Pressure is mounting on the U.S. Department of Education to release nearly $300 million in unallocated funds for education research, after senators and education coalitions said spending delays are harming critical grant programs. Letters from bipartisan groups of lawmakers—including Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)—argued that the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) received about $793 million in FY25 and $789.6 million in FY26, with roughly $290 million expected to lapse Sept. 30 if not allocated. IES allocations can be used over two years, but the lapse risk has focused attention on closeouts of unreviewed FY25 proposals. Critics said the agency’s downsizing and shifting discretion to states has contributed to sharp declines in special education research and data gathering, and they cited a reported lack of new awards over the past year. The department said it remains committed to statutory research obligations while supporting high-quality work.