A bipartisan bill introduced this week by Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D‑Ore.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R‑Pa.) would create the National Center for Advanced Development in Education (NCADE), a DARPA‑style hub aimed at funding high‑risk, high‑reward education research to accelerate innovations in teaching and learning. The proposal arrives as the Education Department has cut contracts and staff at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), prompting lawmakers and researchers to worry about the federal government’s capacity to support rigorous education science. Sponsors argue NCADE would accelerate evidence‑based breakthroughs and improve data transparency; critics caution about the implications of rapid grantmaking and the need to sustain long‑term evaluative work. The bill highlights congressional concern about the agency’s research capacity and poses a potential pivot toward faster, mission‑driven innovation funding in K‑12 and postsecondary education.