Policy & Funding

IES Funds Rural Education, Secondary Writing Research

The U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences is investing $25 million to create three national research centers focused on rural education and secondary writing.

• By Sara Friedman
• 02/07/19

Research in rural education and secondary writing is getting a grant infusion from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences. On Feb. 6, IES announced $25 million in grants to the University of Missouri, Harvard University and University of California, Irvine.

The National Center for Rural School Mental Health at the University of Missouri brings together a consortium of researchers and rural school districts across Missouri, Virginia and Montana to enhance the capacity of rural schools to identify, prevent and intervene in youth mental health concerns. 

The National Center on Rural Education Research Networks at Harvard will work with 60 rural school districts, regional education agencies and state education agencies in New York and Ohio to help build the capacity of these groups to improve the education of their students through their own data. Each of these centers is supported by IES grants of nearly $10 million that will last for a five-year period.

The WRITE (Writing Research to Improve Teaching and Evaluation) Center at UC Irvine will conduct focused research on how to improve the writing skills of high school students, by identifying features of high-quality student writing and creating opportunities for professional development for teachers. The WRITE Center received a five-year, $5 million grant from IES.

"These centers will provide us with valuable research into topics that are not always given the weight they deserve," said IES director Mark Schneider. "With IES support, these centers have the potential to make a difference for students across the United States."

More information about these research and development centers can be found here.