About External Research

To better align our work with district-wide goals for budget and personnel optimization, Austin ISD has refined its research focus. Priority is given to external research applications that support the metrics outlined in the District Scorecard. By centering our research efforts on these key pillars, we ensure that external partnerships contribute meaningfully to the success and readiness of our students.

Contact

externalresearch@austinisd.org

The Research Process

About the External Research Application

The application for the 2026-2027 school year is currently closed, however the application window for the 2027-2028 school year is currently open and available for research applicants. If you are interested in submitting an application for a new research project, please fill out our External Research Application.

Submission Deadlines (2027–2028)

Our district does not conduct a rolling application submission window. To maintain a systematic review cycle, the Research-Insight-Analytics team adheres to a strict submission timeline. 

• Site-Based Research Applications: Due Monday, May 17, 2027.
• Database-Centric Research Applications: Due Monday, November 2, 2027.

Why We Require a Formal Application

The application serves as a critical vetting tool to ensure:

• Strategic Alignment: Every project must align with Austin ISD’s vision, goals, and the District Scorecard.
• Institutional Rigor: We review all proposals for sound methodology and ethical considerations to maintain the integrity of our data and student experiences.
• Campus Readiness & Consent: We ensure that participating campuses are fully informed, eager partners. No research is conducted without the explicit commitment of campus leadership to ensure a collaborative and voluntary environment.
• Operational Clarity: The process establishes clear guidelines for what is permissible within the district, providing researchers with a transparent roadmap of requirements and timelines.

Once submitted, the RIA team evaluates each proposal based on its technical merit, feasibility, and potential for actionable insights. The following section explains this timeline and process. 

District Approval

Before implementation, projects undergo an Expert Content Review to evaluate alignment with district priorities and departmental capacity. The Content Review Committee evaluates proposals across two subgroups during the first six weeks of the summer:

Methodology: Ensures research approaches and analyses are sound and robust, aligned with AISD policy, and avoid placing undue burden on students, families, or staff.

District Interest:  Assesses whether the proposed research aligns with district goals and priorities, is necessary, or is feasible given current capacity.

When all parties come to an agreement, the Research-Insight-Analytics (RIA) team issues a formal Approval Memo (typically by mid-summer).

Campus Approval (Site Research)

District approval is a prerequisite, but the final authority for on-site activity rests with campus leaders. Austin ISD does not typically allow active research during the Spring semester.

Outreach: Researchers conduct outreach to campus leaders using the Approval Memo. Principals and staff are instructed only to engage with researchers who provide this valid memo.

Principal Authority: Principals hold ultimate authority over their campuses; no district-level directive will override a principal’s decision to decline participation.

Finalization: Once a principal agrees to the study, they sign a Principal Recruitment & Agreement to Participate (PRAP) form. Submitting this signed form back to the RIA Department finalizes the research lifecycle

Student Data Policy. Campuses are not authorized to distribute student-level data to any researchers or program providers (e.g., student demographics, program participation, grades, etc.). Any data distributed from your campus could violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Please contact and/or send researchers to externalresearch@austinisd.org for data requests. We will coordinate all data pulls and limit what researchers ask of schools and staff.

Unsolicited Surveys and Research

As staff emails are publicly available, many groups send out surveys without research approval. Forward emails or links to externalresearch@austinisd.org. We will contact and stop survey requests from spamming yours and other staff inboxes. We thank you in advance for your diligent support in this effort.