Learning Data Insights partnered with the Alliance for Learning Innovation to develop the Education R&D Funding Explorer, a tool designed to make federal education R&D funding data more transparent and actionable. The goal was to create a platform that could help policymakers and the public better understand how education R&D funding may be impacting their state or locality and where there are opportunities for more impact.
At Learning Data Insights, we specialize in open education data science; using advanced computational methods to improve our understanding and actions in education, particularly for historically underserved students. While developing the Education R&D Funding Explorer, we applied this technical expertise to organize complex, incomplete, scattered funding data into a more usable format. The platform offers a practical way to identify funding patterns and compare opportunities across states that are not evident in the source data.
Why Education Funding Transparency Matters
Historically, education R&D funding has been difficult to track down and analyze. Funding sources for education R&D are spread across multiple agencies and datasets, and analyzing these datasets requires specialized skills. This complexity makes it hard for researchers to see potential funding streams; for policymakers to make sense of funding allocations; and for local leaders to recognize how funding distributions may or may not affect their classrooms.
By making funding data more visible, the Education R&D Funding Explorer enables better decision-making across the education ecosystem. Transparency turns assumptions into evidence, helping users prioritize research, shape policy, allocate resources, and pursue cross-state collaborations that address both existing investments and unmet needs.
Designed for Exploration and Everyday Use
The Education R&D Funding Explorer makes funding data easy to explore, helping users uncover patterns, compare allocations across states, and focus on what matters most to their work.
- Interactive, Map-Based Visualizations: Explore funding by state to see the investments in your region, make state-by-state comparisons, and uncover distribution patterns.
- Flexible Filters: Search by topic, location, or timeframe to get tailored insights.
- Real-Time Calculations: Summarize funding totals nationally and within states or localities instantly.
- Reliable Data Sources: Built from publicly available datasets, including the Institute of Education Sciences and USASpending.gov. The underlying data is also available for further exploration outside of this tool.
The Education R&D Funding Explorer is designed to support users in interpreting funding data. It may be useful for those who are planning research, shaping policy, or supporting local programs, as it highlights patterns and opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Using the Explorer in Your Work
- For Policymakers & Advocates: See how resources are distributed to guide decisions and support evidence-based initiatives. Exploring funding across topics, regions, and timeframes can highlight gaps or disparities that inform more strategic policy decisions.
- For Researchers: Discover funding trends, identify potential gaps, and uncover cross-state opportunities. For example, selecting a research area in the Education R&D Funding Explorer reveals funding across states you might not expect, helping you uncover new opportunities and consider collaborations or initiatives you hadn’t previously explored.
- For Local Leaders: Visualize funding patterns affecting programs in your state or field. By examining how funding is allocated across programs or locations, you can better understand the resources that shape local initiatives and partnerships.
At Learning Data Insights, we are excited to see how ALI coalition members and the broader community are using the tool to advance evidence-driven, innovative education. If you have any feedback or ideas for how this tool can continue to serve the education R&D community, please reach out to team@alicoalition.org.
