Federally funded education research is in a state of flux, and that鈥檚 certainly an understatement as the U.S. Department of Education has canceled nearly a billion dollars worth of research contracts.
What does this mean for schools, and how should researchers respond?
Don鈥檛 鈥楽urrender鈥�
Morgan Polikoff, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education and a director of the USC EdPolicy Hub:
鈥淲hat鈥檚 the resistance strategy? How do we shut it down? I鈥檓 just so at a loss.鈥�
This was a message I received from a friend鈥攁n assistant professor at another institution who鈥檚 suddenly lost access to federal data, had a student鈥檚 job offer rescinded, and expects to lose out on a federal grant opportunity.
What鈥檚 happened in the last week has been breathtaking in its speed and potential impact. Last Friday, the Trump administration NIH鈥檚 (National Institutes of Health) 鈥渋ndirect rates鈥� that the federal government pays universities to cover the building-related and administrative costs of doing research. I described this seemingly arcane decision as a 鈥溾�� because it immediately鈥攐vernight鈥攃osts the most productive universities hundreds of million dollars each, assuming the change is not rescinded. And even though relatively few educational researchers are substantially funded by NIH, these cuts will be shared across the university.
Then on Monday, DOGE took its chainsaw to the Department of Education, in critical research contracts on topics like COVID recovery, absenteeism, and student mental health. Beyond this, grant programs at the department are up in the air, as no one even knows if federal granting will continue and in what form. fund critical research on every major issue in schools, and they train the next generation of educational researchers and leaders to work together in research-practice partnerships to address districts鈥� pressing needs.
Why should K-12 educators care about these issues? University schools of education were already struggling under the weight of enrollment declines and relentless attacks from politicians; the layoffs to come could seriously impact course and program availability. Besides that, many K-12 districts have partnerships funded by federal grants or have folks working in their district offices who were trained under them鈥攖he abrupt changes could seriously harm research and data support inside school districts as well. Most importantly, research done by university staff with schools and districts has historically provided insights into what works, or what may work, in classrooms under what circumstances. Without it, or with it at greatly reduced levels, K-12 educators will be left with less support in dealing with what may be increasing classroom challenges.
How should researchers think about the current moment, and what should they do to help each other and K-12 educators? Here is how I am approaching the situation.
Protect yourself. Many of us are in the field specifically because we want to help other people (especially children but also educators), and in this moment, we have an impulse to protect everyone. And of course, if you safely can, you should. But you need to be smart about making choices that might put you in harm鈥檚 way鈥攊f you put yourself out of commission, you can鈥檛 help anyone else, either. Now is not the time to take bold risks that put you in the cross hairs. One can continue the fight for justice in education without getting oneself fired.
Speak clearly about what鈥檚 happening. At the same time, one can, and should, speak clearly to the public about what鈥檚 happening to education research and why it matters. The general public doesn鈥檛 understand education research, and often, researchers communicate in ways that don鈥檛 help the problem. Whether it鈥檚 talking to friends or family members, posting on social media, or writing commentaries/blogs/op-eds, it鈥檚 important to widely share your expertise and explain why the Trump administration鈥檚 actions are likely to be harmful.
Here, I recommend focusing on things that appeal to folks across the political spectrum. These actions harm our economy. They waste taxpayer dollars. They make it harder for teachers to do their jobs. Those sorts of arguments are likely to resonate.
Be nimble in your research focus. Though the federal funding picture will be bleak, there are always opportunities from foundations, and it鈥檚 good to be responsive to both the current funding conditions and to the issues that are most salient in schools. Federal data sources are great, but it can be even more rewarding and impactful to build partnerships with states and districts to help them with their challenges. If it鈥檚 hard to collect new data, that can mean it鈥檚 a good time to think about translation鈥攚orking on other forms of writing that bring your important research to new audiences.
In my case, I鈥檓 thinking about how the book I鈥檝e been planning to write鈥攆ocused on a common-sense, evidence-informed policy agenda鈥攃an be made more relevant and timely in the current political context.
- Focus on what you can control. You don鈥檛 have to watch the news or be on Bluesky. You don鈥檛 have to fret about the state of the world. It鈥檚 good to focus on what you can control鈥攖he work you can do, the impact you can make. In times when things in the world are looking grim, you can still have an impact in your own corner of the world鈥攐n the colleagues you work with, the students you teach or supervise, the policymakers and educators you support. It鈥檚 important to find ways to contribute in whatever way makes you feel efficacious.
We鈥檙e only three weeks into what will be a very long four years (if not longer). It鈥檚 important that the education research community not surrender in the face of what鈥檚 ahead but rather find ways to work hard鈥攊n whatever ways we individually can鈥攖o continue to support better education for children.
Thanks to Morgan for contributing his thoughts.
