Purpose

The Education Research and Development Center Program in the National Center for Education Research (NCER) at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) funds Research and Development (R&D) centers to conduct a focused program of research that address these objectives:

• contribute to solving a specific education problem and generate new knowledge in their topic area;
• provide national leadership, research training, capacity building, and outreach within their topic area; and
• conduct relatively rapid research and scholarship on supplemental questions that emerge within their topic area.

Eligible Entities

The following types of organizations are eligible to apply for funding:

• County, state, city, township and special district governments
• Public or private institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS
• Native American tribal governments (federally recognized or not)
• For profit organizations other than small businesses

Additional Eligibility Requirements

• Improving Gifted Education:  partnerships involving at least one institution of higher education and at least two State educational agencies with the ability and capacity to conduct rigorous research are eligible to apply; partnerships may also include local educational agencies, additional institutions of higher education, additional State educational agencies, other public agencies, other private agencies and organizations, other research institutions, and non-profit and for-profit organizations.
• Using Generative Artificial Intelligence to Improve Instruction in Postsecondary Education:  entities that have the ability and capacity to conduct rigorous research are eligible to apply.

Eligible Activities

The NCER will assess only applications that address one of the following topics within a maximum Project Period of five years:

• Improving Gifted Education, or
• Using Generative Artificial Intelligence to Improve Instruction in Postsecondary Education.

In addition, specific project activities should address one or more of the objectives stated above under "Purpose."