Section 171 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 requires the Secretary of Labor to submit, every two years, a plan that describes demonstration and pilot, multiservice, research and multistate projects that focus on priorities for the Department of Labor concerning employment and training for the five-year period following the plan. This plan provides a strategic vision for research efforts based on input from States, localities, and other interested parties. The Five-Year Research and Evaluation Strategic Plan for 2012-2017 is comprised of five chapters: 1) Role of the plan in informing the decision-making process for carrying out research and evaluation; 2) Significant recently completed research and evaluation projects conducted in the years from 2005-2010; 3) Current and ongoing research and evaluation efforts; 4) Recommendations for five high priority topic areas for research; and 5) Summary of the role of the plan.