NSF Proposal Toolkit

Learn more about NSF’s funding opportunities in education and explore resources to help you in the proposal preparation, submission, and review process.

PART 1: FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

DRK-12 Program & Solicitation

• Program Description
• Solicitation (Due November 13, 2019)
• Informational Webinars Slides and Recordings
• DRK-12 Portfolio by Topic
• Portfolio Analyses: General (2013) | Assessment (2009) | Engineering (2013) | English Language Learners (2011, 2016) | Games & Simulations (2014)
• Spotlights on STEM Topics
• STEM for All Video Showcase Entries

Other NSF Funding Opportunities

• All Upcoming NSF EHR Opportunities
• Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) | Solicitation | Proposal Resources
• Advanced Technological Education (ATE) | Solicitation | Proposal Resources
• Cyberlearning | Solicitation | Proposal Resources
• Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) | Solicitation | Proposal Resources

Special Initiatives & Cross-Program Funding

• Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) | Solicitation | Resources
• Dear Colleague Letters

PART 2: PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT, SUBMISSION, AND REVIEW

General Proposal Development

• Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) | 2017 PAPPG Update Webinar
• NSF Grants Conference Resources
• Timeline for Proposal Development
• Tips for Developing NSF Proposals

Research Design

• Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development
• Companion Guidelines on Replication & Reproducibility
• FAQs
• Checklists for the Common Guidelines
• Methodologies
• The Use of Theory in Research on Broadening Participation in PreK–12 STEM Education
• Instrumentation
• Teacher Practices, PCK, and Content Knowledge
• Students' Content Knowledge, Reasoning Skills, and Psychological Attributes
• Human Subjects | FAQs
• Data Management
• Data Management for NSF EHR Directorate Proposals
• Data Management Planning

Project Team, Partners, and Collaborators

• Mentoring Resources
• Resources for Early Career Researchers and Developers in STEM Education
• Brief on R&D Partnerships with Districts and Schools
• Partnership Building as a Broadening Participation Strategy
• Research-Practice Partnership Toolkit

Broader Impacts, Dissemination, and Sustainability

• Broader Impacts Guiding Principles and Questions for National Science Foundation Proposals
• Dissemination Toolkit
• From Dissemination to Knowledge Use: Options for DRK-12
• Writing Effective Evaluation and Dissemination/Diffusion Plans
• From Pilots to Products
• Research and Product Dissemination and Sustainability

Evaluation

• Evaluation in DRK-12 Projects: Options
• Evaluation Resource Collections:
• Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE)
• Department of Education
• Technical Evaluation Assistance in Mathematics and Science (TEAMS)
• Evaluation Planning Checklist for ATE Proposals
• Managing Evaluation in Informal STEM Projects
• Promoting Research and Innovations in Methodologies for Evaluation (PRIME) Project Summaries

Proposal Submission
The PAPPG notes that "unless specified in an NSF program solicitation, proposals submitted to NSF must be submitted via use of either the NSF FastLane System, Research.gov or Grants.gov." Please refer to the Guide and your specific program solicitation for more information.

• Fastlane | Help 
• Research.gov | Proposal Preparation and Submission
• Grants.gov | Application Guide

Proposal Review

• Mock NSF Proposal Review
• Volunteering to Serve as an NSF Reviewer

PART 3: YOU WON THE AWARD! NOW WHAT?

• NSF Prospective New Awardee Guide
• Project Management & Implementation Toolkit
• Dissemination Toolkit