Center for Educational Transformation Research Grants for 2016-17
Application Available: December 23, 2015
Application Due: February 12, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.
Projects to Begin: As soon as funding is awarded; Anticipated award date late spring 2016
The Center for Educational Transformation (CET) (uni.edu/cet) is a collaborative designed to transform
PreK-12 education in Iowa and nationwide by conducting and disseminating research on emerging and
critical education issues.
To that end, the CET awards grants to tenure-track faculty in Iowa institutions of higher education to
conduct research on emerging and critical topics in PreK-12 education in partnership with Iowa
schools, districts, AEAs, and other PreK-12 education stakeholders and organizations.
The CET is currently soliciting applications for education research projects to begin in late spring 2016.
Grants will be awarded in three categories: Seed Grants, Implementation Grants, and Scale-Up Grants
(see next page for more information on each level of funding).
The CET is especially interested in research projects that:
 address a critical and/or emerging issue in Iowa PreK-12 education;
 utilize mixed methods for data collection and analysis;
 are applied in nature and have direct practice and/or policy implications;
 involve a well-developed collaboration;
 demonstrate innovative thinking and practice; and
 disseminate findings to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.
The following pages provide an overview of the types of grants to be awarded and the application
components for each. Applications should be 10-12 pages long (not counting Attachments and
Appendices, including the supplemental budget form) and use Times New Roman in 12 point size,
single-spaced, and 1” margins. See http://www.uni.edu/provost/cet/research-projects/grantapplication for online access to these application forms.
Questions about CET Research Grants should be directed to Chris Opsal, CET Program Manager, at
[email protected] or 319-273-3145.
Completed applications with supplemental budget form are due Friday, February 12, 2016 at 5:00 p.m.
Applications can be mailed to the CET at the address below or emailed as a PDF to [email protected].
Center for Educational Transformation | 219 Sabin Hall | University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0410
[email protected] | 319-273-3146 | www.uni.edu/cet | Facebook: UNI Center for Educational Transformation
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Center for Educational Transformation Research Grants for 2016-17: Overview of Funding Levels
PLEASE NOTE: The following table presents general guidelines for the levels of research project funding the CET plans to award for
Academic Year 2016-17. If your planned project does not fit easily into a single level (i.e., Seed, Implementation, or Scale-Up
Funding), please consult with CET staff before deciding whether or not to apply.
Seed Funding
Implementation Funding
Scale-Up Funding
Scope
One classroom or school
Several schools or an entire
Several districts, one or more
district
AEAs, the entire state, or
multiple states
Project Description
Seed funding is for projects
Implementation funding is for
Scale-up funding is for highly
seeking to explore or develop a
interventions sufficiently
developed interventions with
new intervention or apply an
developed to be refined and
existing evidence of
existing intervention in a new
tested in a larger context.
effectiveness. Projects should be
context.
broadly collaborative and
intensively include teachers.
Funding Level
Up to $15,000/year of funding
$15,000-$75,000/year of funding $75,000-$150,000/year of
with 10% required match
with 10% required match
funding with 10% required
match
Funding Duration
Up to 2 years; renewable
1-4 years; renewable annually
1-5 years; renewable annually
annually
Anticipated Number of  1-2
 1-3
 2-4 across 2+ institutions of
Investigators
higher education
Data to be Collected
 Use of mixed methods
 Use of mixed methods
 Use of mixed methods
on the Intervention
strongly encouraged
required; project must enroll
required; results must be
Being Studied
sufficient numbers of
statistically significant
subjects/participants to
account for attrition and still
generate statistically
significant results
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Center for Educational Transformation Research Grants for 2016-17: Application Components
Seed Funding
Implementation Funding
Scale-Up Funding
Significance
 Overview of proposed research project/topic and intervention to be studied
 Significance to the state: How will the proposed research contribute to improving PreK-12 education in Iowa? How does it
represent an emerging and/or critical issue in PreK-12 education in the state?
 Significance to the field: How will the proposed research contribute to the national scholarly and/or practitioner conversation
and knowledge on the topic?
 Implications for policy: How might the proposed research inform local, state, and/or national education policy?
Research Plan  Research questions
 Research questions
 Research questions
 Research design and methods
 Research design and methods
 Research design and methods
o Projects are strongly
o Projects should use mixed methods and
o Projects should use mixed
encouraged to use mixed
enroll sufficient numbers to account for
methods and yield statistically
methods
attrition and still have statistically significant
significant results
o Projects should be designed
results
 Project timeline, including
to result in evidence of the
o Projects should be designed to result in
anticipated project duration
feasibility and potential of
evidence of the effectiveness or
the proposed intervention
ineffectiveness of the proposed intervention
 Project timeline, including
 Project timeline, including anticipated project
anticipated project duration
duration
Partnership
 Project site (if arranged),
 Project sites (if arranged), partners, and
 Project sites, partners, and
partners, and collaborators
collaborators
collaborators
Personnel
 Project staff qualifications
 CET projects provide one three-credit course release per project per semester. If your project has multiple Investigators, please
specify who will use the course release in which semester.
Dissemination  Dissemination plan: publications, conference presentations, etc. Projects should plan to disseminate findings to researchers,
practitioners, and policymakers.
Resources
 Budget narrative: Explanation of estimated expenses for personnel, dissemination, materials and supplies, contractual services,
etc. At least 10% of the overall project must be matching funds. Note: CET projects CANNOT fund Indirect Cost Recovery (ICR).
 Anticipated future sources of external funding for the project or future phases of the project
Attachments/  Cover page
 Cover page
 Cover page
Appendices
 References
 References
 References
 Letter of support from research  Letter of support from research site(s) (if
 Letters of support from research
site (if arranged)
arranged)
sites and collaborative partners
 Investigator vitas
 Investigator vitas
 Investigator vitas
 Budget form
 Budget form
 Budget form
TOTAL
Points
20
30
10
10
10
20
--
100
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Center for Educational Transformation
Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
University of Northern Iowa
Cover Sheet for Applications for
Center for Educational Transformation Research Grants for 2016-17
Proposal Deadline: February 12, 2016
Title of the Proposed Project:
Investigator #1 Information (copy and repeat this section as necessary):
Name:
Title:
Department:
Institution:
Address:
Email address:
Telephone number:
Project Abstract (250 words or less):
Approval Signatures (Required):
The Applicant(s) and his/her Department Head(s) and Dean(s) are required to sign below.
Investigator #1: ________________________________________ Date: ___________________
Department Head: ______________________________________ Date: ___________________
Dean: ________________________________________________ Date: ___________________
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