NSF STEM K-12
NSF supports research on STEM teaching and learning across formal and informal settings for eligible U.S. organizations, including institutions of higher education.
⚑ No deadline stated in the notice. · Eligibility is limited to specified organizational classes; universities may apply directly if they meet IHE requirements. · International branch campus funding requires explicit justification that activities cannot be performed at the U.S. campus.
This is adjacent rather than a core IPPRA line: the program is an education-learning research home, but the team’s education work is mainly policy evaluation and quasi-experimental analysis, not STEM pedagogy or learning sciences. Deven Carlson is the closest fit if the project were framed as education policy/implementation or school-level STEM opportunity and access, but the opportunity is not a natural match for the broader weather/energy/risk team.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-07-07
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| IPPRA | 100 strong | education policy/evaluation (core line, primary); signature methods: surveys longitudinal, community engaged, policy analysis; social/behavioral work is central; funds basic research |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 65 good | technical depth: minor; funds basic research |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 5 none | no commercialization signal |
Description
The NSF STEM K-12 program in the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) in the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) supports fundamental, applied, and translational research that advances STEM teaching and learning and improves understanding of education across the human lifespan and a range of formal and informal settings.
Eligibility
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -For-profit organizations: U.S.-based commercial organizations, including small businesses, with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a passion for innovation. -Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. -State and Local Governments -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus. -Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: U.S. National Science Foundation <grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · National Science Foundation conventions SEE AN NSF EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — National Science Foundation's document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.