U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences
Research in Special Education
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 scientifically rigorous research contributing to the solution of specific early intervention and education problems associated with children with disabilities.
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.
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 2016. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | $4.2M spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $3.8M | 2021 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $3.6M | 2020 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $3.3M | 2017 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $3.3M | 2019 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $3.1M | 2020 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $1.8M | 2023 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $1.7M | 2023 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $1.5M | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $1.4M | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | $1.4M | 2020 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $1.4M | 2016 |
Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse, USAspending.gov.
Tennessee groups that got this money through Tennessee Department of Education
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. In Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Education passes it on: watch that agency for applications, not the federal agency. 39 pass-through grants on file. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Texas at Austin | $1.1M | 2025 |
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City, Washington County | Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska | $985K | 2026 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Kansas Center for Research Inc | $555K | 2023 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | The Leland Stanford Junior University | $374K | 2023 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia | $299K | 2024 |
| Create, Inc. | Brentwood | The Pennsylvania State University | $269K | 2026 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Kansas Center for Research Inc | $225K | 2026 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | University of Texas at Austin | $223K spent that year | 2025 |
| Create, Inc. | Brentwood | The Pennsylvania State University | $211K | 2026 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc | $200K spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Texas at Austin | $185K | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | $178K | 2026 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).