Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Innovation and Early Learning Programs: Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program—Expansion Grants Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.411A | ED GRANTS 052323 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 052323 002

The U.S. Department of Education, through the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), offered a discretionary grant competition under the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program for Expansion Grants, listed as ALN 84.411A (Funding Opportunity Number: ED GRANTS 052323 002). This opportunity is aimed at scaling up education innovations that already have a strong track record of success, particularly for high-need students, while also requiring rigorous evaluation to confirm that results can be reproduced and sustained when implemented more broadly.

EIR is authorized under section 4611 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended, and its overall purpose is to fund entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated innovations that improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students. A defining feature of EIR is that it is built to both generate credible evidence about what works in education and help proven approaches reach many more students. In other words, the program is not only about trying new ideas; it is also about validating them through research and then expanding the ones that show meaningful, measurable impact.

The EIR program uses a multi-tier structure that ties the size and type of award to the strength of the evidence behind the proposed intervention. Projects are generally expected to build evidence over time and move through three tiers: Early-phase, Mid-phase, and Expansion. These tiers differ in the amount of evidence applicants must already have, the level of evaluation expected during the grant, the scale at which the project operates, and the corresponding funding levels. This particular notice, however, invited applications only for Expansion grants; separate notices covered Early-phase and Mid-phase competitions.

Expansion grants are specifically intended for interventions supported by strong evidence (as defined in the official notice) in at least one population and setting. The goal is to take a program that has already demonstrated sizable and statistically significant impacts, whether through a prior EIR Mid-phase grant or another similar effort, and implement it at a much larger scale. Applicants are encouraged to operate at the national level (as defined in the notice), reflecting the program's emphasis on reaching substantially higher numbers of students. Just as important, Expansion awards require a rigorous evaluation designed to test whether earlier impacts can be reproduced in new contexts, whether the results can be sustained over time, and what conditions or implementation factors make the program more or less effective.

In terms of basic funding details, the maximum award amount (award ceiling) was $15,000,000, with an expectation of making about four awards. Applications were made available on May 25, 2023. The deadline for a Notice of Intent to Apply was June 22, 2023, and the deadline for submitting full applications was July 12, 2023. The intergovernmental review deadline was September 11, 2023. Because this is a Department of Education discretionary grant, applicants were directed to follow the Department's Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (published December 7, 2022 in the Federal Register) for submission addresses and standard application requirements.

Eligibility was not fully spelled out in the synopsis and was instead referenced as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," meaning applicants needed to consult the official Federal Register notice for the precise eligibility language and any conditions or definitions that control who may apply. Prospective applicants were also directed to the EIR program website for additional competition information, and the notice emphasized that the Federal Register publication is the official source for requirements related to pre-application steps, application submission instructions, performance measures, priorities, and program contacts.

For direct questions, the listed point of contact was Yvonne Crockett at the U.S. Department of Education, with the program email provided as eir@ed.gov and a telephone number of 202-987-1753. The Department also pointed applicants to the OESE EIR webpage for the FY 2023 competition materials and updates.

• 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—Expansion Grants Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.411A" 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 May 23, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 12, 2023 Applications Available May 25, 2023. Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply June 22, 2023. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications July 12, 2023. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review September 11, 2023. Pre-Application Information The Department will post additional competition information for prospective applicants on the EIR program website https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/innovation-early-learning/education-innovation-and-research-eir/fy-2023-competition/. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Yvonne Crockett, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202-5900. Telephone 202-987-1753. Email eir@ed.gov.. (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 $15,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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