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AERA Highlights

September 2026

September 2026
AERA News
*2026 Brown* Lecture to Examine What It Means to Be Admitted but Not Equal—Registration Opens Soon** Daniel Solórzano, professor of social science and comparative education and Chicana/o and Central American studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, and director of UCLA’s Center for Critical Race Studies in Education, will deliver the 2026 Brown Lecture in Education Research on Thursday, November 5, at 6:00 p.m. ET. Read more
AERA Urges Education Department to Withdraw Proposed Grantmaking Changes Proposed Department of Education rules could make research grants easier to terminate, change how they are awarded and continued, and narrow the research methods eligible for support. Read more
2029 AERA Annual Meeting to Be Held in Detroit The 2029 AERA Annual Meeting will be held in Detroit, Michigan, April 18–22, bringing the education research community together in the heart of the city. Read more
AERA Opens 2026 Online Paper Repository and i-Presentation Gallery AERA has launched both the 2026 Online Paper Repository and the 2026 i-Presentation Gallery, providing open access to research presented at the 2026 AERA Annual Meeting. Read more
The Call for Nominations is now open for the 2027 AERA Awards. The deadline to submit nominations is October 14 at 11:59 pm PT. Want to advertise in AERA Highlights? Learn more
Research Policy and Funding News
Continuing Resolution Extends Funding Levels Through December 11, Blocks OMB Grant Rule In one of its first legislative actions after returning from the August recess, the House on September 1 approved a continuing resolution that President Trump subsequently signed into law. Read more
NSF Updates Have Implications for STEM Education Research Recent developments at the National Science Foundation have implications for education research and the broader social and behavioral sciences. Read more
AERA Membership Survey
Tell us how your membership works for you. AERA is listening. Take two minutes to share what matters most to you about membership. Your responses are anonymous and will help shape what we offer in 2027. Take the survey.
AERA Calls
Call for Abstracts: AERA Open Special Topic on Examining the Critical Role of School-Based Mental Health Providers in K-12 Education—Submissions due October 1 2027 AERA Award Nominations—Submissions due October 14 AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Roundtable Series Call for Submissions—Submissions due October 15 Research Engagement and Development with Youth (READY) Program Call for Applications—Submissions due October 29 Call for Papers: AERA Open Special Topic on Educational Data Science: Volume II—Papers due November 1 Minority Dissertation Fellowship Program in Education Research—Applications due November 16 2027 AERA Fellows—Nominations due December 1 Call for Abstracts: Extending Educator Diversity: Impacts, Barriers, and Strategies for Change Across the Workforce–Submissions due February 1
Contribute to Federal Research and Data Policy AERA members are encouraged to submit research- and data-informed comments on the following open opportunities.
Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs (Comments Due October 6) The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would rescind and replace the Head Start Program Performance Standards. Comments may be submitted through Regulations.gov. Request for Information (RFI) on Proposed Changes to Reporting Outcomes from NIH Peer Review (Comments Due October 13) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is proposing updates to NIH’s peer review process to align with the agency’s Unified Funding Strategy. Comments may be submitted by the deadline on the NIH RFI comment form. National Assessment Governing Board Nominations (Nominations Due November 15 at 12:01 a.m. ET) The National Assessment Governing Board is accepting nominations for eight open positions with four-year terms beginning October 1, 2027. The positions include 12th-grade teacher, curriculum specialist, business representative, general public representative, testing and measurement expert, state school board member, local superintendent, and chief state school officer. Nomination requirements and submission instructions are available on the NAGB website.
Shaping Federal Research Policy Recent comments and letters from AERA influencing federal research policy.
AERA Comment on Education Department General Administrative Regulations (September 23) AERA submitted comments on proposed updates to the Education Department General Administrative Regulations, which govern the department’s grantmaking. AERA urged the department to withdraw the proposal. Friends of IES Comment on Education Department General Administrative Regulations (September 23) AERA led a comment joined by 34 organizations representing the Friends of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) coalition in response to the proposed updates to the Education Department General Administrative Regulations that guide the department’s grantmaking. American Political Science Association (APSA) Statement on National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Eligibility (September 21) AERA joined 26 organizations calling for NSF to reinstate STEM education and social science fields removed from eligibility in the current GRFP funding solicitation and to continue to make broad disciplinary access to the GRFP a priority. Census Project Letter on American Community Survey (ACS) Data Release Delay (September 4) AERA joined more than 100 organizations on Census Project letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressing concerns about an indefinite delay in the release of data from the American Community Survey (ACS) that the Census Bureau announced on August 4. AERA Comments on NSF Proposal/Award Information Guidance on Financial Assistance (August 24) AERA submitted comments to the National Science Foundation urging a delay of implementing proposed updates to its NSF Proposal/Award Information Guidance on Financial Assistance until the White House Office of Management and Budget finalizes its proposed Regulation for Financial Assistance. AERA Comments on NIH Request for Information (RFI) on Measuring and Rewarding Scientific Impact (August 19) AERA submitted comments in response to a National Institutes of Health request for information seeking input into future NIH efforts to measure and reward scientific impact.
In Memoriam AERA members who have recently passed away
David L. Williams, Jr. (1935 – 2026) David L. Williams, Jr., 91, died on September 13. At the time of his retirement, he was vice president of the Program for Refining Educational Partnerships at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. Learn more ^♦P. David Pearson (1941 – 2026) P. David Pearson, 85, died on August 30. An AERA Fellow, Pearson was an emeritus faculty member in the School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley. Learn more ^♦AERA Fellow
Beyond AERA Visit the Beyond AERA webpage for professional advancement opportunities from other organizations, including calls for papers and submissions, meetings and conferences, and other activities.
The Call for Submissions for the 2027 WERA Congress is now open. Submissions are due November 15 by 23:59 Central European Time. Learn more
AERA in the News Recent media coverage of AERA and AERA-published research
UW Education Committee proposes waiving SAT, ACT scores for admissions indefinitely The Badger Herald, September 22 San Francisco ethnic studies courses tied to academic, attendance gains K-12 Dive, September 16 Classroom violence linked to teacher exits, study finds The Educator Australia, September 9 Perspective \| Why social and emotional learning is vital to workforce readiness and how to model it in the classroom EdNC, August 31 Valuing Black Studies Requires Valuing Black People. Few Institutions Do. Inside Higher Ed, August 31 Commencement Speakers’ Politics Vary by Institution Type Inside Higher Ed, August 27
More AERA in the News AERA Highlights is published by the American Educational Research Association monthly to inform members and others interested in education research about the latest news and developments in AERA and in the field.
Executive Director: Tabbye Chavous Editor: Tony Pals Editorial and Production Team: Marla Koenigsknecht, John Neikirk Contributors: Marla Koenigsknecht, Tony Pals, Robert Smith, Christy Talbot