Grant Writing Workshop for Young Investigators Elizabeth R. Albro, Ph.D. Associate Commissioner Teaching and Learning Division National Center for Education Research
Getting Started Recognize that competing a successful grant application is a process that begins before the initial application submission.
And that preparing a grant application is part of building your program of research.
“Pre-Application Submission Process” • Acquire experience taking responsibility for components of research projects (graduate student, postdoctoral fellow) • Start small – Smaller projects (e.g., internal grants) – Lesser roles on external proposals (e.g., co-PI, project manager)
• Demonstrate productivity
Application Process • • • •
Read the Request for Applications carefully Build a good team Talk to your Program Officer Write a good application
Read the Request for Applications Carefully
Finding Requests for Applications FY 2012 Requests for Applications are available on: http://ies.ed.gov/funding
Sign up for the IES Newsflash: http://ies.ed.gov/newsflash/
http://ies.ed.gov/
Finding Application Packages FY 2012 Application Packages are available on www.grants.gov.
Identify Appropriate Research Program
• Review RFAs • Review Project Abstracts – http://ies.ed.gov/ncer/projects/ – http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/projects/
• Talk to IES Program Officers
Research Grant Programs • Education and Special Education Research Grants Programs • National Research and Development Centers • Statistical and Research Methodology in Education • Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and Policies
Focus of this Presentation • Education Research Grants Program (84.305A) • Special Education Research Grants Program (84.324A)
Identify Appropriate Topic within Research Program
Education Research Topics (84.305A) • • • • • • •
Reading and Writing Mathematics and Science Education Cognition and Student Learning Social and Behavioral Context for Academic Learning Education Technology Effective Teachers and Effective Teaching Improving Education Systems: Policies, Organization, Management, and Leadership • Postsecondary and Adult Education • Early Learning Programs and Policies • English Learners
Special Education Research Topics (84.324A) • • • • • • • • • • •
Early Intervention and Early Learning in Special Education Reading, Writing, and Language Development Mathematics and Science Education Social and Behavioral Outcomes to Support Learning Transition Outcomes for Special Education Secondary Students Cognition and Student Learning in Special Education Professional Development for Teachers and Related Service Providers Special Education Policy, Finance, and Systems Autism Spectrum Disorders Technology for Special Education Families with Children with Disabilities
Identify Appropriate Goal
Determine Which Goal is Right for You • • • • •
Exploration Development & Innovation Efficacy and Replication Scale-Up Evaluation Measurement
Helpful Hint • Proposing a smaller project often makes sense for junior investigators without long histories of managing research grants.
Exploration • Explore the association between malleable factors and education outcomes – A malleable factor can be changed by the education system be it a characteristic of students (e.g., skills, behaviors), teachers (e.g., credentials, practices) or school (e.g., climate, size) , or an education program or policy • Underlying processes that enhance or inhibit learning • Aspects of a school, district, or community associated with beneficial education outcomes • Education interventions associated with beneficial education outcomes (e.g., professional development, curricula, policies)
• Explore factors that mediate or moderate the relationship between malleable factors and student outcomes
Exploration May Include • Original data collection with appropriate statistical analyses • Secondary data analysis of existing datasets • Secondary data analysis complemented by primary data collection • Meta-analyses designed to determine moderators or moderators of effects
Exploration – Secondary data analysis or meta-analysis: • Typical award: $100,000 to $300,000 per year (direct and indirect) • Maximum 2 years and $700,000
– Primary data collection and analysis (with or without a secondary data analysis): • Typical award: $100,000 to $400,000 per year • Maximum 4 years and $1,600,000
Development and Innovation • Develop new interventions (e.g., instructional practices, curricula, teacher professional development) • Demonstrate the feasibility of the intervention for implementation in an authentic education delivery setting • Collect pilot data on promise of intervention to achieve intended outcomes
Development and Innovation • Typical award: $150,000 to $400,000 per year • Maximum of 3 years and $1,500,000 • No more than 30% of award can be used for the pilot study
Efficacy and Replication • Causal test of whether or not a fully developed intervention has a beneficial impact on student outcomes relative to a counterfactual in an authentic educational setting – Interventions already in wide use – Interventions not in wide use
• Takes place under “ideal” conditions – Homogenous sample of students/schools – Extra assistance to support high implementation
Efficacy and Replication • Typical award: $250,000 to $650,000 per year • Maximum of 4 years and $3,500,000
Scale-up Evaluation • Independent causal test of whether or not a fully developed efficacious intervention has a beneficial impact on student outcomes relative to a counterfactual in an authentic educational setting under routine implementation – Independent: evaluation team has no financial interest in intervention – Efficacious: evidence of intervention’s efficacy – Routine implementation: as implemented by practitioners with expected level of support if adopted by a school or district
Scale-up Evaluations • Typical award: $350,000 to $900,000 per year
• Maximum of 5 years and $5,000,000 • Limit of 25% of budget for implementation of the intervention
Measurement • Develop and test assessments or other measurement tools • Typical award: $150,000 to $300,000 per year • Maximum of 4 years and $1,600,000
Which Goal and Topic are Right for You? • Choose topic and goal that demonstrate your expertise and skills • Start to think about which goal is appropriate for the question(s) you want to answer • Look at the abstracts of projects funded under a research topic • http://ies.ed.gov/funding/grantsearch/index.asp
What if My Program is “Between” Goals or Topics? PICK ONE! – Read the Request for Applications – 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….
