Feedback Survey on IES FY 2020 Request for Applications (RFAs)

National Center for Special Education (NCSER) FY 2021 RFA Survey

Accessible Online at: https://surveys.ies.ed.gov/?324_FY2021

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1880-0542. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this survey, please contact Katie Taylor directly at, U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, PCP-4135, Washington, DC 20202. [Note: Please do not return the completed survey to this address.]

Thank you for participating in this survey. Your feedback is important to helping IES improve its grants programs. This survey pertains to your experience reading and submitting an application to the FY 2021 Request for Applications (RFA) for the Special Education Research Grants Program (84.324A;https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84324A.pdf), Research Training Programs in Special Education (84.324B; https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84324B.pdf), Research Grants Focused on Systematic Replication in Special Education (84.324R; https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84324R.pdf), and/or Research Grants Focused on NAEP Process Data for Learners with Disabilities (84.324P; https://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2021_84324P.pdf).

If you need assistance completing this survey, please contact IES/NCSER by sending an email to [email protected].

The password for this survey is 2021RFA.

Please enter the password to access this survey:

START

================================General - All Applicants=================================

1. Please indicate to which program(s) you applied (check all that apply).

• Special Education Research Grants Program

• Research Training Programs in Special Education

• Research Grants Focused on Systematic Replication in Special Education

• Research Grants Focused on NAEP Process Data for Learners with Disabilities

2. Is this the first time you have applied to IES for a research grant?

• Yes

• No

3. Have you previously been the PI or co-PI on a grant funded by IES?

• Yes

• No

4. How would you describe the length of the RFA(s)?

• Adequate

• Too long

• Too short

5. When writing your grant application how much assistance with understanding the RFA(s) did you seek (for example, from IES program officers, researchers with more experience applying to IES, grant writers)?

• A great deal

• A moderate amount

• A small amount

• None

6. Please describe the type of assistance you sought when writing your grant application.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

7. Which, if any, parts of the RFA(s) did you find confusing?

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

8. When submitting your grant application to Grants.gov how much assistance with understanding the RFA(s) and IES Application Submission Guide did you seek (e.g., from IES program officers, Grants.gov representatives, office of sponsored research staff, researchers with more experience applying to IES, grant writers)?

• A great deal

• A moderate amount

• A small amount

• None

[Respondents who select “None” go to Item 10; all other respondents go to Item 9]

9. Please describe the type of assistance you sought when submitting your grant application.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

10. How useful was the IES Application Submission Guide (a separate document from the RFA) when submitting your grant application?

• Very useful

• Moderately useful

• Somewhat useful

• Not useful

• I did not use the IES Application Submission Guide

• I was not aware that there was an IES Application Submission Guide

[Respondents who select one of the first four choices go to Item 11; respondents who select either of the last two choices go to Item 12]

11. Which, if any, parts of the IES Application Submission Guide did you find confusing?

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

12. In FY 2021, IES required a Dissemination History in addition to the Dissemination Plan in Appendix A to capture team members’ experience disseminating research findings and products from past projects to a range of audiences. How clear was the description of the new Dissemination History section of Appendix A?

• Very clear

• Clear

• Marginally clear

• Not clear

• This was not required for the program I applied to – Research Training Programs in Special Education

[Respondents who select the last choice go to Item 14; all other respondents go to Item 13]

13. Please comment on how the Dissemination History section of the RFA could be clarified or made more helpful to you when writing your application.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

1. In FY 2021, IES added a new funding opportunity, Research Grants Focused on NAEP Process Data for Learners with Disabilities (84.324P). How clear were the purpose, requirements, and recommendations for this grant program?

