An advocacy group warned that up to $289 million in federal education research funding could go unspent by Sept. 30 as the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) faces spending hurdles under the administration’s fund-obligation schedule. The Knowledge Alliance, which represents 20 private research organizations, analyzed Office of Management and Budget documents tied to fiscal 2025 spending plans. The group said unspent funds cannot roll over and typically revert to the U.S. Treasury, which could reduce federal guidance for evidence-based school improvement and complicate state compliance with federal data and evaluation requirements. The analysis highlighted a near-standstill for special education research, with roughly 85% of the $77 million designated remaining unspent, along with large shares at risk in other education research and statistics categories. The OMB did not respond to questions about how much will be obligated before the deadline.