Education Minister Paul Givan has announced significant funding to support 50 research-informed school conferences across Northern Ireland.

The grants, of up to £5,000 each, are being provided through the "Making Best Practice, Common Practice Programme" to enable schools and clusters to organise events promoting evidence-based teaching and learning.

The initiative aims to bring together educators, researchers, and school leaders to explore best practices and foster school improvement.

Minister Givan praised the enthusiastic response from schools: "Our schools have once again confirmed that they are at the heart of transforming education, by embracing the opportunity to share and apply research for the benefit of our pupils," he said. "I have been particularly impressed by the breadth and quality of proposals submitted, which reflect the strong appetite that I have seen during my school visits for access to practical education research relevant to teaching practice."

The Minister reiterated his commitment to providing teachers with access to high-quality educational research: "The strong demand for this scheme confirms that teachers value opportunities to engage with evidence that can enhance their professional learning." He also confirmed that the Department of Education will issue a further call for applications in the next academic year.

The "Making Best Practice, Common Practice Programme" is a key component of the Department's wider "TransformED" strategy. This overarching strategy seeks to empower educators by connecting them with cutting-edge research to enhance classroom practice. The conferences funded for the 2025/26 academic year will focus on various aspects of education, including pedagogy, curriculum development, and improving pupil outcomes, while fostering collaboration among teachers, researchers, and school leaders.