Kansas University will get a boost of half a million dollars from the U.S. Department of Education to help improve services and results for infants and children with disabilities, the department announced Tuesday.

Two grants of $250,000 each will go to KU’s Center for Research Inc., part of a batch of $12.8 million in grants awarded nationwide.

Grants are aimed at preparing graduate students for leadership and educator positions in special education and early intervention.

“We must ensure that students with disabilities receive a world-class education and that their teachers are equipped to help them be successful,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a news release. “These grants support important projects in schools across the country to help students with disabilities reach their full academic potential.”