Scientific Basis:

Any federal grant application will require that the project is based on scientific research. According to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), scientifically based research:

• Employs systematic empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment; involves data analyses that are adequate to support the general findings; relies on measurements of observational methods that provide reliable data; makes claims of causal relationships only in random-assignment experiments or other designs

• Ensures that studies and methods are presented in sufficient detail and clarity to allow for replication or, at minimum, to offer the opportunity to build systematically on the findings of the research

• Obtains acceptance by a peer-reviewed journal or approval by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective and scientific review; and,

• Uses research designs and methods appropriate to the research question posed.