A coalition of education research contractors and funder-adjacent organizations warns that a large share of federal education research funding may go unspent this fiscal year. The Knowledge Alliance, representing 20 private research organizations, estimates $289 million from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) could expire at the end of Sept. 30 if spending plans do not accelerate. The group analyzed Office of Management and Budget documents detailing how much IES has spent or plans to spend from the $768 million Congress appropriated for fiscal 2025. It argues that without timely obligations and grant competitions, the loss would reduce evidence generation for schools and complicate state compliance with federal evaluation requirements. The Knowledge Alliance singled out special education research as a key pressure point, estimating that roughly 85% of $77 million designated for special education remains unspent and that there have been few, if any, follow-on documents describing new competitions. It also flagged at-risk balances for other education research, plus statistics funding. While the OMB controls release of funds and updates research spending plans, the White House did not respond to the inquiry in the reporting described. The central policy risk is operational—spending timelines that don’t convert into student-facing studies and guidance before funds lapse.