The Experimental Education Research Training (ExpERT) Pre and Post-Doctoral Training Programs

ExpERT Pre doctoral Training Program

What works in education, and for whom, under what circumstances? As a Ph.D. student, join researchers from a variety of disciplines--quantitative methods, psychometrics, education, psychology, economics, public policy and more--in studying common problems of learning, achievement and education. Vanderbilt's new pre doctoral program gives students the opportunity to engage in rigorous, field-based, experimental research--along with interdisciplinary discussion and study of important educational problems--that equips them to ask better questions, use better methods and find better answers to today's pressing issues in education. Armed with the Ph.D. degree, graduates will be prepared for employment in research-intensive institutions, to publish on relevant topics and to train the next generation of education scientists.

The Experimental Education Research Training (ExpERT) program features an integrated sequence of graduate courses in statistics, measurement and design, along with courses in educational practices, context and learning. It offers extensive field research experience with world-class faculty, monthly interdisciplinary lectures and colloquia, teaching experiences, internships and conference attendance. Students will acquire expertise in planning, executing and analyzing high-quality randomized field trials of educational strategies (e.g., programs, interventions, policies) firmly grounded in theoretical frameworks and supported by empirical evidence. The ultimate goal is to develop a new generation of education scientists who are both committed and well equipped to lead the way in education research.

The pre doctoral ExpERT program culminates in the receipt of the Ph.D. degree. The path to this goal includes:

Staged courses in statistics, design, measurement, education context and learning
Research experiences with faculty conducting field experiments
Monthly interdisciplinary seminars on education, methods and statistics (internal and external speakers)
12 months of stipend support
Full tuition support (up to 5 years)
Access to supplemental research funds
Annual attendance at two professional conferences and one training conference in Washington, DC

ExpERT Postdoctoral Training Program

Two two-year postdoctoral appointments are available every academic year. ExpERT is an interdisciplinary training program, supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute for Education Sciences (IES). The ExpERT program is designed to train education scientists in conducting experimental assessments to answer questions of "What works in education for whom, under what circumstances, and why?" To answer these types of causal questions, we emphasize the use of randomized field experiments and quality quasi-experiments, along with other methods/models required to understand the mechanisms by which effects occur and the scope/limits of their generalizability. Individuals with interests in experimental and quasi-experimental design and analysis, meta-analysis, measurement/assessment, or intervention fidelity are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have a Ph.D. degree in psychology, education, statistics, economics, or a related social science discipline. Fellows must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Send a letter of interest, vita, sample papers, and three references to: David S. Cordray (Program Director), Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, #512 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203-5701