Greetings Colleagues,  

Some new funding opportunities and reminders of some LOIs and RFPs to think about over the winter break and plan for in early 2021. The topics are educational research; crime, incarceration, and justice; and special education and early intervention. 

• The US Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences released the application packets for two competitions:  
• Institute of Education Sciences (IES): Education Research: Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice Assistance Listing Number 84.305N https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84305N.pdf 
      Through its National Center for Education Research (NCER), the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) supports a program of research to build knowledge and understanding of education practice and policy. In this competition, NCER requests applications to form Research Networks Focused on Critical Problems of Education Policy and Practice (Networks). The Networks program focuses resources and attention on education problems or issues that are a high priority for the nation and that create both a structure and process for researchers who are working on these issues to share ideas, build new knowledge, and strengthen their research and dissemination capacity. Networks advance the field’s understanding of a problem or issue beyond what an individual research project or team is able to do on its own and to assist policymakers and practitioners in using this information to strengthen education policies and programs and improve learner education outcomes. For FY 2021, IES invites proposals on two topics: 
  1. Building Adult Skills and Attainment through Technology Research Network (Adult Skills Network) 
  2. Digital Learning Platforms to Enable Efficient Education Research Network (Digital Learning Platforms Network) 
• Institute of Education Sciences (IES): Education Research: Transformative Research in The Education Sciences Assistance Listing Number 84.305T https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84305T.pdf 
      Through its National Center for Education Research (NCER), the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) supports a sustained program of research to build knowledge and understanding of education practice and policy. The program’s three intended outcomes are 1. Improved academic achievement and access to a high-quality education for all learners from early childhood through adulthood, particularly those at risk of failure; 2. Reduced gaps in achievement and opportunities between high-performing and low-performing learners; and 3. Improved access to, persistence in, progress through, and successful completion of postsecondary education.  
      In this Request for Applications (RFA), NCER invites applications for research projects that will contribute to its Transformative Research in the Education Sciences Grants program (CFDA 84.305T). This program supports innovative or unconventional research that has the potential to lead to new scientific paradigms, novel and more effective approaches to education practice or policy, or transformative technologies that substantially increase learner outcomes. Such innovation may require perspectives and experiences not typically represented in education research, and for that reason, applications are sought that reflect the full diversity of the nation’s research workforce. Individuals from diverse backgrounds and from the full spectrum of eligible institutions in all geographic locations are strongly encouraged to apply to this program. 
      Transformative Research Award applicants should propose research that is substantially different from current research. The innovation may be technical, conceptual, or a combination of both. Applicants must clearly demonstrate the potential to produce a major impact in an area relevant to IES’s mission. For this competition, IES defines major impact as an unusually broad and meaningful improvement in learner outcomes. 
  Both have a proposal deadline of February 25^th, 2021, and both have required LOIs due on January 7^th, 2021. These LOIs must identify a PI, Co-PIs, Collaborating Institutions, a preliminary program abstract, and a final budget amount for each year proposed. 

I will be conducting two planning sessions on January 5th, 2021 as an open RFP review consultation for faculty interested in applying. Please contact me by email for a link invitation.

 

• US Department of Justice National Institute of Justice Research and Evaluation of Services for Victims of Crime, Fiscal Year 2021 due February 16^th, 2021 
  https://nij.ojp.gov/awards/funding/O-NIJ-2021-40005.pdf 

In collaboration with the Office of Victims of Crime, NIJ is seeking applications in three main areas under this solicitation: 1) research and evaluation of State crime victim compensation programs; 2) research on the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of services to victims of crime; and 3) evaluation of programs that provide services for victims of crime. Applicants should submit proposals that address one of the three topics. 

• US Department of Justice National Institute of Justice Research on Juvenile Reoffending, Fiscal Year 2021 due February 22^nd, 2021 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/awards/O-NIJ-2021-45004.pdf 

With this solicitation, NIJ, in collaboration with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, seeks proposals for rigorous research projects that improve measurement of juvenile reoffending. NIJ encourages applicants to submit proposals for studies that advance knowledge and understanding of juvenile reoffending and aid jurisdictions and juvenile justice agencies in measuring and using juvenile reoffending data appropriately in their efforts to identify priorities, develop responses, and monitor and assess policies and programs. 

• US Department of Justice National Institute of Justice Research and Evaluation on Promising Reentry Initiatives, Fiscal Year 2021 due February 25^th, 2021 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/O-NIJ-2021-40002.pdf 

With this solicitation, NIJ requests proposals for rigorous research and evaluation projects to examine reentry initiatives that incorporate promising practices, strategies, or programs. NIJ is interested in supporting multi-site, randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluations of innovative reentry initiatives that: 

• Are specifically designed to address violent, habitual recidivism. 
• Are initiated during an individual’s incarceration and continue in the community. 
• Address multiple criminogenic needs that can be assessed incrementally. 

