Congress approved $93 million for special education research in 2026. The Office of Management and Budget has approved none of it.

The money funds studies that tell us what interventions work for students with disabilities, teacher training grant programs, and the research base that informs IEP goal-setting. Without it, schools lose access to new evidence on effective interventions, teacher training pipelines thin out, and the evidence base for IEP decisions stagnates.

The practical impact shows up in IEP meetings where families ask "why this goal?" and "what research supports this service?" and the team can't answer because the research that should exist doesn't.

What the $93 Million Was Supposed to Fund

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) manages federal education research through its National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). That $93 million was allocated by Congress for fiscal year 2026 and is available through September 2027. According to Knowledge Alliance, a nonprofit that advocates for federal education research investment, OMB has approved $0 of it as of April 27, 2026.

The money funds research grants that study what works. Reading interventions for students with dyslexia. Communication supports for minimally verbal autistic students. Transition programs that improve employment outcomes for adults with intellectual disabilities. Teacher training programs that prepare educators to implement evidence-based practices.

It also funds longitudinal studies following students with disabilities from high school into college and the workforce. Those studies have already been halted, according to Rachel Dinkes, president and CEO of Knowledge Alliance.

The Bigger Picture: $289 Million at Risk

The $93 million is part of a larger crisis. Nearly 36% of IES's budget for fiscal year 2025 is at risk of expiring on September 30, 2026. That's $289 million total. The 2025 budget included $77 million for special education research and evaluation, but only $11 million has been allocated so far.

There were no grant competitions in special education last year. Without an impending research grant competition on a very quick timeline, it's difficult to see how remaining money could be allocated and spent before it lapses.

The spending of 2026 funds is also behind schedule, with no funds for research or statistics yet approved by OMB.

What This Means for Students with IEPs

When research funding disappears, the knowledge gap shows up in practice.

IEP teams are required to use evidence-based practices when selecting goals and services. That requirement assumes the evidence exists. When research studies don't happen, schools don't know what works. They default to "what we've always done" or "what the district has a contract for" instead of "what the research shows is effective for this student."

Teacher preparation programs rely on research to update their curricula. Without new studies, the training pipeline for special education teachers stays stuck on outdated methods.

Families lose the ability to advocate with evidence. When you're sitting across from an IEP team pushing for a specific service or accommodation, research backing matters. "This study from 2024 showed that X intervention improved outcomes for students like my child" is a stronger argument than "I read this helps online." When research funding stalls, that evidence pipeline dries up.

What Families Can Do Right Now

Contact Your Members of Congress

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) operates a Legislative Action Center at exceptionalchildren.org/takeaction where you can send letters to your members of Congress about current advocacy topics, including IES and NCSER funding. CEC has been actively advocating on this issue since the administration canceled research grants and proposed scaling back IES this spring.

The Arc's Action Center (thearc.org/action) houses current action alerts where you can send notes to your legislators. Congress is closely divided right now, so every message can make a difference.

Both organizations make it easy to contact your representatives with pre-drafted letters you can personalize.

Ask Your IEP Team What Research They're Using

At your next IEP meeting, ask specific questions:

• "What research supports this goal?"
• "Can you point me to studies showing this intervention works for students with [your child's disability]?"
• "How recent is the evidence you're basing this decision on?"

These questions aren't adversarial; they're what families should be asking anyway. If the team can't answer them, that's information. It tells you the decision is based on something other than current evidence, and you can push for better.

If you need support navigating these conversations, How to Find an IEP Advocate or Special Education Attorney walks through when to bring in outside help.

Connect with Advocacy Coalitions

Knowledge Alliance, the organization that surfaced this analysis, is a nonprofit comprised of leading education organizations that advocates for federal investment in education research. Their work made this funding freeze visible.

CEC's Special Education Legislative Summit (July 19-22, 2026) offers the opportunity to meet with elected officials from your home state on Capitol Hill. Registration information is available at specialeducationlegislativesummit.org.

The Arc provides toolkits to make it easier to contact your members of Congress or state lawmakers in person or online. Sign up for action alerts to receive notifications about advocacy opportunities.

Why This Is a Political Hold, Not a Budget Problem

This isn't about money Congress didn't approve. Congress allocated the funds. OMB hasn't released them. That's a political decision, not a budget constraint.

The practical effect is the same: research doesn't happen, longitudinal studies stop midstream, grant competitions don't open, and the pipeline of evidence for what works in special education slows to a crawl.

Families sitting in IEP meetings six months or two years from now will feel this. They won't know it started with a political hold on research funding. They'll just know the team can't explain why a particular goal or service is the right one.

What Happens Next

If the 2025 funds ($77 million for special education research) aren't allocated by September 30, they lapse. The government loses the ability to spend them.

If the 2026 funds ($93 million) aren't allocated by September 30, 2027, the same thing happens.

Advocacy organizations are pushing Congress to pressure OMB to release the funds and open grant competitions. Whether that happens depends on political will and public pressure.

In the meantime, families can act: contact legislators, ask IEP teams hard questions about research backing, and connect with coalitions already mobilized on this issue.

The research that should exist to support your child's IEP won't happen unless the money allocated for it gets spent. That's the bottom line, and that's what families need to understand right now.