Statewide Planning, Research & Networks
Planning for a Resilient Future

Statewide Planning, Research & Networks Logo

Building back better means investing in projects that will promote equity and develop local economies that will be resilient to future economic shocks and climate change.

Through the Statewide Planning, Research & Networks program, EDA is supporting a variety of efforts:

$3 million for ARPA-related Research
$28 million for Networks
$59 million for Statewide Planning Grants

Research

EDA ARPA Research Portfolio

The EDA ARPA Research Portfolio has funded a number of key research projects under the ARPA Statewide Planning, Research, and Networks Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). This NOFO was part of EDA’s multi-phase effort to respond to the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and build regional economies for the future. Through the Research component of this NOFO, EDA has funded five awards that enable real-time research into EDA ARPA programs such as the Good Jobs Challenge; Build Back Better Regional Challenge; the Indigenous Communities program; and the Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation program.

While EDA’s Research and National Technical Assistance (RNTA) Program funds broader research and evaluation of economic development theory, best practices, and development of tools for economic development practitioners, the ARPA Research Portfolio supports research that collects baseline data on other ARPA program grantees and the communities/regions they serve during the period of performance. Most ARPA Research Program grantees will aim to establish the initial economic conditions in communities/regions served by EDA ARPA grantees before EDA ARPA investment and track grantee progress and activities/outputs throughout project implementation. Over the longer term, this research will better position EDA to evaluate the impact of such ARPA investments in subsequent years. The findings of such evaluation will help communities and regions better understand the most effective types of economic development programming, and can lead to continuous improvement in EDA’s own investment portfolio and programmatic priorities, particularly for underserved communities and populations.

EDA plans to conduct performance data collection using its construction and non-infrastructure metrics processes where applicable for all ARPA programs except for Build Back Better Regional Challenge and Good Jobs Challenge. For more information about performance measurement and program evaluation at EDA, please visit https://eda.gov/performance/.

The ARPA Research portfolio is managed by EDA’s RNTA team. Please direct any questions about this portfolio to [email protected].

Research Awards Information

Networks

EDA’s Communities of Practice strengthen America’s economic development infrastructure by capturing, organizing, and scaling practices at a national level.

Each Community of Practice consists of a cohort of EDA grantees that share a similar programmatic, functional, and/or organizational focus. Community of Practice cohorts benefit from a mix of peer-to-peer learning, issue-specific trainings and targeted coaching. Cohort members shape promising practices across the industry, increase their connectedness with peer regions and organizations, and bolster their skills and capacity to advance effective economic development strategies. This approach accelerates regional economic recovery in a more equitable and resilient manner, reaching communities that need it the most.

Through this $28 million investment, EDA is funding the following Communities of Practice:

Build Back Better Regional Challenge: Technical Assistance for Phase I Finalists
Coal: Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities Community of Practice (BRECC CoP)
Good Jobs Challenge: Program Support for Awardees