Rice University awarded $90M to build education research hub

An inclusive learning and education research hub called SafeInsights will be developed at Rice University after university officials were awarded $90 million by the National Science Foundation.

The multimillion dollar funding becomes the largest research award in Rice's history, according to officials, and is estimated to benefit tens of millions of students and instructors across all educational levels.

NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said in a news release there's an urgent need for research-informed strategies capable of transforming education systems that will ultimately empower the nation's workforce.

"We are thrilled to announce an investment of $90 million in SafeInsights, marking a significant step forward in our commitment to advancing scientific research in STEM education," Panchanathan said.

The big picture

The five-year project represents the national foundation's largest single investment in education research and development infrastructure at a national scale, according to a news release.

SafeInsights will serve as a central hub for a multidisciplinary team of 80 partners and collaborating institutions, including major digital learning platforms from diverse backgrounds.

Richard Baraniuk is a SafeInsights leader, OpenStax director and Rice professor. He said in a news release that education research and development opens up opportunities that will help students learn in different contexts.

"Learning is complex. Research can tackle this complexity and help get the right tools into the hands of educators and students, but to do so, we need reliable information on how students learn," Baraniuk said.

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