A National Institute of Education (NIE) policy statement is presented regarding competition for future funding of regional educational laboratories and research and development (R&D) centers with appropriations available for Section 405(f) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). Attention is also directed to continuing eligibility of the existing laboratories and centers to compete for future support. NIE anticipates that an open competition will be conducted during fiscal year (FY) 1984 and that these competitive awards will begin in FY 1985. A projected schedule of activities associated with competition is included. The laboratory will determine and help meet the educational R&D needs in a specific region of the country, while the center will provide national research leadership in a specified educational problem area of national importance. Each bidder for a laboratory award will determine programmatic priorities derived from consultation with major groups and institutions to be served and from systematic assessment of regional needs. NIE will determine the national educational problem areas in which it will support centers. Bidders will propose programmatic activities addressed to the center's problem area, and an advisory panel that will include leading scholars and consumers of scholarship in the center's field. (SW)