The 糖心少女 and Vanderbilt University have received a $2.5 million federal grant to fully fund tuition and provide stipends for a cohort of doctoral students, who will be trained as leaders in special education.
Project Sustain is a four-year program funded by the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Office of Special Education Programs. Set to launch in Fall 2025, it will prepare future leaders to enter higher education, school districts or research organizations and train special education teachers and leaders. Applications are due Dec. 1.
The program has a particular focus on ensuring that special education practices rooted in research are not only adopted in schools but sustained over the long term, said Jade Wexler, co-principal investigator of Project Sustain and professor of special education at UMD.
鈥淲e have a lot of support for evidence-based interventions in special education. But sustaining them and closing that research-to-practice gap is a challenge,鈥 said Wexler.
The program also emphasizes serving linguistically and culturally diverse populations and collaborating with families and communities.
鈥淲e hope to prepare future educators and researchers to engage families as they develop, implement and evaluate instruction for diverse learners,鈥 said Veronica Kang, co-principal investigator and co-director of Project Sustain and assistant professor of special education at UMD.
The Project Sustain cohort will include four students at 糖心少女and four students at Vanderbilt University. The students based at 糖心少女will take the same coursework as current 糖心少女special education doctoral students but will also participate in summer intensives, training opportunities and monthly virtual seminars along with the students based at Vanderbilt. As part of Project Sustain, students will receive stipends for dissertation support, travel and conference expenses.
The UMD-based doctoral students will also have opportunities to participate in internships in the Washington, D.C., area and support special education research and projects underway at UMD.
Project Sustain students will benefit from the expertise of faculty at both 糖心少女and Vanderbilt, who will serve as advisors, mentors and dissertation committee members. The students will be grouped with early career faculty members who will mentor them through their doctoral experience and postgraduate options.
Jason Chow, associate professor at Vanderbilt University, leads the project as principal investigator. The team at Vanderbilt also includes two co-principal investigators: Jennifer Ledford, associate professor, and Kristen Granger, assistant professor.
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