Connecting Research, Policy and Practice
Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice Thomas Brock, Commissioner
Caroline Ebanks & James Benson Program Officers National Center for Education Research ies.ed.gov
Structure for the Presentation Section I: Network Overview Section II: Network Structure, Expectations, and Investment Section III: Early Learning Section IV: College Completion Section V: Network Lead Section VI: Application Requirements Section VII: Preparing a Responsive, High Quality Application ies.ed.gov
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SECTION I: NETWORK OVERVIEW Network objectives: 1. Focus resources and attention on education issues that are a high priority for the nation 2. Create a structure and process for researchers to share ideas, build new knowledge, strengthen their research and dissemination capacity 3. Advance the field’s understanding of a problem or issue beyond what one research team can do on its own ies.ed.gov
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Why Research Networks? • Grew out of year-long effort by NCER and NCSER to solicit stakeholder input on our research programs and ways to improve – Technical Working Group meetings – Public comment – Meetings with Education Department staff
• Two major themes: – In a time of scarce resources, set research priorities – Encourage greater collaboration among researchers ies.ed.gov
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Two Network Topics 1. Supporting Early Learning from Preschool through Early Elementary School Grades – Identify malleable factors associated with children’s school readiness and achievement as they move from preschool to elementary school
2. Scalable Strategies to Support College Completion – Develop and evaluate effects of programs or policies designed to increase the number of college students who earn degrees in open- and broad-access institutions ies.ed.gov
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SECTION II: NETWORK STRUCTURE, EXPECTATIONS, AND INVESTMENT • Each Network will comprise up to four Research Teams • Early Learning Network will also include up to one Assessment Team • Network Lead will facilitate meetings and coordinate Network activities ies.ed.gov
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Network Structure: Early Learning *Although four research teams are depicted in this image, up to 4 may receive the grant. Each research team will carry out its own project.
Assessment Team (up to 1)
Research Team*
Research Team*
Network Lead (1) Research Team*
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Research Team*
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College Completion Network Research Team*
Research Team*
Network Lead (1)
Research Team*
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*Although four research teams are depicted in this image, up to 4 may receive the grant. Each research team will carry out its own project.
Research Team*
Expectations of Network Members • Share research plans, data collection tools, other information and ideas • Provide constructive feedback • Look for opportunities to work together on: – Common measures – Research synthesis – Dissemination
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Expectations of the Network Lead 1. Plan and facilitate Network meetings – At least two in-person meetings in the first year; at least one in-person meeting annually in years 2-5 – Phone or virtual meetings as needed
2. Serve as point person with IES to negotiate supplemental funding for Network 3. Develop and host a Network website 4. Organize briefings or presentations for federal and state policymakers ies.ed.gov
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Supplementary Activities • IES will set aside up to $1 million for each Network to support collaboration and foster new ideas • Funds are to support research and dissemination activities carried out by two or more Network members. For example: – Develop common measures – Conduct exploratory research – Write a research synthesis
• Supplementary activities may be proposed starting year 2 and must be approved by beginning of year 5 ies.ed.gov
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Anticipated Investment • Early Learning Network: Up to $23 Million/5 Years – – – –
4 Research Teams, each funded up to $4.5 million 1 Assessment Team, funded up to $2 million 1 Network Lead, funded up to $2 million Supplementary activities, funded up to $1 million
• College Completion Network: Up to $18 Million/5 Years – 4 Research Teams, each funded up to $4 million – 1 Network Lead, funded up to $1 million – Supplementary activities, funded up to $1 million ies.ed.gov
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How Do the Networks Relate to Other IES Research Grant Programs? • New program – does not replace Education Research Grants or R&D Centers • In FY 2016, Research Networks will receive funding priority – Same high standards as other IES grant programs – Funding decisions will be made prior to other research and training awards ies.ed.gov
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SECTION III: EARLY LEARNING NETWORK • The purpose of the Early Learning Network is to identify malleable factors that support early learning from preschool through early elementary school grades • The objective is to advance the field’s understanding and implementation of policies and practices that support early learning and ongoing academic success ies.ed.gov
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Early Learning Research Team: Roles and Responsibilities • Each Research Team will conduct three complementary, prospective studies: (1) A descriptive study of systems-level policies and practices that support early learning; (2) A classroom observation study to identify teaching practices and other classroom-level malleable factors that are associated with student outcomes in preschool and early elementary school grades; and (3) A longitudinal study to identify malleable factors associated with early learning and school achievement across the transition from preschool to early elementary school and in the elementary school grades. ies.ed.gov
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Early Learning Research Team: Roles and Responsibilities • Work with the Network Lead and other Research Teams to plan, propose, and conduct supplementary studies • Participate in annual Network meetings and meetings with early childhood practitioners • Work with the Assessment Team to support the development of a new or improvement of an existing classroom observation tool ies.ed.gov
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Early Learning Research Team: General Requirements • Sample – You must focus on children from prekindergarten (ages 3-5) through early elementary school grades (kindergarten through third grade) – You must focus on typically developing children, including children who are at risk for lower school achievement because of socio-demographic factors – Your longitudinal sample must include preschool attenders and non-attenders ies.ed.gov
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Early Learning Research Team : General Requirements • Outcomes of Interest – For preschool, you must include measures of children’s school readiness skills – For elementary school, you must include measures of academic achievement and social behavioral competencies that are associated with academic achievement.
