ED Federal Grants — A Guide for Applicants
ED administers Titles I-IX of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Higher Education Act, and a network of discretionary research and innovation grants through the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). Most ED dollars flow as formula funds through state education agencies; competitive grants are smaller in volume but career-defining for the orgs that win them.
Sub-agencies and bureaus that grant-make
- Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) — ESEA Titles I-IX implementation; competitive grants like Education Innovation and Research (EIR) and Magnet Schools Assistance.
- Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS / OSEP) — IDEA Part B and Part D; rehabilitation services.
- Institute of Education Sciences (IES) — Education research, NAEP, Regional Educational Laboratories, What Works Clearinghouse.
- Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) — Title III/V institutional aid (HBCUs, MSIs, HSIs); Federal Student Aid is administered separately by FSA.
- Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) — Perkins V CTE funding; adult education and family literacy.
- Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) — National Professional Development; Title III English Learners.
- White House Initiative on HBCUs — Coordinates federal HBCU funding strategy.
Top CFDAs administered by ED
- CFDA 84.367 — Improving Teacher Quality State Grants (Title II Part A)
- CFDA 84.215 — Education Innovation and Research (EIR)
- CFDA 84.305 — Education Research, Development, and Dissemination (IES)
- CFDA 84.027 — Special Education Grants to States (IDEA Part B)
- CFDA 84.031 — Higher Education Institutional Aid (Title III/V)
- CFDA 84.299 — Indian Education Special Programs for Indian Children
- CFDA 84.116 — Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)
Typical applicants
Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), State Educational Agencies (SEAs), public and private nonprofit IHEs, charter management organizations, regional educational service agencies (RESAs / BOCES), 501(c)(3) education research orgs (MDRC, AIR, RAND), and Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools.
Application strategy specific to ED
ED competitions are heavily evidence-based. EIR and IES competitions require explicit alignment to ESEA Tier 1-4 evidence levels with appropriate study designs (RCT for highest-tier scoring). Application narratives should mirror the absolute-priority and competitive-preference-priority language verbatim. Smaller LEAs benefit most from joining consortium applications led by a large urban district, RESA, or research-practice partnership. Engage your state education agency early — they're gatekeepers to several pass-through pots.
Common pitfalls
ED applications fail when the evidence claim doesn't match the study design — claiming Tier 2 evidence with a Tier 4 study design is an automatic disqualification. Another common error: not matching the absolute and competitive-preference priorities explicitly with named subsections in the project narrative. Match requirements (10-25% depending on tier) must be from non-federal sources and documented with letters.
Related agency guides
Audience guides that cover ED funding
- K-12 School Districts (Local Educational Agencies)
- HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, and Minority-Serving Institutions
- Tribal Nonprofits and Tribal Governments
Always verify in the official source. Agency structures, funding levels, and program priorities shift across administrations. The authoritative sources are the agency's grants page itself and the NOFO documents at grants.gov. This page is editorial reference, not an official agency notice.