Grant Writing Workshop for Minority Serving Institutions

1. Grant Writing Workshop forMinority Serving Institutions Katina Stapleton, Ph.D. Program Officer National Center for Education Research Meredith Larson, Ph.D. Program Officer National Center for Education Research

2. Purpose of this Presentation Increase awareness of researchers at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) of research grant funding at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Provide tips to MSI researchers on the grant application process Increase the number of successful MSI applicants

3. Raising MSI Awareness of Funding Opportunities at IES

4. Quick Overview of IES

5. Legislative Mission of IES Describe the condition and progress of education in the United States Identify education practices that improve academic achievement and access to education opportunities Evaluate the effectiveness of Federal and other education programs

6. Organizational Structure of IES Office of the Director National Board for Education Sciences Standards & Review Office National Center for Education Evaluation National Center for Education Research National Center for Education Statistics National Center for Special Education Research

7. Missions of the Research Centers NCER NCSER • NCER • Supports rigorous research that addresses the nation’s most pressing education needs, from early childhood to adult education • NCSER • Sponsors a rigorous and comprehensive program of special education research designed to expand the knowledge and understanding of infants, toddlers and students with or at risk for disabilities from birth through high school

8. IES Grant Programs: Research Objectives • Develop or identify education interventions (practices, programs, policies, and approaches) • that enhance academic achievement • that can be widely deployed • Identify what does not work and thereby encourage innovation and further research • Understand the processes that underlie the effectiveness of education interventions and the variation in their effectiveness

9. NCER Investments by Competition

10. NCSER Investments by Competition

11. A Quick Overview of MSIs Alaska Native-Serving Institutions American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) High Hispanic Enrollment and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Native American-Serving, Nontribal Institutions Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)

12. IES Funding Opportunities for MSIs There are no targeted funding opportunities for MSIs. We encourage MSIs to apply for Education Researchand Special Education Research grants and training grants. We encourage MSIs to take advantage of the technical assistance IES provides.

13. How can researchers at MSIs get started? Recognize that completing a successful grant application is a process that begins before the initial application submission Also know that preparing a grant application is part of building your program of research

14. Increase MSI Awareness of Available Funding Opportunities At the Institutional Level . . . • Scan The Federal Register (https://www.federalregister.gov), where funding opportunities are announced • Become knowledgeable about IES funding priorities and competitive grant competitions (http://ies.ed.gov/funding) • Identify researchers on campus who do work in education research (i.e., potential applicants) • They may come from outside your education department/school

15. Increase MSI Awareness of Available Funding Opportunities At the Institutional Level . . . • Make sure potential applicants are aware of available funding opportunities and IES program officers in their areas of interest • Coordinate phone or in-person meetings with IES staff to discuss your institution’s research capacity and interests

16. Strengthen Research Partnerships At the Institutional Level . . . Make sure researchers on your campus are fully aware that these partnerships exist. • Research consortiaand research networks • Available at the national, regional, and local levels • Partnerships with LEAs, SEAs, and regional laboratories • Partnerships with other research universities and firms

17. Increase MSI-based Researchers’ Awareness of Available Funding Opportunities At the Researcher Level . . . • Sign up for the IES Newsflash (http://ies.ed.gov/newsflash) to be notified about new competitions • Become knowledgeable about IES funding priorities and competitive grant competitions (http://ies.ed.gov/funding)

18. Our Assumptionsof You and What You Want • We assume that you want… • to help improve education • to carve out your own research agenda • to get funding to conduct your research • We assume that you have… • expertise in a wide range of topic areas and research methods/analyses • varying levels of familiarity with grant writing

19. Identifying the Appropriate Funding Opportunity • Identify your own research interests and strengths and see if they overlap with current funding priorities • Read the separate Requests for Applications (RFAs), which describe the application requirements • Contact the relevant IES Program Officer to discuss your ideas (e-mail first)

21. First Step? Identify Appropriate Research Program, Topic, and Goal • Review the RFAs (http://ies.ed.gov/funding) • Identify a program (305A, 324B, etc.) • Identify a topic (Reading & Writing, Postsec, etc.) • Identify a goal (Exploration, Development, etc.) • Review abstracts of other projects within that topic or goal: • http://ies.ed.gov/ncer/projects • http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/projects • Talk to IES Program Officers

22. NCER Research Programs Education Research Grants (84.305A) Research Training Programs in the Education Sciences (84.305B) Education Research & Development Centers (84.305C) Statistical & Research Methodology in Education (84.305D) Partnerships & Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice & Policy (84.305H)

23. Special Education Research NCSER will not hold research or research training competitions for FY 2014. If funds for research are available in FY 2014, NCSER will use these funds to make additional awards from the FY 2013 grant slates. NCSER anticipates being able to hold a grant competition for FY 2015.

24. Opportunities for the Study of Individuals with Disabilities in NCER Partnerships & Collaborations Focused on Problems of Practice & Policy grants program (84.305H) Postsecondary & Adult Education topic of the Education Research Grants program (84.305A)

25. A Closer Look . . . Education Research Grants (84.305A)

26. “Does IES fund the kind of research that I (we) do?” What education problemdo you want to solve? What questiondo you want to answer? Does the underlying issue of this research question/problem fit within one of the IES grant topics? What content will you address? What samplewill you study? Does your research method fit the requirements of one of the IES goals?