• Setting – For the preschool component of each study, research must be conducted in center-based prekindergarten programs. – For the elementary school (K-3) component of each study, research must be conducted in public elementary schools and cover multiple grades. Some research may be conducted in private elementary schools. ies.ed.gov
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Project Timeline for the Longitudinal Study (ELN) 2016
Year 1:
Year 2:
Year 3:
Pre-K
Kindergarten
First Grade
Year 4: Second Grade
Year 5: Third Grade
2021*
*End date is 2020 if project started January 2016
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Research Team Application: Narrative Requirements • The 30-page project narrative must include four sections: • Significance • Research Plan • Personnel • Resources
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Early Learning Research Team: Significance • Provide a strong rationale for your approach to addressing the objectives of the Early Learning Network • Explain your understanding of the issues the Network is meant to address • Propose an overall plan for your approach to conducting the three studies • Describe how you program of research will inform policy and practice in preschools and early elementary school grades ies.ed.gov
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Early Learning Research Team: Research Plan • Describe the methodology you will use to answer your research questions and to collect and analyze data on the malleable factors you have identified • Your research must be prospective and include primary data collection for each of the three studies
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Early Learning Research Team: Personnel • Describe the relevant expertise of your Research Team, the responsibilities of each team member, and each team member’s time commitments • Identify and describe the qualifications of the members of the Research Team
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Early Learning Research Team: Resources • Describe how you have the institutional capacity to complete a project of this size and complexity • Describe the institutional capacity to disseminate the results from each study
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Early Learning Research Team: Collaboration with the Assessment Team • Each Research Team will be expected to review and provide input on the Assessment Team’s effort to develop or improve a classroom observation tool designed for practitioners • Each Research Team is also expected to help the Assessment Team validate the tool
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Early Learning Assessment Team: Role and Responsibilities • Develop and validate a classroom observation tool that can be used by practitioners to assess structural elements and process features of the classroom environment that are associated with child outcomes. • The Assessment Team will be responsible for the measurement development work and selection of research site(s) and study sample(s) to pilot-test and validate the measure. ies.ed.gov
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Early Learning Assessment Team: Role and Responsibilities • Participate in annual Network meetings and meetings with early childhood practitioners.
