In November 2024, more than 45 deans, associate deans, and research leaders from across the country gathered at the AERA Convening Center in Washington, D.C., for the annual AERA-CURI Fall Policy Conference. The convening featured timely and in-depth discussions with high-level speakers from the White House, federal agencies, higher education, the media, and research organizations. Sessions examined pressing issues such as the implications of the 2024 election, equitable access to federal data, and the role of artificial intelligence in education research. Speakers included Kei Koizumi (White House Office of Science and Technology Policy), Peggy G. Carr (National Center for Education Statistics), Catherine E. Lhamon (Department of Education), Karen Marrongelle (National Science Foundation), and Carol Lee (National Board for Education Sciences). Media leaders Doug Lederman (Inside Higher Ed) and Jeffrey Mervis (Science) offered journalistic perspectives on the policy landscape ahead.
The conference, co-chaired by AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine and AERA-CURI Interim Chair Kathryn Chval (University of Illinois, Chicago), emphasized engaged dialogue and cross-institutional learning. Highlights included a town hall on the realities of sustaining research and inquiry; a panel on emerging AI initiatives with experts from NSF, the Department of Education, and the American Institutes for Research; and a keynote by Joanne Carney (American Association for the Advancement for Science) on federal R&D funding. The meeting closed with a session featuring Arthur Coleman (EducationCounsel), who outlined a research framework to address challenges to equal opportunity.
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