27. NCER Ultimate Outcomes of Interest: Student Outcomes 27

28. NCER Ultimate Outcomes of Interest: Student Outcomes 28

29. Identify Appropriate Topic and Goal Your research question(s) and research method(s) determine the topic and goal.

30. Education Research Topics (84.305A) • Cognition & Student Learning • Early Learning Programs & Policies • Education Technology • Effective Teachers & Effective Teaching • English Learners • Improving Education Systems: Policies, Organization, Management, and Leadership • Mathematics & Science Education • Postsecondary & Adult Education • Reading & Writing • Social & Behavioral Context for Academic Learning

31. Research Primarily Focused on Professional Development (PD) for K-12 Teachers Effective Teachers topic now consolidates teacher-related research that used to be submitted to these topics … • Early Learning Programs & Policies • Effective Teachers & Effective Teaching • Cognition & Student Learning • Education Technology • English Learners • Improving Education Systems: Policies, Organization, Management, and Leadership • Mathematics & Science Education • Reading & Writing • Postsecondary & Adult Education • Social & Behavioral Context for Academic Learning 31

32. FY 2014 Research Goals Exploration Development & Innovation Efficacy & Replication Effectiveness Measurement

33. Exploration Goal • Explore associations between education outcomes and malleable factors • Identify factors and conditions that may mediate or moderate relations between malleable factors and student outcomes • Possible methodological approaches • Analyze secondary data • Collect primary data • Complete a meta-analysis

34. Development & Innovation Goal Development process must be iterative! • ANDcollect data on its usability, feasibility, and fidelity of implementation in actual education settings • ANDcollect pilot data on student outcomes Develop an innovative intervention (e.g., curriculum, instructional approach, program, or policy) ORimprove existing education interventions

35. Efficacy & Replication Goal Evaluate whether or not a fully developed intervention is efficacious under limited or ideal conditions OR Gather follow-up data examining the longer-term effects of an intervention with demonstrated efficacy OR Replicate an efficacious intervention varying the original conditions OR Conduct retrospective analysis of secondary data collected in the past

36. Efficacy & Replication Goal • Ask what might be needed to implement intervention under routine practice • Reduce appearance of conflict of interest for developer/evaluators • Do not require confirmatory mediator analyses but recommend exploratory ones

37. Effectiveness Goal Evaluate whether a fully developed intervention that has evidence of efficacy is effective when implemented under typical conditions through an independent evaluation Prior to submitting an Effectiveness proposal, at least two efficacy studies of the intervention with beneficial and practical impacts on student outcomes must have been completed

38. Effectiveness Goal • IES expects researchers to… • Implement intervention under routine practice • Include evaluators independent of development/distribution • Describe strong efficacy evidence for intervention • IES does not expect wide generalizability from a single study • Expects multiple Effectiveness projects to this end • Sample size is not a key distinction from Efficacy • IES does not require confirmatory mediator analyses but encourages exploratory ones • Cost of implementation is limited to 25% of budget

39. Measurement Goal Development of new assessments or refinement of existing assessments, and the validation of these assessments OR Validation of existing assessments for specific purposes, contexts, and populations

40. The Goals Build on One Another • Exploration could lead to… • Development or modification of an intervention • Efficacy evaluation of an intervention • Development & Innovation could lead to an Efficacy evaluation, if the intervention is found feasible and pilot data is supportive • Efficacy & Replication could lead to an Effectiveness study, if impact is found across multiple efficacy/replication studies • Measurement could feed into the other goals

41. What if My Project is “Between” Goals or Topics? PICK ONE! • Read all of the goals in the RFA so that you understand where your work falls along the continuum of goals. What should come before your project? What should come after it? • Break the project down into smaller pieces • Don’t just go for the largest amount of money • Aim for a well-crafted project that will deliver what it promises • Discuss your ideas with a Program Officer

42. Maximum Award Amounts (84.305A)

43. The Application’s Research Narrative Key part of your application 4 Sections: Significance Research Plan Personnel Resources Requirements vary by topic and goal 25 pages, single-spaced

44. Read the RFA Very Carefully See pages 11-13 for highlights of changes in the FY 2014 RFA. Pay attention to all topic and goal requirements to avoid making errors that will keep your application from being reviewed. 44

45. Significance • Describes the overall project • Your research question(s) to be answered, or • Intervention to be developed or evaluated, or • Measure to be developed and/or validated • Provides a compelling rationale for the project • Theoretical justification • Logic models, change models • Empirical justification • Practical justification • Justifies the overall importance of the work 45

46. Research Plan • Describe the work you intend to do • How you will answer your research question, or • Develop your intervention, or • Evaluate the intervention, or • Develop and/or validate your assessment • Make certain Research Plan is aligned to Significance section • All analyses should have justification in Significance (i.e., answer the research questions) • Step-by-step process • Timeline to show when everything will be done 46

47. Dissemination Plan Now Required • Part of the Research Plan • Should identify… • the audience • how you intend to reach this audience • the products you will develop 47

48. Build a Good Team

49. Personnel Convince reviewers that your team has the skills and experience to implement the proposed work. If all the expertise required for your project is not available on your campus, consider partnering with another institution. Demonstrate your productivity. Make sure the team includes a senior researcher with a strong grant record.

50. Personnel • Link each person and their expertise to their role in the project: • Qualifications • Roles • Responsibilities • Percent of time devoted to the project • Show every aspect of project has person with expertise and time to do it.