U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences
Education Research, Development and Dissemination
Key facts
- Open now
- 1 grant
- Type of help
- Project grant
- Typical award
- Varies by competition.
- Deadlines
- Oct 01, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Open now
What it pays for
To support research activities that improve the quality of education and, thereby, increase student academic achievement, reduce the achievement gap between high-performing and low-performing students, and increase access to and completion of postsecondary education.
Who can apply
Applicants that have the ability and capacity to conduct scientifically valid research are eligible to apply. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, non-profit and for-profit organizations and public and private agencies and institutions, such as colleges and universities. SBIR contract awards are limited to eligible small businesses.
How applications are judged
The criteria for selecting applications are contained in the Request for Applications that announces the competition. Each request for Applications is posted on the Funding Opportunities home page of the Institute web site: http://ies.ed.gov/funding/.
Match
None required (federal program listing).
Who in Tennessee has won this program
17 awards to Tennessee groups since 2018. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Memphis | Memphis, Shelby County | $3.7M | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $3.6M | 2023 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | $2.7M spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | $2.6M spent that year | 2025 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis, Shelby County | $2M | 2022 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $1.7M | 2021 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $1.7M | 2022 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $1.7M | 2024 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis, Shelby County | $1.6M | 2020 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $1.5M | 2021 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $1.4M | 2024 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Rutherford County | $1.4M | 2019 |
Source: USAspending.gov, Federal Audit Clearinghouse.
Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. 42 pass-through grants on file. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Texas at Austin | $755K | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. | $541K | 2026 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. | $525K | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Texas at Austin | $448K | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | University of Texas at Austin | $256K spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | University of Georgia | $182K spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | US Department of Education | $157K spent that year | 2023 |
| Young Men's Christian Association of Middle Tennessee | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Texas at Austin | $154K | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | $142K | 2023 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Texas at Austin | $135K | 2023 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | Georgia State University | $101K spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | American Institute for Research | $98K spent that year | 2024 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).