Scholars from the Institute for Educational Initiatives Awarded Grants for Research on School Choice and Teacher Well-Being
Notre Dame, Indiana — Two faculty fellows of the Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI) at the University of Notre Dame have received competitive research funding through the 2025 Notre Dame Research and Scholarship Program (RSP).
Monica Kowalski, Associate Director of Program Evaluation and Research, and Nikhit D’Sa, Senior Associate Director of Research, Evaluation, and Learning at the Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child (GC-DWC), are among ten faculty members selected across the Regular Grant (RSP-RG) and Initiation Grant (RSP-IG) tracks.
Expanding Education Access and Supporting Educators
Kowalski received an RSP–Initiation Grant to examine the effects of school choice legislation on Catholic schools in Ohio. Her research will focus on the dioceses of Cleveland and Toledo, providing Catholic school networks with actionable insights on enrollment trends, policy shifts, and implications for educational access and equity.
D’Sa’s RSP–Regular Grant will support a large-scale, mixed-methods study on teacher well-being in Uganda. Drawing from surveys and interviews with more than 3,000 educators, the study will investigate how working conditions, psychological safety, and professional agency shape teacher retention and classroom success.
“These grants are a testament to the important questions our faculty are pursuing, both locally and globally,” said Matt Kloser, Hackett Family Director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives. “Whether strengthening Catholic schools in the U.S. or supporting educators abroad, Monica and Nikhit’s work reflects IEI’s mission to advance educational opportunity and dignity for all learners.”
Part of a University-Wide Commitment to Advancing Knowledge
Notre Dame Research (NDR) awarded five grants under the Regular Grant (RSP-RG) and five under the Initiation Grant (RSP-IG) in 2025.
The RSP-RG supports research, scholarship, or creative work that makes a major contribution in any discipline and advances the University’s mission to serve the common good. The RSP-IG provides seed funding to early-career faculty or established scholars launching new lines of inquiry.
“Notre Dame Research is proud to support this remarkable collection of innovative and wide-ranging projects,” said Jeffrey F. Rhoads, John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research and professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. “Collectively, these research initiatives reflect and advance the University’s mission to pursue knowledge in service of the common good.”
About the Institute for Educational Initiatives
Founded in 1996, the Institute for Educational Initiatives consists of more than two dozen programs dedicated to improving education for all youth, particularly those who are historically underserved. Through research, teacher and leader formation, and direct service to educational systems, IEI scholars and practitioners pursue interdisciplinary collaboration to better understand and improve PK–12 education in the United States and internationally.
Learn more at iei.nd.edu.
