Institute of Education Sciences (IES): National Center for Education Research (NCER): Research Training Programs in The Education Sciences, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.305B
Funds institutions in the territorial United States to support either early-career education researchers’ integrated research and career development plans or training programs that build research methods skills for current education researchers, including state and local education agency research staff.
⚑ Methods Training applicants may submit multiple applications if substantively different and with no overlap in key personnel. · Early Career supports the institution of the PI; applicants must be research institutions with capacity to conduct rigorous research. · Territorial United States eligibility is specified.
This is a strong institutional fit for the team’s education policy/evaluation line, especially for training in causal, quasi-experimental, and methods work used in education research. It is not a content grant about schools per se, but NCER training is squarely relevant to Deven Carlson’s research program and the team’s broader evaluation-oriented education work.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-08-07
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| IPPRA | 54 partial | education policy/evaluation (core line, primary); signature methods: policy analysis, surveys longitudinal; social/behavioral work is central; funds training education, not research (capped); capped at 54 (non-research funding) |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 50 partial | technical depth: substantial; funds training education (capped) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 10 none | deep-tech content; no commercialization signal |
Description
NCER training programs prepare individuals to conduct education research that advances knowledge within the field and addresses issues important to education policymakers and practitioners.
Under this competition, NCER will consider only applications that address one of the following programs: (1) Early Career Development and Mentoring Program for Education Research (Early Career) or (2) Methods Training for Education Research (Methods Training). The Early Career program provides support for an integrated research and career development plan for early career investigators at institutions of higher education or non-academic research organizations who are developing education research careers. The Methods Training program funds training to help current education researchers, including state and local education agency research staff, maintain and enhance their research and analysis skills in order to conduct rigorous and relevant education research.
Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.305B.
Eligibility
For the Early Career Program, IES provides funds to the institution of the PI who submitted the application for support of their research and career development. Applicants to the Early Career program must be a research institution (academic or non-academic). Institutions located in the territorial United States that have the ability and capacity to conduct rigorous research are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, non-profit and for-profit organizations and public and private agencies and institutions, such as colleges and universities. For the Methods Training Program, applicants located in the territorial United States that have the ability and capacity to conduct training in scientific research methods for education research are eligible to apply. An applying institution may hold more than one Methods Training award and submit multiple applications to the Methods Training Program if they are substantively different from one another and have no overlaps in key personnel.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Holly Clark Management and Program Analyst <Courtney.Pollack@ed.gov>
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