne Corinne Huggins-Manley for their proposal to the National Science Foundation; Maria Coady and Nidza Marichal for their proposal to the Spencer Foundation; Chonika Coleman King, Christopher Busey, and Rose Pringle for their proposal to the National Science Foundation; Zhihui Fang for his proposal to the Spencer Foundation; Latoya Haynes-Thoby for her subcontract proposal Spencer Foundation Flow Through from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Maya Israel and Christina Gardner-McCune for their proposal to the National Science Foundation; Kristy Boyer, Maya Israel, and Mehmet Celepkolu for their proposal to the National Science Foundation; Maya Israel for her proposal to the National Science Foundation; Kathrin Maki and Stephanie Snidarich for their proposal to the Spencer Foundation; Justin Ortagus for his proposal to Arnold Ventures; Paige Pullen for her proposal to the Education Foundation of Osceola County; and Wanli Xing and Jose De Leon Alejandro for their proposal to The Learning Agency.

For more details, see the Submitted Projects table.

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