The last twelve months have seen significant changes in the Australian education evidence landscape. With the Gonski 2.0 Review due to be delivered in December 2017, the final shape of that landscape remains unclear. In that context, Evidence for Learning has decided to put further Learning Impact Fund grants on hold until there is greater clarity on the national investment into education evidence. Evidence for Learning has retained the remaining research funding from the Commonwealth Bank’s foundation investment in the Learning Impact Fund for future use and will reconsider timing for the next Learning Impact Fund round in 2018.

In May 2016, Evidence for Learning launched the Learning Impact Fund (LIF), a first-of-its kind education grants program. It was developed to identify, fund and evaluate programs aiming to raise the academic achievement of children in Australia. The existing programs have already engaged 220 schools and more than 12,200 students in trials that will provide valuable insights when they start reporting next year.

Twelve months later and the educational landscape in Australia has changed immensely. Governments at all levels are beginning to more fully understand the value of an evidence-based approach if Australia is to see improved education outcomes.

The recently released Productivity Commission report into the education evidence base, and the launch of the ​‘Gonski 2.0’ Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools, reinforce the critical role that evidence should play in our school system.

These developments have led to a temporary shift in focus for Evidence for Learning. The next six to twelve months provide a real opportunity to continue our work prosecuting the evidence agenda and helping to shape the Australian education system for the next ten years and beyond.

To that end, we have decided that further Learning Impact Fund grants will be put on hold for now. We will continue the great work already begun through the programs that have received grants from the Learning Impact Fund. The remaining research funding from the Commonwealth Bank’s foundation investment remains in the Learning Impact Fund for future use, and we will reconsider the timing of the next grant round in 2018.

Evidence for Learning aspires to play a vital role in the national education system going forward. Our support and promotion of the Teaching & Learning Toolkit and brokering of global evidence assets for the benefit of Australian education systems and schools will continue unchanged.