The federal role in higher education has grown over the past two decades, and now a new administration has the opportunity to strengthen policies that support students and their colleges and universities. To help inform these decisions, the Urban Institute convened a bipartisan group of scholars and policy advisers to write a series of memos…

There are many assumptions made about the beliefs behind abstinence-only until marriage (AOUM) sex education, yet comparatively little research examining the views of abstinence education providers. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 21 abstinence grantees throughout New York State, I examine how individuals working in abstinence organizations…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects an estimated 1% of children in the United States and yet many fundamental questions about the biology of ASD, potential risk factors, effective treatments and interventions, and impacts throughout life remain unanswered. Important advances have been made in understanding the complexity of ASD, but additional…

In developing the 2010 Strategic Plan for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) Research, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) updated the previous Plan to highlight the most pressing research needs and opportunities for the field today. The Plan, which must be annually updated in accordance with the Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006,…

The serious consequences of challenging behaviors in young children have become an increasing concern of caregivers. Without intervention, the presence of challenging behaviors in young children is associated with unfavorable outcomes in school and later life. This paper describes a synthesis of the existing knowledge related to the processes of…

Discusses the experiences surrounding the application for and reception of federal awards designed to assist new investigators in the transition from doctoral research to building a federally-funded research program. Details the extensive preparation needed to pursue such a grant and outlines the different phases of implementing the research…

This document presents the long-range (5-year) plan of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The plan is organized around two key elements; first, a new paradigm of disability that sees disability as a product of the interaction between individual characteristics and the environment, and second, an emerging…

Presents excerpts from Donald McCurdy's testimony to the Committee on Science and Technology of the U.S. House of Representatives. Includes discussions involving budget cuts in science education funding and the potential consequences of same; suggests best expenditures of science education research funding. (DS)

Describes the five learning disability research centers that make up the collaborative research network of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Highlights the teams and focus of the centers, and identifies the findings of the centers and issues that need to be examined. (CR)

Discusses the need for semantic research in digital libraries to help overcome interoperability problems. Highlights include federal initiatives; semantic analysis; knowledge representations; human-computer interactions and information visualization; and the University of Illinois DLI (Digital Libraries Initiative) project through partnership with…

Describes how computer technology has been integrated into the mission of the National Reading Research Center (NRRC). NRRC's rationale for including computer technology in its research agenda is outlined, current research projects involving computers and literacy are reviewed, and several projects that reflect NRRC's major emphases and goals are…

This report presents brief descriptions of the National Institute of Education's (NIE) major programs in fiscal year 1973 and fiscal year 1974. Included in the description of each program is a discussion of one sample project underway in that field. In addition to the descriptions, each section contains a list of contractors and grantees who…

President Bush's new National Drug Control Strategy for 2003 focuses on three core priorities: stopping drug use before it starts; healing America's drug users; and disrupting the market. The 2003 strategy reports progress toward meeting the President's goals of reducing drug use by 10 percent over 2 years, and 25 percent over 5 years. With regard…

This annual report documents the National Drug Control Strategy's progress and plans for the future, and summarizes the implementation of the Nation's 10-year counter-drug strategy. The National Drug Control Strategy takes a long-term, holistic view of the nation's drug problem and recognizes the devastating effect drug abuse has on the nation's…

This report, published in two volumes, provides a documentary record of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Science Development Program (SDP). Information is given on overall university funding levels and on other development programs, with SDP goals and procedures described in detail. Using information on budgets and goals as well as…