• Very clear

• Clear

• Marginally clear

• Not clear

• I did not apply to this program

[Respondents who select “I did not apply to this program” go to Item 16; all other respondents go to Item 15]

15. Please describe any other supports that would have been helpful (or would be helpful in the future) for preparing an application to the Research Grants Focused on NAEP Process Data for Learners with Disabilities (84.324P) program.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

16. Please comment on how, overall, the RFA(s) and the IES Application Submission Guide could be made more helpful to you for writing and submitting grant applications.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

===========================Technical Assistance - All Applicants============================

17. Please describe any contacts you had with an IES program officer, how helpful they were for you to understand the RFA(s) and IES Application Submission Guide when writing and submitting your grant application, and if you have any suggestions for program officer assistance going forward.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

18. Which of the following IES Funding Opportunity webinars did you review to help prepare your application(s)?

• IES Basic Overview of Research Grants and Information for New Applicants to IES

• IES Grant Writing Workshop

• IES Application Process

• Introduction to the National Assessment of Education Progress

• Introduction to the NAEP Process Data

• Other

• I did not review any of the IES Funding Opportunities webinars

19. How useful were the IES Funding Opportunity webinars for understanding the RFA(s) and writing and submitting your grant application?

• Very Useful

• Useful

• Marginally Useful

• Not Useful

• I did not review any of the IES Funding Opportunities webinars

20. Please comment on the usefulness of any IES webinars you reviewed, how helpful they were for understanding the RFA(s), what subjects would be useful to include in future webinars, and any other ways IES should provide information on writing and submitting a grant application.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

21. Did you attend any of the Virtual Office Hours sessions offered by IES staff?

• Yes

• No

• I was not aware of the Virtual Office Hours

[Respondents who select “Yes” go to Item 22; respondents who select “No” or “I was not aware of the Virtual Office Hours” go to Item 23]

22. What was the topic of the Virtual Office Hours session you attended and how helpful was it for determining competition fit and/or preparing your application?

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

23. Please provide suggestions for other ways IES staff can best assist applicants in understanding the RFA(s) and IES Application Submission Guide and writing and submitting grant applications.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

==============================Cost Analyses - All Applicants===============================

24. IES has been promoting the use of cost analysis as part of Development and Innovation, Initial Efficacy and Follow-Up, Measurement, and Systematic Replication projects. In addition, a cost-effectiveness analysis plan was required for Initial Efficacy, Follow-Up, and Systematic Replication projects. Did you find the RFAs clear about the cost analysis and/or cost-effectiveness analysis recommended or required for your grant application?

• Yes

• No

• My application did not require a cost analysis plan

25. Please describe any additional resources (outside of the RFAs) you used to write the cost analysis and/or cost-effectiveness analysis plans and how helpful they were in preparing your application.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

26. Please provide any suggestions you may have for IES to better support applicants in developing cost analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis plans.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

27. Did you apply to the Special Education Research Grants Program (84.324A)?

• Yes

• No

[Respondents who select “Yes” go to next question; respondents who select “No” go to Question 33]

=================Revisions, Topics, and Project Types – Applicants to 324A Only=================

28. In FY 2021 IES reduced the number of topics and eliminated the topic descriptions from the RFA for the Special Education Research Grants Program (84.324A) in an effort to encourage a wider variety of research. How do you view this revision?

• I think this revision has more benefits than drawbacks

• I am neutral about this revision

• I think this revision has more drawbacks than benefits

• I do not have an opinion on this revision

29. Please provide more details on your response to the previous question about the revisions to research topics.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

30. To which Project Type(s) did you apply (check all that apply)?

• Measurement

• Exploration

• Development and Innovation

• Initial Efficacy and Follow-up

31. How clear were the purpose and the requirements and recommendations for the Project Type(s) to which you applied?

• Very clear

• Clear

• Marginally clear

• Not clear

32. Please provide more details on your responses to the previous item on the clarity of the Project Types. Also, please describe how the Project Types could be clarified or made more helpful to you when writing your application.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.

============================General Feedback - All Applicants=============================

33. Please provide any additional feedback about the FY 2021 RFAs and application process that you have not already noted.

Text Box – Maximum 4,000 characters (about 500 words). Longer responses may be truncated.