• Work with the Research Teams to the development of the classroom observation measure. • Work with the Network Lead to disseminate information about the classroom observation tool ies.ed.gov
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Early Learning Assessment Team: General Requirements
• Sample
– You must focus on children from prekindergarten (ages 3-5) through early elementary school grades (kindergarten through third grade) – You must focus on typically developing children, including children who are at risk for lower school achievement because of socio-demographic factors
• Outcomes – For preschool, you must include measures of children’s school readiness skills – For elementary school grades (K-3), you must include measures of academic achievement and social-behavioral competencies that are associated with academic achievement in early elementary grades
• Setting – For preschool, research must be conducted in center-based prekindergarten programs – For elementary school grades (K-3), research must be conducted in public elementary schools and cover multiple grades. You may conduct some research in private elementary schools ies.ed.gov
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Early Learning Assessment Team: Narrative Requirements • The 25-page project narrative must include four sections: • Significance • Research Plan • Personnel • Resources
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Early Learning Assessment Team: Significance • Explain why it is important to develop a new classroom observation tool for use in preschool and early elementary grade classrooms • Provide a description of the assessment to be developed
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Early Learning Assessment Team: Research Plan • Describe the methodology you will use to develop the measure • Your research plan must include a description of the following: – Sample – Setting – Development process – Data analysis procedures ies.ed.gov
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Early Learning Assessment Team: Personnel • Describe the relevant expertise of your Assessment Team, the responsibilities of each team member, and each team member’s time commitments • Identify key personnel and describe their qualifications
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Early Learning Assessment Team: Resources • Describe how you have the institutional capacity to complete a project of this size and complexity • Describe your access to the resources you will need to successfully complete this project • Describe your access to the resources you will need to disseminate the measure
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SECTION IV: COLLEGE COMPLETION NETWORK • Big-Picture Planning for Your Application – How do I organize research within the field of research on degree completion in the focus setting? – How does my research project fit within this framework? – Why should a review panel believe that my approach will make a difference for students? – Why should a review panel believe that my method for assessing the efficacy of my approach will yield trustworthy evidence? ies.ed.gov
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Network Background/Objectives – Focus outcome: degree completion – Focus setting: Students at open- and broadaccess institutions – Key dimensions of challenge/opportunity – Collaboration between researchers, with states, systems, institutions – Promising strategies + compelling evidence → Scalable Solutions ies.ed.gov
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Research Teams: Key Requirements – Efficacy study – Collaborate with network members – Sample: degree-eligible students (and 1 sub-group) – Outcomes: degree completion wherever possible – Setting: open- or broad-access institutions ies.ed.gov
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Research Teams: Significance Section – Overview: conceptual frame of degree completion for students within the focus setting – Collaboration with systems and institutions – Description & theory of action for your approach – Relevance of your study to policy and practice ies.ed.gov
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Research Teams: Research Plan – Development Process (if applicable) – Research Design: producing causal evidence – Design Elements: power analysis, outcome measures, mediators and moderators, fidelity of implementation, control group practices, and analysis procedures – Cost Analysis
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Research Teams: Personnel – Qualifications to carry out the proposed work – Sufficient time to carry out the proposed work – Record of dissemination – Management structure and organization chart
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Research Teams: Resources – Grant management capacity (primary institution) – Research resources (primary, subaward, outside) – Access to participating colleges and universities (letters of agreement) – Dissemination resources
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Section V: Network Lead Application Roles and Responsibilities (Both Networks) • Planning and facilitating Network meetings • Coordinating Network supplementary activities • Developing and hosting a Network website • Organizing briefings and presentations ies.ed.gov
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Network Lead: General Requirements (Both Networks) • Eligible applicants include: – Applicants for the Research Team (both topics) – Applicants for the Assessment Team (Early Learning topic)
• 15-page Application (Early Learning) • 10-page Application (College Completion) • The application must include: – A description of your Network plans – A description of your qualifications to serve as the Network Lead ies.ed.gov
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Network Lead: Project Narrative (Both Networks) • Network Plans – Describe your understanding of the network’s goals as they relate to the current fields of research, policy, and practice – Describe your vision of how the Network Lead will help the network accomplish its goals – Describe your plans for meeting the minimum requirements for Network Lead
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Network Lead: Personnel and Resources (Both Networks) • Describe the qualifications of key personnel • Describe the resources your university, research firm, or organization will provide for the Network Lead role
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Early Learning Network Lead: Roles and Responsibilities • Early Learning Network: Meeting with Preschool Development Grant recipients • Early Learning Network: Providing research guidance and tools for early childhood practitioners
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Early Learning Network Lead: Project Narrative • Network Plans – Describe your understanding of the network’s goals as they relate to the current fields of research, policy, and practice – Describe your vision of how the Network Lead will help the network accomplish its goals – Describe your plans for meeting the minimum requirements for Network Lead – Describe your plans for meeting with PDG recipients – Describe your plans for providing research guidance and tools for early childhood practitioners ies.ed.gov
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SECTION VI: Application Requirements • A PI/Project Team may only submit one Research Team application. • Research Team and Assessment Team applicants may apply for the Network Lead role. • For the Early Learning Network, applicants must choose between the Research Team and Assessment Team roles; they cannot apply for both. ies.ed.gov
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Important Dates & Deadlines Application Deadline
Letter of Application Possible Start Intent Due Package Dates Date Posted August 6, June 4, 2015 May 21, January 1, 2016 2015 2015 to 4:30:00 PM June 1, 2016 DC Time
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Schedule of Network Meetings
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Number of meetings
Location
Year 1
2
At least one meeting in DC
Year 2
1
DC
Year 3
1
DC
Year 4
1
DC
Year 5
1
DC
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Other Important Sections of the Application • • • • •
Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Budget & Budget Narrative
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Appendix A: Not applicable for the network competition • Appendix A is reserved for resubmissions of applications. Because the network competition is new in FY2016, it does not apply.
