AERDF is a national nonprofit founded in 2021 running multi-year R&D programmes for PreK-12 education in the U.S., spanning literacy, assessment, executive function and AI in education.
Advanced Education Research & Development Fund (AERDF) is a national nonprofit founded in 2021 that runs multi-year research and development programs aimed at scientific discovery and invention for PreK-12 education in the United States. It describes itself as the first nonprofit Advanced Inclusive R&D organisation focused on that goal. Since launch, its programmes have engaged more than 20,000 students.
AERDF's work spans learning science and assessment, executive function skill development, foundational literacy, artificial intelligence in education, and virtual learning environments. Its programmes include EF+Math, which combines executive function skill development with math success; Assessment for Good, which seeks to deliver accurate, meaningful assessment data at the speed of teaching and learning; Reading Reimagined, which targets foundational literacy skills; and AugmentED, which reimagines education for the AI era.
The organisation's stated approach is to make education research more efficient, ethical, and scalable, and to build shared tools, platforms, and virtual environments for education innovators. Its inclusive R&D work is directed particularly towards Black and Latino learners and students experiencing poverty. AERDF frames its ambition as transformative, breakthrough innovation of the kind represented by mRNA technology, GPS, and the internet.
