More than $289 million of federal education research funding is at risk of going unspent this fiscal year, according to an analysis by the Knowledge Alliance. The group says the funds could lapse when the fiscal year ends Sept. 30, citing OMB documents that show IES spending is not on track. The concern centers on the effect on education guidance and evidence-building: if research dollars expire, schools and states could lose support for projects related to absenteeism and special education evaluation. The analysis also flags a near standstill in special education research under the Trump administration, with a large majority of designated funds remaining unspent. The Office of Management and Budget did not provide a direct response in the reporting summarized here, leaving universities and private research organizations that depend on IES competitions to plan around uncertainty and potential schedule compression.