Research Community
The PSEO Coalition is launching a Research Community (RC), a collaborative space for higher education professionals to learn from one another and deepen the use of PSEO outcomes data.
About the RC
The RC brings together colleagues from two- and four-year institutions to deepen their understanding and use cases for PSEO data and data structures, as well as to learn insider tips and tricks for making the most of these valuable data. RC participants will refine their skills in applying data to inform campus decision-making and increase their capacity to use outcomes data through design thinking methodologies. Members will also be one of the first groups to learn about new PSEO updates, programs, and research grant opportunities.
Key Dates
February 12, 2026: First meeting of the RC
- June 2026: Interest form will reopen in anticipation of more institutions joining the PSEO dataset
Members are invited to serve a minimum of one year in the Research Community. We will hold a 60-minute virtual meeting once every two months.
Please email research@pseocoalition.org with questions.
Next Generation PSEO Champions
The Next Generation PSEO Champions Program is underway through August 2026. A cohort of 10 nominated leaders from participating PSEO Coalition member states, systems, and institutions is building applied leadership capacity to interpret, communicate, and steward PSEO data and related sources.
Designed for professionals in data, research, and policy offices, Champions attend monthly workshops with readings, reflection, and practical activities between sessions. Together, Champions will strengthen four core competencies: adaptive leadership, data translation and storytelling, ethical data stewardship, and systems and policy understanding, all to turn complex outcomes data into clear, responsible insights that support decision-making.
Champions will also develop a data leadership portfolio throughout the program, culminating in an August capstone showcase. We’re eager to learn alongside this group and to share takeaways and tools with the broader PSEO Coalition community as the cohort progresses.
Champions include:
Pearson Brown, Research Associate, University System of Georgia
Sophia Casler, Longitudinal Data Analyst, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
Scott DesLauriers, Deputy Director, South Dakota Board of Technical Education
Cecilia Elhaddad, Senior Director for Data Analytics and Visualization, Illinois Community College Board
Gabrielle Fulton, Data Visualization Specialist, South Carolina Education Oversight Committee
Jennifer Grossman, Director of Research and Analysis, West Virginia Education Policy Commission
Chelsea Kluczkowski, Associate Director of Institutional Research, University of Pittsburgh
Cassidy Minx, Associate Vice Chancellor for Workforce and Economic Development, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Dylan Moses, Assessment and Measurement Strategist, Brigham Young University-Idaho
Mitchell Radtke, Senior Research Analyst, Minnesota Private College Council
PSEO Data Visualization and Communications Interns
Three student interns are assisting the PSEO Coalition in developing visualizations of PSEO data and creating communications for the resulting information to stakeholders, including students, parents, and career counselors. Funding for the work of the student interns is generously provided by Strada Education Foundation.
Julia Fleige
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Candidate
Northern Illinois University
Bhargav Pitchika
Master of Science in Management Information Systems Candidate
Northern Illinois University
Ramya Sri Kadiyala
Master of Science in Computer Science Candidate
Northern Illinois University
2025 Interns
- DiviyaBharrathi Barathwaaj, Data Visualization Intern; Master of Science in Management Information Systems at Northern Illinois University
- Sai Teja Tadikonda, Data Visualization Intern; Master of Science in Management Information Systems at Northern Illinois University
Research Community
The PSEO Coalition is launching a Research Community (RC), a collaborative space for higher education professionals to learn from one another and deepen the use of PSEO outcomes data.
About the RC
The RC brings together colleagues from two- and four-year institutions to deepen their understanding and use cases for PSEO data and data structures, as well as to learn insider tips and tricks for making the most of these valuable data. RC participants will refine their skills in applying data to inform campus decision-making and increase their capacity to use outcomes data through design thinking methodologies. Members will also be one of the first groups to learn about new PSEO updates, programs, and research grant opportunities.
