The National Center for Early Development & Learning was a national early childhood research project supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES), formerly the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). Administratively based at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, NCEDL was a collaboration with the University of Virginia and University of California, Los Angeles. 

        The center was created to provide national leadership and advance new knowledge in the field of early childhood development and learning. The center conducted research on issues of national importance in an effort to enhance the cognitive, social and emotional development of children birth through eight years and to support families. Goals of NCEDL were to: determine the state of the nation and conduct research on critical issues in early childhood practices; develop partnerships with diverse constituencies; synthesize knowledge and recommend future directions; and translate research into practice and disseminate information to diverse audiences.