Call for Proposals |
The AERA Research Grant application is available! The next application deadline is Thursday, September 10, 2015.With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the AERA Grants Program announces itsResearch Grants competition. The program seeks to stimulate research on U.S. education issues using data from the large-scale, national and international data sets supported by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NSF, and other federal agencies, and to increase the number of education researchers using these data sets. The program supports research projects that are quantitative in nature, include the analysis of existing data from NCES, NSF or other federal agencies, and have U.S. education policy relevance. DescriptionAERA invites education-related research proposals using NCES, NSF, and other federal databases. Research Grants are available for faculty at institutions of higher education, postdoctoral researchers, and other doctoral-level scholars. Applications are encouraged from a variety of disciplines, such as but not limited to, education, sociology, economics, psychology, demography, statistics, and psychometrics. The Governing Board for the AERA Grants Program has established the following four strands of emphasis for proposals. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that:
Research projects related to at least one of the strands above and to science and/or mathematics education are especially encouraged. Other topics of interest include policies and practices related to student achievement in STEM, contextual factors in education, educational participation and persistence (kindergarten through graduate school), early childhood education, and postsecondary education. The research project must include the analysis of data from at least one of the large-scale, nationally or internationally representative data sets supported by NCES, NSF, or other federal agency, such as the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the National Institutes of Health. The data set(s) of interest must be available for analysis at the time of application (public- or restricted-use files are permissible). Additional data sets may be used in conjunction with the obligatory federal data set. If international data sets are used, the study must include U.S. education. |
Eligibility
Applicants for Research Grants may be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents. Non-U.S. citizens working at a U.S. institution are also eligible to apply. Applicants must have received the doctoral degree by the start date of the grant. Underrepresented racial and ethnic minority researchers are strongly encouraged to apply.
Please note that researchers who have previously received a major award through the AERA Grants Program (i.e., AERA Research Grant as a PI or Co-PI, AERA Postdoctoral Fellowship, or AERA Fellowship) may not apply for a Research Grant. However, applicants who have received an AERA Dissertation Grant are eligible to apply for a Research Grant. Dissertation Grant recipients must complete the Dissertation Grant before applying for a Research Grant.
Awards
Awards for Research Grants are up to $20,000 for 1-year projects or up to $35,000 for 2-year projects. In accordance with AERA's agreement with the funding agencies, institutions may not charge indirect costs or overhead on these awards.
Application Requirements
All information must be entered and uploaded electronically by the deadline. Late applications and supporting materials will not be accepted. All uploaded documents must be submitted as .pdf files. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit proposals in advance of the deadline.
You may complete your application in one sitting, or you may save your work and return to it later. However, documents that have been uploaded into "browse" boxes will not be saved from one session to another. When all information has been entered and you click the "Submit Proposal" button, your information will be transmitted to AERA and you will receive an email notification that your application has been received.
The AERA Dissertation Grant proposal includes the following components:
Principal Investigator (PI) information
PI enters name, contact information, and background information.
Co-Principal Investigator(s) (Co-PI) information, if applicable
If the project has one or two Co-PIs, enter their information.
Research abstract
Enter the abstract of your proposed research project (250 words maximum). You may cut and paste the abstract or type it into the text box.
Contribution to the field
Briefly describe the potential contributions this research will make to the field of education (200 words maximum). You may cut and paste or type into the text box.
Proposal and Supporting Documents
Enter the proposal title, amount of funding requested, start and end dates of the project, the data set(s) used (e.g., ECLS-K, ELS:2002, IPEDS, CCD, AddHealth, etc.) Proposals must include the analysis of at least one nationally or internationally representative data set supported by NCES, NSF, or other U.S. federal agencies (such as Labor, Census, NIH, etc.).
The proposal is one uploaded document that must be submitted in PDF. Proposals must be self-contained within the specified page limitations. Internet Web site addresses (URLs) may not be used to provide information necessary to the review because reviewers are under no obligation to view the Internet sites.
Proposal
The Research Grant proposal must include the following 7 components in one PDF document. Proposals should be organized in the order listed, and page limitations for components 1 through 4 must be observed. Please include your last name and first initial in the uploaded document's name (example, Doe_J_proposal.pdf).
1. The proposal narrative should be no more than seven pages in length, single-spaced, in 12 point type with 1" margins. Approximately three pages should be devoted to the problem statement/policy issue, theoretical framework, review of current literature, and research questions. The remaining four pages should include the methodology, contributions to policy, and dissemination plan. The methodology section should describe the proposed data set and criteria for selecting the data file, sample (e.g., groups used, exclusions to sample, and estimated sample sizes), the selection of variables and rationale for using them, and analytic techniques. Applicants must present a clear and well-thought-out model that identifies the selected variables and specifies the analysis to be done. The brief dissemination plan should include the intended audience and relevant journals where the research findings might be submitted for publication and professional meetings where the findings might be presented. (7 pages maximum)
2. The conceptual model(s) that outline the framework or design of the study. (2 pages maximum)
3. The statistical model(s) or formulas, appropriately defined, that are connected to the conceptual model. (2 pages maximum)
4. Variables list. A categorized one or two-page list of the variables from the NCES, NSF, or other data set(s) that will be used in this research project. (2 pages maximum)
5. Reference list. A list of all references included in the text or in the models. Use complete citations, including titles and all authors. (no page limit)
6. Budget. There is no specific template for the budget. It may be a simple 2-column format or a more complex spreadsheet. Note that institutions may not charge overhead on AERA Research Grants. (no page limit)
7. Current other support. If you currently have support from other sources (foundations, government agencies, institutions, etc.), include a list of any grants or fellowships that the PI and Co-PIs have been awarded. Include the name of the funding organization, the title of the project, dates of the project, and the amount awarded. (no page limit)
Supporting Documents
The curriculum vitae (CV) for PIs and Co-PIs (if applicable) are uploaded separately. All must be uploaded in PDF. Each CV should be no longer than two pages.