Challenge Your challenge is to convince reviewers that you and your team have the skills and experience to implement well what you have proposed.
Build a Good Team
How to Build a Team •Think about the type of expertise that is needed to carry out the project. For example, •Curriculum Development •Psychometrician •Statistician/Methodologist •Consider Goal •Consider your own training and experience
How to Build a Team (cont.) • Demonstrate your productivity • Include a senior researcher with a strong grant record as a member of the team • Ensure all team members commit sufficient time to implement competently the proposed research
Next Steps • Read the Request for Applications closely one more time and confirm that your idea fits the requirements for a specific Topic (e.g., Read/Write) and Goal • Then talk to your Program Officer
Talk to the Program Officer • Call or email IES program officers early in the process
• IES program staff can provide feedback on: – research idea
– topic – goal
– abstracts and draft proposals
Information for Applying Requests for Applications Letter of Intent IES Grants.gov Application Submission Guide Application Package Key Dates
Request for Applications (RFA) • A separate RFA for each grant program • Describes the requirements for an application
• Requests for Applications are available on: http://ies.ed.gov/funding • To be informed about the release of future RFAs, sign up for the IES Newsflash: http://ies.ed.gov/newsflash/
Letter of Intent (LOI) • A short description of your intended application – PI, institution, collaborators – Budget – rough estimate – Up to 1 page abstract describing the work
• Purpose – Used by program officers to discuss your idea – Used by IES Office of Standards and Review to plan for peer review process – Not used in the peer review process – superseded by your application
• Submitted on http://iesreview.ed.gov
IES Grants.gov Application Submission Guide • Instructions for completing and submitting the application package • Available on http://ies.ed.gov/funding
Application Packages • Contains the forms to be filled out and submitted as your application • Available at www.grants.gov – Help:
[email protected] or 1-800-518-4726 • For the June 23, 2011 application deadline, packages will be available starting April 21, 2011 • For the September 22, 2011 deadline, packages will be available starting July 21, 2011 • Packages are specific for grant program and deadline
Key Dates Application Letter of Intent Deadline Due iesreview.ed.gov
Application Package Available
Start Dates
www.grants.gov
6/23/11
4/21/11
4/21/11
3/1/12 to 9/1/12
9/22/11
7/21/11
7/21/11
7/1/12 to 9/1/12
Write a Good Application (Complete ALL components)
Preparing the Application Package • SF 424 Research and Related (R&R) forms including R&R Total Federal and Non-Federal Budget form • Project Summary/Abstract • Contents of the Application
Contents of Application Include: • Project Narrative • Bibliography and References Cited • Biographical Sketches of Key Project Personnel • Narrative Budget Justification • Subaward Budgets
Contents of Application Also Include: • Appendix A (tables, charts, figures, and response to reviewers if a resubmission) • Appendix B (curriculum materials) • Appendix C (letters of agreement) • Additional forms for applicants selected for funding
Creating a Budget: Get Help
• • • •
Personnel Fringe Benefits Travel Equipment
• • • •
Supplies Contractual Other Indirect Costs
Preparing the Project Narrative
Project Narrative Has 4 Sections • • • •
Significance Research Plan Personnel Resources
For greater detail see the IES Grant Writing Workshop webinar slides.
Significance • Read the RFA • Information required to address significance of project depends on the Research Goal • Theoretical foundation, and prior empirical support for your proposed work
Research Plan • Read the RFA
• Information required of the research plan depends on the Research Goal • Details are key • Make sure what you plan to do, and how you plan to do it, is clearly described
Personnel • Include short description of role of key personnel in “Personnel” section of narrative • Use biographical sketches (CVs) to further document expertise and productivity • Budget narrative can also include information about research assistants and other personnel
Resources • Include a section called “Resources” • Possible resources include: – Datasets – Teachers, classrooms, schools – Computer laboratories
• In Appendix C document access to schools or datasets needed to conduct research project
A Critical Resource: Relationships with Schools
Additional Reminders • Pay attention to what can and cannot be included in the Appendices • Have a colleague who isn’t involved in the project read a draft
Reviewers’ Perspectives • • • • •
Write clearly and concisely Address the points described in RFA Organize information in logical sequence Label sections and number pages Make it easy for reviewers to find and understand the information
Submitting an Application • All applications must be submitted electronically to: – http://www.grants.gov • Application Deadlines – June 23, 2011 – September 22, 2011 – 4:30:00 pm Washington DC time
• DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!
Grant Submission • • • • •
Make sure your institution is registered on grants.gov Complete your online forms and upload PDFs Authorized representative completes the process Submit by 4:30:00 EST on deadline – earlier is safer If problems uploading –
Contact Help Line 1-800-518-4726 and get a case number
• You should receive four emails – – – –
Grants.gov: assigns you a number that starts with GRANT Grants.gov: your application is validated or rejected due to errors. If the latter, correct and resubmit until validated. Dept. of Ed: retrieved your application from Grants.gov Dept. of ED: assigns you a number that starts with R305 or R324
Notification • All applicants will receive e-mail notification of the status of their application • All applicants receive copies of reviewer comments • If you are not granted an award the first time, plan on resubmitting and talk to your program officer
Final Reminders
Don’t Forget... • • • •
Start early Read the Request for Applications Talk with the program officer Start the online submission process early
Remember • You can’t get funded if you don’t submit an application • Revise and resubmit is the rule, not the exception • Persistence (often) pays off
ies.ed.gov
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