Background on the creation, governance, program development, and planning of the new National Institute of Education (NIE) are provided in this speech. Summary descriptions of NIE's plans for basic research, research and development and utilization systems, and programmatic research and development. The latter category is NIE's major concentration at present and specific programs include investigations of the relationship between learning and work, school initiated experiments, curriculum development, management, post-secondary, early education, and minority concerns. (RH)