Before you submit your application, be sure to complete this checklist!
An abstract or summary of your project and a narrative addressing the topics above, not exceeding 2000 words (including the abstract)
Citations
Resume or CVs for the principal investigator (PI) and any other key staff
Sample system data (can be synthetic; the goal is to determine that your system is instrumented to capture student outcome metrics)
Budget in the template provided, along with any additional justification. Download a copy of the template and save your version with the file name convention PI LAST NAME_BUDGET.XLS.
We will not accept multiple applications from the same Principal Investigator.
Yes, we will accept multiple applications from organizations and departments, as long as they have different Principal Investigators.
Yes. Research must be conducted within the U.S., but there are no restrictions to affiliation. Keep in mind that you must be able to demonstrate your ability to comply with data security requirements and obtain IRB approvals, if applicable.
The competitiveness of funding opportunities will depend on the volume and strength of proposals received at each level. You should not apply for a $10k-$400k grant unless you have all the elements of a “shovel ready” research project lined up and are poised to begin field data collection by September, including a letter of agreement with a school district. If you wish to seek funding at this level, you should also be prepared to provide additional information about your project.
We prefer that all researchers be located in the U.S. to avoid complicated international payments.
We anticipate opening another opportunity to join the AIMS EduData initiative in Q2 and Q3 of 2026.
Yes, although we expect that most research projects at the $50,000 or below level will primarily use secondary datasets.
Planning grants and small research projects may lead to larger funding opportunities. We may allow no cost extensions on a case-by-case basis under unusual circumstances, but proposed projects should be achievable within the time frame permitted and should include timelines.
Yes, collaborators (such as mentors or research assistants) should provide letters of support, including the level of effort they are prepared to commit.
Planning grants should be used to cover expenses directly related to proposal development. These expenses may include personnel time and travel to meet with potential partners. We do not expect that conference attendance would be included in these expenses except under unusual circumstances (if you feel that attending a conference is important to your proposal development, please explain why).
Graduate students who are currently enrolled in doctoral programs are eligible to apply.
No, though you’ll need to demonstrate the ability to access an IRB and meet data security requirements.
We would like to see evidence that you have the skills needed to do the proposed work, and a track record of related work that shows that skill. As noted, we encourage early career scholars to apply.
Your research questions do not necessarily need to align with the priority topics, if you have a very compelling idea. DLPs will be looking for ideas that could advance how their platform serves students. Attending a platform’s office hours is a great way to ask about alignment or request data from the DLP catalog. Also for DLPs that provide a free, open-access system (e.g., Khan Academy), we recommend exploring it to get familiar with the platform.
No, you can submit an application for a small research grant without a district partner provided you the proposed project can be completed without district data.
The expectation for planning grants is to develop a complete research proposal with a district partner letter of agreement in place. Awardees will have three months to gain experience working with a DLP’s data set and develop a relationship with a school district. Winning a planning grant doesn’t guarantee access to the same funding source for a larger grant, but it helps build a foundation for pursuing bigger grants from various sources.
Probably, although you would need confirmation from the DLP, if a grant is awarded.
