IES Predoctoral Training Program

A multi-year training program for Penn Ph.D. students committed to learning rigorous methods for conducting actionable, equitable field-based research to inform policy and practice.

The University of Pennsylvania's Predoctoral Training Program in Interdisciplinary Methods for Field-based Research in Education is a collaborative initiative among the Graduate School of Education, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Social Policy and Practice, and the Annenberg School for Communication.

Since 2005, the program has supported more than 70 IES Predoctoral Training Fellows from doctoral programs in Education, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Communications, Criminology, and Business. From 2020 to 2025, the program will enroll 30 fellows for two to three years each. In addition to financial support, the program provides fellows with education and research opportunities that complement those offered through their disciplinary-based doctoral training program. The program is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, Grant R305B200035.

About the Program

Penn’s IES Predoctoral Training Program is a competitive program offering financial and skill-building support for two to three years. Students in good standing may apply to the program after completing one year of doctoral studies. Fellows must have a substantive and substantial interest in applied education research and must be committed to participating in the program for a minimum of two years.

Application deadlineApplications to join the program for the 2024-2025 academic year will be accepted in Spring 2024. Students still interested in applying to join the program in Fall 2023 may contact us for more information.

Apprenticeship15 to 20 hours a week in an approved research or practice apprenticeship

Financial supportAnnual stipend of $34,000
Up to $12,000 towards tuition, fees, and health insurance
Funding to attend professional conferences
Some dissertation expenses

Additional resourcesSpecialized lending library
Seminars & trainings

Certificate offeredFellows successfully completing the program receive the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Education Sciences upon earning their Ph.D.

Overview

Fellows participate in an interdisciplinary core curriculum that includes coursework in quantitative methodologies, experimental research designs, implementation research, and education policy. In addition, fellows will participate in ongoing research with faculty mentors and research organizations (1 year minimum) and complete a year-long policy/practice apprenticeship with education agencies or in practice settings that actively produce and use research. The training program includes an ongoing interdisciplinary seminar on conducting rigorous, applied education research, and methods workshops that complement training available through courses and professional networking support.

Fellows will gain expertise in interdisciplinary research methods, including randomized controlled trials of education programs, policies, and practices. They will be part of an intellectual community of peers and faculty who share interests in rigorous applied education research that is actionable, equitable, and used. The program structure provides scaffolding that enables fellows to attain broader and deeper skills without materially altering their time to degree completion through weekly lectures, special trainings, apprenticeships, and participation in research conferences.

In addition to spending 15 to 20 hours a week in an approved research or practice apprenticeship, fellows are expected to participate in the program’s seminar series, attend program-supported trainings that address skills needed for the Certificate of Advanced Studies, participate in at least one professional conference annually, capitalize on opportunities to present their own work or collaborative work in workshops and at conferences, and send all publications they co-author based on work they do during their fellowship to the ERIC Clearinghouse.

About the Institute of Education Sciences

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) at the US Department of Education was founded in 2002 with the mission to provide rigorous and relevant evidence on which to ground education practice and policy and to share this information broadly. IES funds educational researchers nationwide to conduct studies that seek answers on what works for students from preschools to postsecondary, including interventions for special education students.