The Director shall award grants to institutions of higher education or eligible nonprofit organizations (or consortia thereof) to establish multidisciplinary Centers for Research on Learning and Education Improvement.

Grants shall be awarded under this paragraph on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis.

Each Center shall be focused on a different challenge faced by elementary school or secondary school teachers of mathematics and science. In determining the research focus of the Centers, the Director shall consult with the National Academy of Sciences and the Secretary of Education and take into account the extent to which other Federal programs support research on similar questions.

The proposal solicitation issued by the Director shall state the focus of each Center and applicants shall apply for designation as a specific Center.

At least one Center shall focus on developing ways in which the results of research described in paragraph (2) can be applied, duplicated, and scaled up for use in low-performing elementary schools and secondary schools to improve the teaching and student achievement levels in mathematics and science.

To the extent practicable and relevant to its focus, every Center shall include, as part of its research, work designed to quantitatively assess and improve the ways that information technology is used in the teaching of mathematics and science.

the initial research projects that will be undertaken by the Center and the process by which new projects will be identified;

how the Center will work with other research institutions and schools to broaden the national research agenda on learning and teaching;

how the Center will promote active collaboration among physical, biological, and social science researchers;

how the Center will promote active participation by elementary and secondary mathematics and science teachers and administrators; and

how the results of the Center’s research can be incorporated into educational practices, and how the Center will assess the success of those practices.

the ability of the applicant to effectively carry out the research program, including the activities described in paragraph (1)(E);

the experience of the applicant in conducting research on the science of teaching and learning and the capacity of the applicant to foster new multidisciplinary collaborations;

the capacity of the applicant to attract elementary school and secondary school teachers from a diverse array of schools, and with diverse professional experiences, for participation in Center activities; and

the capacity of the applicant to attract and provide adequate support for graduate students to pursue research at the intersection of educational practice and basic research on human cognition and learning.

understand the implications of the research disseminated under paragraph (1) for classroom practice; and

can use the research to improve such teachers’ performance in the classroom.