A major goal of The National Center for Research in Rural Education (R²Ed) is to develop and maintain partnerships with the broader rural education research community and to facilitate the advancement of scientific knowledge related to rural education. To achieve that goal, the Center seeks to:

• Facilitate efforts among the rural education research community to advance the scientific knowledge base related to instructional variables, teacher preparedness, and student outcomes in the areas of reading, math and science;
• Disseminate findings in a timely fashion in accessible formats for educators and researchers;
• Develop human capital for the growth and use of knowledge related to instruction and learning in rural America; abd
• Cultivate the larger research and educational communities to excellence in rural education.

Leadership and outreach activities include hosting postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars, sponsoring conferences, using web-based podcasts and other training mechanisms, and publishing research periodicals and digests.