Since its establishment in 1996, the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) has actively conducted and disseminated research to help build effective, cost- efficient adult education and literacy programs for adults who have low literacy and math skills, limited English skills, and/or no high school diploma. Funded as a national research and development center, the NCSALL maintains strong ties to the world of practice, and most of its staff members have experience as adult educators and previous research experience with adults. The following are among the NCSALL's main areas of focus: leadership (promoting a research perspective; building research capacity); research (adult student persistence; literacy practices; adult reading components; health and adult learning and literacy; adult development; adult multiple intelligences; classroom dynamics; English for speakers of other languages; staff development; General Educational Development program impacts; assessment of educational outcomes); lab sites (management; practice; research; professional development); and dissemination (print, electronic, and face-to-face dissemination and dissemination through the Practitioner Dissemination Research Network). The NCSALL's research has identified important lessons for the following areas: literacy and its outcomes; differences between K-12 and adult education and literacy systems; and incorporating research into adult education practice. (The bibliography lists 22 references. A list of 50 NCSALL publications is appended.) (MN)