Institute of Education Sciences (IES): National Center for Education Research (NCER): Research Training Programs in The Education Sciences, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.305B | ED GRANTS 111224 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 111224 001

This funding opportunity comes from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES), National Center for Education Research (NCER) under Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.305B. It is a discretionary grant program focused on research training rather than direct service delivery. The central aim is to build the field's capacity by preparing individuals to carry out rigorous, relevant education research that contributes to what is known about education and speaks to real needs faced by policymakers and practitioners. In practical terms, the program supports structured training and mentoring environments that help develop strong researchers with the methodological skills and professional grounding needed to produce scientifically valid work in education.

The opportunity encompasses multiple training topics or tracks, each with its own eligibility rules. One major track is "Pathways to the Education Sciences," which is designed to broaden entry into education research training and strengthen pipelines, especially through minority-serving institutions (MSIs). For this track, the applicant must either be an MSI located in the territorial United States that awards bachelors or masters degrees in fields relevant to education, or an academic institution (also located in the territorial United States and awarding bachelors or masters degrees in relevant fields) that applies in partnership with an eligible MSI. Importantly, any member of the partnership can serve as the official grantee. There is also a limitation meant to avoid repeat funding of the same institutional teams: an institution cannot apply to the Pathways competition, or participate as a partner, if it was the grantee or a partner on an FY 2021 Pathways Training grant award.

A second track is the "Predoctoral Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in the Education Sciences." This track is aimed at doctoral-level preparation, emphasizing interdisciplinary training aligned with education research. Eligibility here is narrower: the applicant must be an academic institution in the territorial United States that confers doctoral degrees in fields relevant to education. There is again a prior-award restriction: an institution may not submit an application to the Predoctoral Training Program if it received an FY 2020 Predoctoral Training grant award.

The notice also references training opportunities for researchers beyond the predoctoral stage, including the "Early Career Development and Mentoring Program for Education Research" and "Methods Training for Education Researchers." For these, eligibility is broader and centers on organizational capacity to conduct scientifically valid research. A wide range of organizations may apply, including public and private agencies, institutions of higher education (colleges and universities), and nonprofit and for-profit organizations, as long as they can credibly support rigorous research and training activities. The grants are intended to support structured mentoring and skill development that strengthens researchers' ability to design studies, apply appropriate methods, and produce high-quality evidence.

From the grant listing information provided, the opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number ED GRANTS 111224 001, with an original closing date of March 7, 2025, and a creation date of November 12, 2024. The eligible applicant types shown in the listing are broad and include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); and other entities. That general eligibility should still be read in light of the topic-specific eligibility requirements described above, since each track has its own constraints (for example, MSI requirements for Pathways and doctoral-degree requirements for Predoctoral).

The synopsis repeatedly emphasizes that it is not the official controlling document and that the authoritative requirements are in the Federal Register application notice. Applicants are directed to consult the Federal Register for the full set of rules, including detailed eligibility conditions, required application components, pre-application and application procedures, performance measures, priorities, and program contact information. The notice also points applicants to the Department of Education's Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (published December 7, 2022) for information on how to obtain and submit an application and for standard submission expectations. In short, this opportunity funds education research training programs that build talent and methodological expertise, with distinct tracks targeting pathways into research (often through MSIs), interdisciplinary predoctoral preparation, and early-career and methods-focused development for education researchers.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Institute of Education Sciences (IES): National Center for Education Research (NCER): Research Training Programs in The Education Sciences, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.305B" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.305.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-11-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-03-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for ED GRANTS 111224 001

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: