National Science Foundation Informal Science Education Program
NSF's Informal Science Education program supports innovation in "anywhere, anytime, lifelong learning," through investments in research, development, infrastructure, and capacity-building for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning outside of formal school settings. The NSF ISE program is one of several grant programs in NSF's Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL).
The new Informal Science Education (ISE) solicitation, NSF 11-546, is now available and may be downloaded from the NSF website. Please read the solicitation carefully as there are a number of important changes that must be addressed to ensure that your proposal is not returned without review:
Deadlines: Preliminary proposals (optional) were due August 12, 2011 and Full Proposals are due on January 11, 2012, both by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time.
Preliminary Proposals: Preliminary proposals were optional and encouraged for new applicants and others as a way to seek feedback on their project ideas. The preliminary proposal deadline has passed.
Data Management Plans: FastLane will not permit the submission of proposals without a Data Management Plan. Guidance for proposals submitted to programs within the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) such as the ISE program may be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/dmp.jsp
Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plans: Any proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral scholars (Line B.1 on the NSF budget sheet) must include a Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan. FastLane will not permit the submission of a proposal that is missing a postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan if funding has been requested for postdoctoral scholars.
Supplementary Documents: The types of supplementary documents that can be submitted with a proposal have been changed. All proposals are allowed to submit: (1) letters of commitment (2) executive summaries of formative and summative evaluation finding from prior work (2 page maximum), and (3) up to 5 pages of details for the project evaluation plan, in addition to logic models and impacts and indicator worksheets as appropriate. PIs are limited to 30 pages of additional supporting information in addition to three types of supplementary documents described. See the ISE solicitation, section V.A. for more information.
CRPA Proposals: The CRPA activity is now “Connecting Researchers and Public Audiences” and the description has been changed to permit the submission of proposals based on current research awards or within 12 months after their final expiration date. There are no submission deadlines for CRPA proposals, which may be submitted at any time.
For more information on the ISE program, including a link to recent awards, visit the NSF ISE website. PIs are encouraged to submit questions via e-mail to DRLISE@nsf.gov or ask to speak to an NSF program officer at (703) 292-8616.
Resources
Gathered here are links to information about the ISE program useful to those applying for and carrying out ISE -funded work.
- Informal Science Education Program —An overview of the NSF ISE program and links to abstracts of recent ISE awards.
- Current ISE Solicitation—Background and guidelines for submitting proposals to the ISE program.
- Framework for Evaluating Impacts of Informal Science Education Projects — Originating from a March 12–13, 2007 workshop about informal science education evaluation, this book offers background about NSF’s evolving reporting requirements and advice from evaluators working in the field about how to gather evidence about impacts of projects supported by the ISE program.
- NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide—Included here are the general NSF Grant Proposal Guide (Part I) and the Award and Administration Guide (Part II), which includes documents used to guide, manage, and monitor the award and administration of NSF grants and cooperative agreements .
- NSF Merit Review Process—Read this for a better understanding of the NSF merit review process.
- Prospective New Awardee Guide—This guide will help your organization prepare documents required by NSF to conduct administrative and financial reviews of your organization.
- The 2010 User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation
- Instructions for ISE OPMS Impacts and Indicators Worksheets
- ISE OPMS Impacts and Indicators Worksheets
Connecting Researchers and Public Audiences
Connecting Researchers and Public Audiences (CRPA) awards support active researchers to share with the public key features of their research such as the methods, results, and significance. Awards promote broader impacts of NSF-funded STEM research projects by furthering the general public’s STEM literacy.
CRPA projects should connect with public audiences in informal learning settings, such as (but not limited to):
- Media - documentary films, public TV & radio
- Web-based platforms, video games, mobile learning technologies, etc.
- Museums, science & nature centers, zoological & botanical parks, aquaria, planetariums, etc.
- Community and regional environments
Principal Investigators must have had an active NSF funded research award within the last 12 months to be eligible to apply for a CRPA grant. Collaborations between NSF-funded researchers, informal science organizations, and evaluator(s) are required. CRPA projects are funded by the Informal Science Education program in collaboration with NSF Directorates and Offices.
Contact Information: For more information about the CRPAs or to discuss submitting a proposal, please contact Wyn Jennings at (703) 292-5307 or Valentine Kass at (703) 292-5095.