By: Courtney Hagan, PhD
Evaluation Project Manager, Higher Ed
About the EIR Program Grant
The US Department of Education has issued an invitation for applications to the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program. The aim of this grant program is to support the “creation, development, implementation, replication, or scalability of evidence-based innovations to improve student achievement and attainment for high-needs students.” For this particular call, the EIR program is interested in supporting projects that “propose services and activities that help students recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerate learning and academic achievement, reimagine schools, and transform our education system.”
Grant Requirements
The EIR grant is broken down into three different phases: early-phase, mid-phase, and expansion. Each phase carries different expectations and requires different levels of evidence to support the application. Early-phase grant submissions need to introduce a new practice based on prior research that suggests the new practice has “promise.” Potential grantees must also submit a logic model that outlines goals, objectives, outcomes, and project components to meet the required evidence standard.
In addition to supporting evidence, early-phase grant applications require the evaluation to be either an experimental or quasi-experimental design. Either design requires meeting What Works Clearinghouse standards, ensuring that a strong research design was implemented, and therefore, allowing conclusions being drawn from how the implementation impacts outcomes. The designs offered in the grant application should provide a statistically significant effect of the intervention on student outcomes.
Interested in applying?
If you are interested in applying for the EIR Early-phase grant, and need assistance with your application, contact SEG (seg@shafferevaluation.com). Most recently, SEG collaborated with Boston College on their EIR Early-phase grant, which tested the efficacy of their Coding as Another Language curriculum. SEG will collaborate with you on research design at the grant application stage at no cost to your institution in exchange for being listed in your application as the external evaluator. Learn more about us here: https://www.shafferevaluation.com/
Please note the deadline for submitting the intent to apply is June 6, 2024, and the deadline for submitting the application is July 22, 2024. The mid-phase and expansion tiers have different deadlines.