Researchers, parents, counselors, and teachers share a common desire to ensure personal growth and academic development for children. At a very foundational level, they desire health and happiness for all children, as well as an education with quality schools and good teachers. They want all children to be in programs that appropriately address their educational needs. They desire places where children can develop their natural abilities and form and maintain good and lasting friendships. They want each child to be successful, academically and personally, and to move toward a happy, thriving life. To achieve this common goal, a collaborative effort between parents, counselors, teachers, and researchers is important. The primary mission of the Research and Evaluation (R&E) Network is to ensure a spirit of inquiry among all NAGC members, including parent members. The efforts of the R&E Network are focused on promoting and sustaining high-quality research related to gifted children. Additionally, the R&E Network serves to support the NAGC community through outreach, the dissemination of information about research needs and methodologies, and by encouraging and supporting NAGC members in their research efforts. Both the R&E Network and the parent community within NAGC have a common central motivation: meeting the needs of gifted children. The R&E Network contributes to this understanding in multiple ways by: (1) advocating for appropriate study, evaluation, and presentation of key topics in the field of gifted education; (2) encouraging appropriate research methodology; (3) highlighting research topics; (4) determining appropriate funding sources for research; (5) promoting ethical standards for conducting and reporting research within the field of gifted education; (6) supporting the establishment of professional networks within and outside of NAGC; and (7) aiding in the development of guidelines for graduate programs that train researchers for the field of gifted education.