Department of Education Grants: How to Write Winning Applications

Overview of Department of Education Grant Programs

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) administers hundreds of grant programs that collectively distribute tens of billions of dollars annually to schools, districts, institutions of higher education, state agencies, and nonprofit organizations. These programs span early childhood education, K-12 improvement, special education, career and technical training, higher education access, and adult literacy. For organizations working in education, understanding ED's grant landscape is essential to securing federal funding.

ED grants fall into several broad categories. Formula grants distribute funds to states based on statutory formulas and are then sub-granted to local entities. Discretionary grants are competitively awarded based on the quality of submitted applications. Most grant writers focus on discretionary programs because they require written proposals that are scored and ranked. Major discretionary programs include Title III National Activities, Education Innovation and Research (EIR), Comprehensive Literacy State Development, and Full-Service Community Schools, among many others.

Understanding ED Selection Criteria

Unlike some federal agencies that use broad review criteria, ED publishes specific selection criteria in each Notice Inviting Applications (NIA). These criteria are assigned point values, and reviewers score applications using detailed rubrics tied directly to these published criteria. This transparency is an advantage for applicants who take the time to structure their proposals accordingly.

Common ED selection criteria include:

• Need for Project (up to 20 points): You must demonstrate the specific needs your project addresses using relevant data. Quantify the problem with local, state, and national statistics, and explain why existing resources are insufficient.
• Quality of Project Design (up to 30 points): This evaluates whether your proposed approach is grounded in evidence, is logically connected to the identified needs, and includes a coherent theory of change. Building a clear logic model is critical here. Our guide on logic models and theory of change walks through how to construct one that satisfies federal reviewers.
• Quality of Project Evaluation (up to 20 points): ED increasingly requires rigorous evaluation plans, often specifying that projects must use quasi-experimental or experimental designs. Applicants should articulate measurable outcomes, describe data collection methods, and explain how they will establish causal evidence of program effectiveness.
• Adequacy of Resources and Quality of Management Plan (up to 15 points): Reviewers look for a detailed timeline with milestones, evidence that key personnel have relevant qualifications, and a budget that is realistic and well-justified.

The Evidence Tiers Framework

Many ED programs now use an evidence tiers framework that categorizes the strength of research supporting a proposed intervention. Understanding these tiers is critical because they affect both eligibility and competitive preference priority points:

• Tier 1 (Strong Evidence): Supported by at least one well-designed experimental study with positive results.
• Tier 2 (Moderate Evidence): Supported by at least one well-designed quasi-experimental study with positive results.
• Tier 3 (Promising Evidence): Supported by at least one well-designed correlational study with statistical controls.
• Tier 4 (Demonstrates a Rationale): Based on a logic model supported by relevant research.

When selecting an intervention, assess what evidence tier you can credibly claim and cite the specific studies that support your classification. For strategies on designing evaluations that can generate evidence for future tiers, see our article on evaluation methods and implementation science.

Writing Strategies for ED Grant Applications

Successful ED applications share several characteristics that distinguish them from generic grant proposals:

• Mirror the language of the NIA. ED reviewers score against specific criteria published in the notice. Use the same terminology and organize your narrative to follow the criteria in order. Make it easy for reviewers to find the information they need to award you points.
• Provide a detailed management plan. Include a month-by-month or quarter-by-quarter timeline with specific milestones, responsible staff, and deliverables. ED places significant weight on management capacity.
• Demonstrate stakeholder engagement. Describe how you involved teachers, administrators, families, students, and community partners in designing the project. Include letters of support from key partners and describe formal partnership agreements.
• Address sustainability. Explain how the project will continue after federal funding ends. Identify specific alternative revenue sources, institutional commitments, or policy changes that will sustain the work.

Navigating the Application Process

ED applications are submitted through Grants.gov and follow the SF-424 family of forms. The process involves multiple components including the application narrative, budget forms, assurances and certifications, and required appendices. Starting early is essential because ED deadlines are firm and extensions are rarely granted. Our comprehensive guide to the federal application process and SF-424 forms provides step-by-step instructions for managing the submission process.

Learn more about grant writing strategies at Subthesis.

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