OSEP-Funded Early Childhood Projects

Part D of the IDEA authorizes a variety of activities to help states and local communities facilitate systemic change toward improvement and positive results for children, youth and families, from birth through 21. These activities include research, deaf-blind, training and professional development, parent training and information centers, demonstration and outreach projects, state improvement projects, dissemination, technical assistance, congressionally mandated and technology applications. Often called "discretionary projects," these are supported by competitive federal grants, cooperative agreements or contracts by the U.S. Department of Education. A brief summary of the history of funding for early childhood discretionary projects covers 1971-2006.

Early Childhood Programs and Projects Under IDEA (PDF: 79kb) is a one page summary of the types and numbers of projects funded through FY 2006.

 The NECTAC Projects Finder Database has information about the 397 projects that address early childhood currently funded by OSEP and others that have ended since 2002.

 Compilation of Projects Addressing the Early Childhood Provisions of IDEA - FY 2006
This compilation includes discretionary projects supported by the Office of Special Education Programs Under IDEA for FY 2006. Note that project information is available online using the NECTAC Projects Finder. For information about all of t he OSEP-funded projects, see the NICHCY directories. With the formation of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) in 2002, research projects with an early childhood focus are also funded under the IES’s National Center for Special Education Research. Search IES-funded research projects.

Grantee Resources

2007 OSEP Project Directors' Post-Conference Web Site - This Web site provides links to post-conference materials for the 2007 Project Directors’ Conference, which was hosted by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) on July 16-18, 2007. Participants included Personnel Preparation (including Leadership) Project Directors, State Improvement and State Personnel Development Grant Project Directors, Research and Innovation Project Directors, Technical Assistance and Dissemination Project Directors, Technology and Media Project Directors, and CSPD Coordinators. (posted August 9, 2007)

OSEP encourages grantees to identify their project-developed resources and products with the IDEAs that Work logo. Various file formats are available at OSEP Logo Files for Download.

Outreach Process Self-Assessment Guide: protocol for early childhood projects to use to consider their progress and to determine areas needing further development in their outreach work

NECTAC maintains an EC Projects mailing list for grantees. Please contact us if you need to be added to this list.

Funding for OSEP Discretionary Grants

• Federal Register Announcements: This is the ED Web site for announcements published in the Federal Register (grant application notices, requests for comment) from October 1995 to date.
• Discretionary Grant Application Packages
• Grant Application Forms and Other Forms
• Grants Forecast for the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008. Lists programs and competitions by principal program offices. See Chart 7 - Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, for OSEP competitions. See Chart 2 - Institute of Education Sciences, for IES competitions.
• Guide to Programs at the U.S. Department of Education provides an overview of Department of Education programs authorized and funded under federal law. It includes information as well on the laboratories, centers, and other facilities funded by the Department that provide important resources for education.
• Department of Education Grant Awards Database: ED's grant awards made with FY 2005 through 2008 funds.