Institutional endorsement (optional). If your institution requires that an institutional cover page or endorsement accompany this proposal, that document may be uploaded separately in PDF.
If you have questions or technical problems, or if you do not receive a confirmation message with the proposal submission date and ID number, please contact grantsprogram@aera.net.
Application Deadlines
Proposals for Research Grants will be reviewed twice a year, once in the fall and once in the winter.
The AERA Research Grant application is available! The next application deadline is Thursday, September 10, 2015.
All applicants will be notified of their status by the end of December 2015. All applicants will be notified about the status of their application at this time. Due to the large volume of applications received, the AERA Grants Program is unable to provide individual feedback on unfunded proposals.
Application Submission
Proposals must be submitted electronically. Applicants should read carefully the entire Call for Proposals prior to starting the online submission process. Applicants will be asked to enter specific information in text boxes and upload documents that have been saved in PDF. The deadline for submission is 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals in advance of the deadline. Submission must be made electronically on the AERA Research Grant submission web page.
Contact grantsprogram@aera.net if you have questions regarding the application or submission process. All awards are contingent upon AERA's receiving continued federal funding.
Important Additional Information Regarding Research Grants
Considerations in the development of the proposal
Applicants are strongly encouraged to read Estimating Causal Effects: Using Experimental and Observational Designs, by B. Schneider, et.al. prior to submitting a research grant proposal.
Selection bias is a recurring issue during the review process and should be addressed in the proposal.
All proposals must include the analysis of data from at least one of the large-scale, national or international data sets supported by NCES, NSF, or other federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Census Bureau, or the National Institutes of Health. Additional large-scale data sets may be used in conjunction with the obligatory federal data set. If international data sets are used, the study must include U.S. education. The data set(s) of interest must be available for analysis at the time of application (public- or restricted-use files are permissible).
Applicants should choose research topics that can be supported by the samples and variables contained in the proposed data set(s). Applicants should also be familiar with the specific data set’s User Guides and/or Manuals (e.g., use of design weights and design effects).
Applicants should be familiar with statistical methods and available computer programs that allow for sophisticated analyses of the selected data.
The proposed topic must have education policy relevance, and models to be tested must include predictor variables that are manipulable (e.g., course work in mathematics, instructional practices used by teachers, parental involvement).
Applicants who plan to model achievement test data should define the achievement construct and identify the kinds of items to be used to operationalize the research project. Also, when planning to use existing subscales, the applicant should describe why these subscales are appropriate and how they will be applied. Existing subscales provided by NCES may not be appropriate for the proposed construct.
Applicants should adequately deal with the curricular content when it applies.
Applicants are encouraged to capitalize on the capacity of large-scale data sets to look at diverse populations.
The AERA Grants Program has funded more than 400 grant proposals to date. Applicants are encouraged to review the lists of Funded Research Grants and Funded Dissertation Grants to ensure that their proposed project has not already been done.
A researcher may submit only one proposal to the AERA Grants Program for review at any one time.
Proposal dates
AERA is flexible on research project dates, depending on what is best for the applicant. The earliest date a grant may start is approximately three months following the application submission. Alternatively, an award start date of several months after the review date may be requested.
Funding restrictions
Research Grantees may not accept an additional grant or fellowship award from another agency, foundation, institution, or the like for the same research project that is funded by the AERA Grants Program. If the awardee receives more than one grant or fellowship for the same project, in order to accept the AERA Grants Program Research Grant, the other award(s) must be declined.
Evaluation criteria
Evaluation criteria will include the importance of the proposed policy issue, the strength of the methodological model and proposed statistical analysis of the study, and the relevant experience and research record of the applicant. Additionally, the review criteria will include the following: Is the policy issue clearly defined? What is already known on the issue? How does the methodology relate specifically to the policy question? Does the applicant know the data set? Does the analytic plan fit the question and the data? Is the applicant qualified to carry out the proposed study? Reviewers will be members of the AERA Grants Program Governing Board. Due to the large volume of applications received, the AERA Grants Program is unable to provide individual feedback on unfunded proposals.
Reporting requirements
All Research Grantees will be required to submit a brief (3-6 pages) progress report mid-way through the grant period. A final report will be submitted at the end of the grant period. The final report should be an article based on the proposed research and of the quality and in the format for submission to a journal for publication.
Funding disbursement
Funding will be linked to the approval of the progress report and final report. Grantees will receive two-thirds of the total award at the beginning of the grant period, one-sixth upon acceptance of the progress report, and one-sixth upon acceptance of the final report. In most cases, awardees may choose whether to have funds sent directly to them or have the funds channeled through their institutions. If the award is channeled through the PI's institution, no overhead or indirect costs are allowed on AERA grant funds.
Click here to apply for an AERA Research Grant or visit the AERA Grants Program Website at https://www.aera.net/Professional-Opportunities-Funding/AERA-Funding-Opportunities/Grants-Program