IES was established by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. The functions of IES are specified by this law, which was signed by George W. Bush. https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/trump-admin-suddenly-cancels-dozens-of-education-department-contracts/2025/02
Comments
SEC. 111. [20 U.S.C. 9511] ESTABLISHMENT. (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There shall be in the Department the Institute of Education Sciences, to be administered by a Director (as described in section 114) and, to the extent set forth in section 116, a board of directors.
From funds appropriated under section 194, the Institute, directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, shall
including basic research and applied research, statistics
activities, scientifically valid education evaluation, development, and wide dissemination;
valid research in education;
knowledge gained from scientifically valid research activities;
and widely disseminate scientifically valid research in education;