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Appendix B Page Limit: 15 • Figures, charts, or tables that supplement the project narrative • Timelines for the project (very useful) • Examples of measures to be used – E.g., tests, surveys, observation, and interview protocols
• Do NOT include narrative text ies.ed.gov
Appendix C Page Limit: 10 • Examples of materials used in the program or policy: – – – – –
curriculum material computer screen shots training documents assessment items other materials
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Appendix D: Letters of Agreement No Page Limit • Letters of Agreement from all the research partners – Joint Letter from key partners – Separate Letters from other organizations involved – Letters should clearly state the organization’s expected role in the partnership and their commitments to the project – Similar letters from any consultants, districts, and schools taking part – Letters from holders of data should make clear that the data described in the application will be provided for the proposed use by the project ies.ed.gov
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Appendix E: Data Management Plan (Required for Research Team Applications) Page Limit: 5 pages • Requirement: Research Team applications under both networks must include a Data Management Plan in Appendix E. • Content: Include your data management plan in this section. ies.ed.gov
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Budget and Budget Narrative Network Topic
Network Role
Maximum Number of Awards
Maximum Grant Duration
Maximum Grant Awards
Supporting Early Learning from Preschool through Elementary School Grades
Research Team
4
5 years
$4,500,000 ($4,000,000 for Primary Research and $500,000 for Assessment work)
Assessment Team
1
5 years
$2,000,000
Network Lead
1
5 years
$2,000,000
Research Team
4
5 years
$4,000,000
Network Lead
1
5 years
$1,000,000
Scalable Strategies to Support College ies.ed.gov Completion
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SECTION VII: PREPARING A RESPONSIVE, HIGH QUALITY APPLICATION • Download and complete the correct application package from Grants.gov • Pay close attention to the general-, topic-, and role-specific requirements • Do not exceed maximum award amounts • Comply with formatting and font-size requirements; page limits, allowable content; and required content for the application • Submit your applications no later than 4:30:00pm Washington, DC time on August 6, 2015 ies.ed.gov
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Peer Review Standards & Review Office • Compliance screening for format requirements • Responsiveness screening for program requirements • Assignment to reviewers with substantive and methodological expertise on your topic • Reviewers assign preliminary scores • Most competitive applications go to full panel – Many panelists will be generalists to your topic – Panelists discuss each application and assign final scores
• Funding decisions based on panel scores and available resources ies.ed.gov
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Criteria and Scoring: Research Team and Assessment Team • Proposals will be evaluated on four criteria: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Significance Research Plan Personnel Resources
• Pay close attention to Recommendations for a Strong Application – The recommendations derive from IES experience – Reviewers use the recommendations to differentiate high- and low-quality applications ies.ed.gov
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Criteria and Scoring: Network Lead • Proposals will be evaluated on two criteria: 1. Plans 2. Qualifications
• Pay close attention to Recommendations for a Strong Application – The recommendations derive from IES experience – Reviewers use the recommendations to differentiate high- and low-quality applications ies.ed.gov
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Easy Tips to Improve Your Score • Put yourself in the reviewer’s shoes – Good, clear writing makes a difference! – Use diagrams and figures to help explain complex ideas, such as conceptual frameworks – Do not use diagrams with microscopic print
• Make information easy to find – Follow the same headings and subheadings as the RFA – Use bullet points and boldface to underscore key points
• Seek others’ input before you submit your proposal – IES program officer – Colleagues who did not work with you on the proposal – Proofreader ies.ed.gov
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Information Sources • Request for Applications – http://ies.ed.gov/funding/
• Abstracts of Projects – http://ies.ed.gov/funding/grantsearch/index.asp
• Application Package – www.grants.gov
• Program Officers –
[email protected] –
[email protected] ies.ed.gov
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