The National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA) at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee was established in 2014 by funding from the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. DETA conducts cross-institutional research with 2-year and 4-year Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). DETA’s partners in this endeavor are the University of Wisconsin System, UW-Extension, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), and EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI). The objective of DETA Research is to promote student access and success through evidence-based online learning practices and learning technologies. Specifically, DETA identifies and evaluates instructional and institutional practices in blended and online learning, including competency-based education, with particular interest in underrepresented individuals (i.e., pell grant eligible, first generation, minorities, and students with disabilities) through rigorous research.