AERA Continues Efforts to Support Increased Funding for Education Research and Statistics in FY 2022


November 2021

Since October 1, federal agencies have been operating under a continuing resolution (CR) that extended FY 2021 funding levels through December 3. As Congress continues negotiations to advance FY 2022 appropriations legislation, AERA has led or been involved in several coalition efforts advocating for increased investments in federal agencies that support education research and statistics.

The full House and Senate appropriations proposals are detailed in a 2021 October Highlights story. AERA urges and strongly supports the funding levels presented in the following letters.

The Friends of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), led by AERA, pressed for the inclusion of a top line of $814 million proposed in the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-H) bill for IES in final FY 2022 appropriations. This November 16 letter also supports a proposed new Program Administration line item within the IES account in the Senate draft legislation.

The Coalition for National Science Funding, a coalition of more than 100 organizations that advocate for robust funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF), transmitted a letter to Senate and House leaders on November 2 urging them to adopt the $9.634 billion for NSF in the House bill in final FY 2022 legislation.

The Friends of National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) sent a letter on November 9 urging the inclusion of $1.7 billion for NICHD in a final FY 2022 bill.

The Census Project, which supports the mission of the Census Bureau, sent a letter on November 8 requesting at least the $1.44 billion provided in the House Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) bill, with support for providing the Census Bureau $2 billion in a final FY 2022 bill.

In addition to these calls for increased funding levels for key agencies, AERA also urges Congress to complete the FY 2022 process and not resort to a long-term CR. Congress is not expected to pass all of the appropriations by December 3, meaning that an additional CR will be needed for Congress to finish its work. Reports have indicated a range of options discussed, including a short-term CR that would last until December 17, one option that would extend FY 2021 levels in a CR through March, and a potential year-long CR.