American Institutes for Research (AIR)

10/20/2026

Every year, about 40,000 organ transplants take place in the United States, while roughly 100,000 people remain on waiting lists for a lifesaving organ. Strengthening the systems that oversee organ donation and transplantation is important to ensuring fairness, transparency, and patient safety.

AIR works alongside Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network (OPTN) Board of Directors to help strengthen governance, support patient safety and accountability efforts, and expand engagement with patients, donors, and families. These efforts are helping improve the systems that support thousands of organ transplants each year.

Read how this work is contributing to a stronger, more transparent transplant system and helping improve outcomes for patients.

https://www.air.org/resource/case-study/enhancing-accountability-and-performance-organ-transplant-system-improve

10/19/2026

State funding policies play an important role in how special education services are financed and delivered.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal government covers a fraction of the cost of special education services, leaving states to develop their own funding systems to supplement local resources to support students with disabilities.

A recent brief by AIR's Tammy Kolbe provides a comprehensive overview of how states determine funding obligations and calculate state aid for special education. Key takeaways include:

💡 Each state uses different approaches to determining special education funding and allocating aid
💡 Weighted funding formulas are the most common strategy for funding special education
💡 Most states provide additional funding beyond funding formulas to support high-needs students

Learn more: https://www.air.org/resource/spotlight/special-education-finance-and-funding

10/16/2026

Rigorous evidence can help providers understand whether an education program is delivering meaningful results.

Field trials generate evidence about whether an education program or intervention achieves its intended outcomes in typical education settings, but preparing a field trial can be complex and challenging.

AIR experts developed “Launching Field Trials With Confidence: A Starter Toolkit for Educators and Researchers,” a free toolkit designed to help providers make informed decisions on the necessity of field trials and how to get started.

The toolkit offers practical support for:
📝 Assessing readiness and necessity for a field trial
🔎 Examining implementation feasibility and fit in real settings
🤝 Defining roles and responsibilities to support coordination across partners

Learn more and download the toolkit: https://www.air.org/resource/guidetoolkit/launching-field-trials-confidence-starter-toolkit-educators-and-researchers

10/15/2026

AIR's Medicaid team will be at the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) Conference October 21-24 in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Our experts look forward to engaging with Medicaid leaders, CMS representatives, and other federal partners on the policies and innovations shaping Medicaid programs, including community engagement and work requirements, redeterminations, value-based care, and data-informed program improvement.

Attending NAMD? Visit our exhibit booth or connect with Mai Hubbard, Melissa Hafner, Tonie Sadler, Kelsey Walter, Alyssa Cohen, and Margaux Fleming to discuss:

🔹Medicaid policy analysis
🔹Program design and evaluation
🔹Payment reform and value-based care
🔹Quality measurement
🔹Data quality and analytics
🔹Program monitoring and implementation
🔹Rulemaking support

Learn more about AIR's Medicaid work: https://www.air.org/resource/spotlight/advancing-medicaid-innovation-evaluation-and-policy-implementation
Shorter

10/14/2026

AIR has named Gaya Dowling director of the AI Century Study, a landmark 100-year research effort examining how artificial intelligence is shaping human development, education, well-being, and opportunity.

Dowling previously led the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the largest long-term study of childhood brain development and health in the United States. Her leadership will help guide critical research on how AI may influence learning, development, and life outcomes across generations.

Learn more about Dowling, the study, and AIR's work to build evidence for responsible AI.

https://www.air.org/news/press-release/neuroscientist-gaya-dowling-joins-american-institutes-research-lead-ai-century

10/13/2026

Strong research starts with real voices and real experiences.

AIR is seeking participants for current and upcoming research studies on topics including AI in the classroom, mathematics education, teacher professional development, and more.

By participating, you can:
🔹Share your expertise and experiences
🔹Help improve programs and systems
🔹Contribute to evidence that drives better decisions
🔹Support positive outcomes for communities

Are you interested in helping shape research that informs programs, policies, and practices? Explore current opportunities and sign up to participate: https://recruitment.air.org/

10/12/2026

Around the world, nearly 500 million women and girls worldwide lack access to menstrual products and facilities.

AIR researchers evaluated Happy Periods, a menstrual health and hygiene program in Tamil Nadu, India, designed to improve knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to menstruation among adolescents. The evaluation examined impacts on outcomes including school attendance and mental well-being, helping inform future improvements and scale-up efforts.

Learn more about this work and its implications for advancing menstrual health and hygiene worldwide: https://www.air.org/project/evaluating-effects-menstrual-health-and-hygiene-management-intervention-india

10/11/2026

How can educators strengthen reading interventions when students need more support?

AIR’s Jon Potter and “Reading Road Trip” podcast host Kate Winn explore the Taxonomy of Intervention Intensity, a framework that can help educators make informed decisions about adapting and intensifying reading interventions to support struggling readers.

Listen to the International Dyslexia Association Ontario podcast to learn practical strategies to strengthen reading interventions and literacy outcomes for all students:

In this episode of Reading Road Trip, Kate welcomes Dr. Jon Potter, an expert in MTSS, literacy intervention, and data-based decision making, for an insightful conversation about the Taxonomy of Intervention Intensity. They explore seven evidence-based dimensions educators can use to intensify readi...

10/10/2026

Creating the conditions for young people to thrive requires support both inside and outside the classroom.

A recent NCSL article draws on insights from a panel hosted by AIR's Deborah Moroney at the 2026 National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Summit, exploring how trusted adults, peers, and community connections can help strengthen student mental health and well-being. “The research shows that when mental health issues go untreated, it not only affects relationships and home life, but it affects attendance, social engagement, persistence in school and graduation," she said.

Discover more from the panel: https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/how-to-support-students-mental-health-the-adults-and-peers-around-them-can-help

10/09/2026

Communities can play a critical role in shaping substance use disorder policies, investments, and in defining what successful outcomes look like.

Join AIR and our partners from the National Academy for State Health Policy and the O'Neill Institute at Georgetown Law, along with Morgan Godvin, to learn how the Measurements for Accountability to All People in Policy Solutions (MAAPPS) initiative uses community engagement to strengthen policy decisions, inform investment priorities, reinforce accountability, and improve how impact is measured in substance use disorder systems.

Register for "Bringing People to the Table: Community Voices and Policy Choices to Improve Substance Use Systems" on October 21 to get ideas you can adapt in your own community: https://www.air.org/event/bringing-people-table-community-voices-and-policy-choices-improve-substance-use-systems