• US Department of Justice National Institute of Justice Research on Juvenile Justice Topics, Fiscal Year 2021 due February 25^th, 2021 

https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/O-NIJ-2021-40003.pdf 

With this solicitation, NIJ, in collaboration with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), seeks proposals for rigorous research projects that inform policy and practice in the field of juvenile justice. Specifically, this solicitation seeks proposals for studies that advance knowledge and understanding in one of the following two priority topic areas: (1) juvenile justice responses to the COVID-19 pandemic or (2) deinstitutionalization of status offenders. Applications proposing research outside of these two research areas will not be considered. 

• US Department of Justice National Institute of Justice Research and Evaluation on Policing, Fiscal Year 2021 due March 3^rd, 2021 
  https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/O-NIJ-2021-40004.pdf 

        NIJ seeks proposals for rigorous research and evaluation projects that address (1) re-allocation of resources and police operations and functions; (2) police use of force and de-escalations tactics and strategies; and (3) tactics and strategies that strengthen police-community relationships. These contemporary issues in policing are also reflected in the strategic priorities and objectives identified in NIJ’s Policing Strategic Research Plan, 2017-2022. Among other areas of interest, NIJ is interested in studies examining the approaches that address the challenges of policing in rural communities. 

• Texas Health and Human Services Commission Texas Healthy Outcomes through Prevention and Early Support due January 29, 2021 https://apps.hhs.texas.gov/PCS/HHS0008553/HHS0008553-HOPES-RFA.pdf 

PEI (Prevention and Early Intervention Division) partners with community-based programs and agencies to provide a variety of services that help prevent abuse, neglect, delinquency, and truancy of Texas Children. Not all services are available in all Texas communities. Services provided under this RFA are free of charge and participation is voluntary. Healthy Outcomes through Prevention and Early Support (HOPES) is a community-based program providing Child abuse and neglect prevention services by offering parent education, service coordination, parent advocacy, and basic needs support for Families with Children between zero (0) through five (5) years of age. PEI issued Grants to community organizations in targeted counties to provide a homevisiting program, community coalition, and services to promote Child welfare, early childhood education, and other Family services. The HOPES program addresses Child abuse and neglect prevention by focusing on community collaboration in high risk counties to increase Protective Factors of Families served to reduce the likelihood of abuse. This RFA will continue in the established service areas and expand to other Texas counties where there is high risk for Child maltreatment. The continuation of Child maltreatment prevention programming in counties already implementing HOPES will ensure a positive impact on county-level Child maltreatment rates across Texas. 

 

Reminders:  

 

Lever for Change/W.K. Kellogg Foundation Racial Equity 2030 Registration due January 28, 2021 5:00 PM ET after assessing qualification through Organizational Readiness Tool. Application due February 25, 2021 5:00 PM ET. 

https://www.racialequity2030.org/  

 

Due in February 2021 

 

NSF Mid-Career Advancement due February 1, 2021 

https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21516/nsf21516.htm 

 

NSF Growing Convergence Research (GCR) due February 1, 2021 

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505637 

 

NSF A Science of Science Policy Approach to Analyzing and Innovating the Biomedical Research Enterprise (SCISIPBIO) due February 9, 2021 

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505610 

 

NSF Ethical and Responsible Research (ER2) due February 9, 2021      

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505693 

 

NSF Science of Science: Discovery, Communication, and Impact (SoS:DCI) due February 10, 2021 

https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20128/nsf20128.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click 

 

NSF Cognitive Neuroscience (CogNeuro) due February 11, 2021; also August 13, 2021 

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5316 

 

NSF Science and Technology Studies (STS) due February 16, 2021 

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505697 

 

NSF Expeditions in Computing (Expeditions)due February 16, 2021 

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503169 

 

NSF EHR Core Research (ECR): Building Capacity in STEM Education Research (ECR: BCSER) due February 26, 2021 

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505645 

 

Due later in 2021 

 

NEH Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities due March 2, 2021 (note: application window is not open until January 4, 2021) 

https://www.neh.gov/grants/odh/institutes-advanced-topics-in-the-digital-humanities 

 

NSF Behavioral Systems Proposals accepted anytime 

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504676&org=IOS 

 

NSF Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) due August 13, 2021 

https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5467 

 

Please let me know if you would like any assistance in pursuing any of these competitions. In addition, I will be announcing planning meetings focused on organizing teams to target particular competitions.  

Have a safe and restful winter break. 

--Iwan