# Will the New Education R&D Bill Spark the Innovation Schools Desperately Need?

By Michael B. Horn · Published 2025-04-25 · Updated 2026-06-08 · Education Technology on MarketScale
Canonical: https://www.marketscale.com/industries/education-technology/education-rd-need-act-innovation
Creator hub: The Future of Education with Michael Horn

> Federal lawmakers propose a DARPA-style research hub to fund breakthrough education innovations that traditional funding mechanisms have left behind

## Key points

- The NEED Act proposes a federally funded, DARPA-style National Center for Advanced Development in Education to support high-risk, high-reward education R&D.
- Federal education R&D investment is modest compared to defense spending, limiting the pace of innovation in schools.
- Scaling education innovations requires more than funding—it demands lab schools, flexible regulations, and model providers to bridge research and practice.

Block Field

In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, Senators **Michael Bennet** (D-CO) and **John Cornyn** (R-TX) have introduced the [New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act](https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2024/07/30/press-releases-id-a069f670-5dcb-4cb1-b6c6-0389a5c75a38/), aimed at revolutionizing how the [U.S. invests in education innovation](https://marketscale.com/industries/original-series/future-of-education/how-school-districts-can-pay-vendors-based-on-student-outcomes/). The bill proposes a new National Center for Advanced Development in Education—akin to DARPA but for schools—within the Institute for Education Sciences. Its goal? To fund high-risk, high-reward education R&D that drives breakthrough learning models and technologies.

With rising college closures and education leaders seeking bold solutions post-COVID, the stakes for smarter R&D couldn’t be higher. Compared to the Department of Defense’s [over $143 billion RDT&E spend](https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3703410/department-of-defense-releases-the-presidents-fiscal-year-2025-defense-budget/), federal investment in education research and development is comparatively modest. But will this bill—and others like it—actually spark the innovation schools desperately need?

> But will this bill—and others like it—actually spark the innovation schools desperately need?

Can a federally-funded innovation engine jumpstart education R&D—and what will it take to actually implement breakthrough ideas in schools?

In this episode of [*The Future of Education*](https://marketscale.com/shows/the-future-of-education-with-michael-horn/), host [Michael Horn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbhorn/) is joined by **Daniel Curtis**, Governor's Fellow at the [Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy](https://portal.ct.gov/gwc/ows-initiatives), to unpack the promise and limits of this emerging effort to supercharge R&D in education.

**Key takeaways from the conversation…**

-  **The Innovation Gap**: Why education R&D remains dramatically underfunded—and how that shortfall stifles progress compared to sectors like healthcare and defense. 
-  **The DARPA Debate**: What the proposed education innovation center could learn from DARPA—and why the analogy may fall short in a system with 14,000+ school districts. 
-  **What It'll Take to Scale**: How model providers, lab schools, flexible regulations, and targeted funding could finally give innovations a fighting chance to thrive in U.S. schools. 

### About the Guest

**Daniel Curtis** is a policy strategist and education innovation expert currently serving as a Governor's Fellow at the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy. He has authored education research, supported high-impact policy initiatives, and led content production for influential platforms like *The Future of Education* and *Future U* podcasts. With prior experience as a high school teacher and consultant, he brings a unique blend of classroom insight, policy acumen, and cross-sector collaboration to advancing personalized learning and workforce development.

Tags: Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy, Daniel Curtis, education R&D, New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act, Senator John Cornyn, Senator Michael Bennet

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