The aim of the Top Institute for Evidence Based Education Research is to conduct excellent scientific research and to put the results of this research at the services of (and make usable for) educational practice and educational policy.

TIER wants to develop knowledge of 'evidence based education' that can be made use of by: 1) the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in policy preparation and evaluation; 2) the educational practice - such as educational institutions - in the allocation of means and in decision making when choosing between educational theories; 3) parents and students when choosing a school or training.

Institutes with a comparable focal point as TIER are to be found in the Anglo-Saxon world. The CEM Centre in the UK and the WWC (What Works Clearinghouse) in the United Stated are to be named. With these institutions will be cooperated.

There is also intensive contact with Colombia University in the US, where similar research is conducted on the cost effectiveness of education, and educational evaluations are carried out. With the John Hopkins University in Baltimore there is exchange on the use of Randomized Controlled Controls when evaluating educational interventions.

Other relevant foreign contacts are: the Centre for Economics of Education (CEE) in London, the Education Research Section in Princeton and the European Expert Network of Economics of Education (EENEE).