With the proposed Investing in Innovation (i3) rules release, we have an even deeper insight into how much Secretary Duncan values data. As proposed, the amount of possible grant funding that an applicant may be awarded is tied directly to the strength of evidence supporting their application. What struck us as particularly interesting in this approach is that many innovative programs may, by their very nature, be short of deep evidence.

In the proposed rules, applicants with strong evidence including evaluations of programs with random assignment of students may apply for Scale-Up grants up to $50 million. The next tier of funding, called Validation grants, caps at $30 million, and requires moderate evidence. The last tier of funding is for Development grants of up to $5 million. Development grants require, “reasonable research-based findings or theories.”

The question many are now asking is whether tying maximum grant awards to level and depth of evidence is consistent with the concept of innovation. We agree that innovation and measurement work very well together and consider formative evaluation approaches critical to the innovation process. The practical challenge that many i3 hopefuls may face, however, is meeting the data requirements in advance of the submitting their applications. We wonder if the proposed requirements will prematurely weed out promising applicants or force applicants to apply for lower levels of funding than they actually need to support their intended outcomes. 

As we suggested to an i3 hopeful, between now and early spring 2010 is the time to quickly, thoughtfully, and systematically understand what levels are data are currently in place for the programs prospective grantees are seeking support for and to shore up potential gaps over the coming months. This is a perfect time for organizations to consider the current status of their measurement and evaluation practices as the demands from the Department are consistent with what we are seeing from foundation and corporate funders as well.

To all i3 hopefuls, we wish you great success with your applications!