Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Innovation and Early Learning Programs: Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program Early-Phase Grants Assistance Listing Number 84.411C | ED GRANTS 050624 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 050624 003

The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) is offering Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program Early-Phase Grants under Assistance Listing Number 84.411C. This is a discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Education aimed at supporting new, promising, and evidence-informed ideas that could improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students. The program is authorized under section 4611 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended, and it is built around the idea that the field needs a steady pipeline of innovations that are designed thoughtfully, tested carefully, and then expanded only when there is solid proof they work.

A key feature of EIR is its multi-tier structure, which ties the size and purpose of grants to the strength of evidence behind the proposed approach. The broader EIR program includes three tiers: Early-phase, Mid-phase, and Expansion. This particular notice is only for Early-phase grants. Early-phase projects are expected to start with a credible rationale, meaning prior research or existing evidence suggests the intervention has promise, even if it has not yet been proven at scale. The focus at this stage is development, initial implementation, and feasibility testing. In other words, the Department is looking for applicants who are ready to pilot and study an innovation in real settings to see whether it can be implemented well and whether it shows signs of improving outcomes for high-need students. These grants are not meant for simply scaling up something already widely established, nor are they meant for one-off solutions that only make sense in a single niche context. The intent is to learn what works, for whom, and under what conditions, while generating evidence that could support moving into later tiers of EIR funding in the future.

The opportunity emphasizes rigorous evaluation as part of the work. Awardees are expected not only to run an innovative program but also to test it and produce useful evidence and information. That evaluation component is central to the program design because EIR is intended to both create solutions and validate them, so successful projects can eventually be replicated or scaled to serve many more students beyond the initial sites.

Eligible applicants are broad and include local educational agencies (LEAs), state educational agencies (SEAs), the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and consortia of SEAs or LEAs. Nonprofit organizations (as defined in the notice) can also apply, and partnerships are explicitly encouraged: an LEA, SEA, BIE, or eligible consortium may apply in partnership with a nonprofit organization, a business, an educational service agency, or an institution of higher education (IHE). IHEs generally participate as partners, but certain IHE-related entities can be eligible applicants in their own right if they meet nonprofit status requirements, such as private nonprofit IHEs, affiliated nonprofit foundations, or public IHEs that have 501(c)(3) status. The notice is also careful to clarify what does and does not count as a nonprofit for eligibility purposes, including the documentation that can be used to prove nonprofit status under 34 CFR 75.51 (for example, IRS 501(c)(3) determination letters, state certifications, or incorporation documents).

There is also a specific pathway for being considered a rural applicant. To qualify as rural under this program, the applicant must meet two conditions: first, the applicant entity must fit one of the listed rural-eligible structures (such as an LEA or consortium of LEAs) tied to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) urban-centric locale codes 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43; and second, a majority of the schools served by the project must also carry one of those locale codes (or a combination of them). The Department points applicants to NCES district and school search tools to confirm locale codes, and notes that additional detail on rural eligibility will be included in the application package.

From the funding details provided, the opportunity number is ED GRANTS 050624 003, with an original application closing date of July 22, 2024. The award ceiling is $6,000,000, and the Department anticipates making about 15 awards. As with most Department of Education discretionary grants, applicants are directed to rely on the official Federal Register notice for the controlling requirements, including submission instructions, priorities, performance measures, and any pre-application or application procedures. The notice also points applicants to the Department’s Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (published December 7, 2022) for standardized guidance on how to obtain and submit applications.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Innovation and Early Learning Programs: Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program Early-Phase Grants Assistance Listing Number 84.411C" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.411.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-22. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $6,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Independent school districts, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for ED GRANTS 050624 003

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