Key Dates
February 12, 2026: First meeting of the RC
- June 2026: Interest form will reopen in anticipation of more institutions joining the PSEO dataset
Members are invited to serve a minimum of one year in the Research Community. We will hold a 60-minute virtual meeting once every two months.
Please email research@pseocoalition.org with questions.
Next Generation PSEO Champions
The Next Generation PSEO Champions Program is underway through August 2026. A cohort of 10 nominated leaders from participating PSEO Coalition member states, systems, and institutions is building applied leadership capacity to interpret, communicate, and steward PSEO data and related sources.
Designed for professionals in data, research, and policy offices, Champions attend monthly workshops with readings, reflection, and practical activities between sessions. Together, Champions will strengthen four core competencies: adaptive leadership, data translation and storytelling, ethical data stewardship, and systems and policy understanding, all to turn complex outcomes data into clear, responsible insights that support decision-making.
Champions will also develop a data leadership portfolio throughout the program, culminating in an August capstone showcase. We’re eager to learn alongside this group and to share takeaways and tools with the broader PSEO Coalition community as the cohort progresses.
Champions include:
Pearson Brown, Research Associate, University System of Georgia
Sophia Casler, Longitudinal Data Analyst, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
Scott DesLauriers, Deputy Director, South Dakota Board of Technical Education
Cecilia Elhaddad, Senior Director for Data Analytics and Visualization, Illinois Community College Board
Gabrielle Fulton, Data Visualization Specialist, South Carolina Education Oversight Committee
Jennifer Grossman, Director of Research and Analysis, West Virginia Education Policy Commission
Chelsea Kluczkowski, Associate Director of Institutional Research, University of Pittsburgh
Cassidy Minx, Associate Vice Chancellor for Workforce and Economic Development, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Dylan Moses, Assessment and Measurement Strategist, Brigham Young University-Idaho
Mitchell Radtke, Senior Research Analyst, Minnesota Private College Council
PSEO Coalition Grants: 2025-26 Request for Proposals
The PSEO Coalition invites proposals for projects that use the U.S. Census Bureau’s PSEO data to advance evidence-based decision-making in higher education. PSEO provides earnings outcomes (25th/50th/75th percentiles at one, five, and 10 years after graduation) and employment flows (graduates’ main employer by industry and geography), disaggregated by institution, degree field, degree level, and graduation cohort. Data are aggregated, governed for transparency, and refreshed annually (current cohorts: 2019-2021). Inclusion criteria follow full-time equivalent minimum-wage earnings with at least three quarters worked in a calendar year.
What We’re Funding
- Up to five (5) grants of $15,000 (U.S.-based researchers)
- Applied projects; quantitative or qualitative (anchored to PSEO)
- Efforts that demonstrate practical utility for institutions, systems, states, and policy/NGO partners (e.g., decision-ready reporting templates, geographic/industry flow analyses, accreditation and program-review evidence, and myth-busting analyses of majors and outcomes).
Priority Audiences
Institutional Research/IE, career services, advancement/alumni, accreditation liaisons, data managers, faculty, system/state analysts, students and employers, and other consumers of postsecondary data.
Timeline
- Proposals due: Tuesday, January 20, 2026, by 5 PM PST
- Award notifications: Monday, February 9, 2026
- First draft due (triggers first-half payment): Monday, April 27, 2026
- Comments returned: Friday, May 22, 2026
- Final draft due (triggers final payment): Friday, June 12, 2026
Proposal Components
- Project overview: Purpose, audience, questions/topics, alignment to evidence-based practice
- Data description: PSEO elements used; any non-PSEO data with validity/reliability steps
- Project outline: Final deliverable structure
- Applicant bio(s): Relevant experience
How to Apply
Application: Submit via the application form found here.
Review the RFP: Download the full request for proposals here.
For questions, email: research@pseocoalition.org
Publication: Selected projects will be co-branded and featured in the PSEO Coalition’s Resource Library.
