Advancing Innovation and Research in STEM Education (ADVANCE-STEM)

The Advancing Innovation and Research in STEM Education (ADVANCE-STEM) program, funded by the National Science Foundation, supports research and development in informal and formal STEM learning environments. Awards range from $300,000 to $2,000,000 and are available to institutions of higher education.

The program funds multiple project types, including pilots and feasibility studies, literature reviews and meta-analyses, and larger research projects. ADVANCE-STEM emphasizes innovative approaches to curriculum design, learning technology, and evidence-based pedagogy. Proposals must follow the NSF PAPPG guidelines and demonstrate how the work advances the broader STEM education knowledge base.

No current deadline is listed; applicants should monitor NSF for updated solicitations.

NSF 17-573: Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Archived funding opportunity This solicitation is archived. NSF 17-573: Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) Download the solicitation (PDF, 0. 8mb) National Science Foundation Directorate for Education & Human Resources Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m.

submitter's local time): Important Information And Revision Notes The Collaborative Planning and Resource Center proposal types have been eliminated; The "Exploratory Pathways" project type is renamed "Pilots and Feasibility Studies" to further strengthen understanding of what is acceptable for this project type; A new project type is added: "Literature Reviews, Syntheses, or Meta-analyses" emphasize the need for these types of products focused on research and practice to advance the knowledge base of the field; The limit for small Conference proposals is changed from $50k to $75k; The page limit for the Project Description is increased to 18 pages on all project types except Conferences, which remain at 15 pages; Two types of Supplementary documents are eliminated: (1) executive summaries of summative evaluations and (2) logic models and additional details about project evaluation; The number of proposals for which an organization may be the lead is limited to three (3); The number of proposals for which one can be PI/Co-PI is limited to three (3); and The minimum one-year budget amount is $75,000 for an organization in collaborative proposals uploaded as separate submissions from multiple organizations.

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the revised NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) ( NSF 18-1 ), which is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 29, 2018.

Summary Of Program Requirements Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) The Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program seeks to advance new approaches to and evidence-based understanding of the design and development of STEM learning opportunities for the public in informal environments; provide multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences; advance innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments; and engage the public of all ages in learning STEM in informal environments.

The AISL program supports six types of projects: (1) Pilots and Feasibility Studies, (2) Research in Service to Practice, (3) Innovations in Development, (4) Broad Implementation, (5) Literature Reviews, Syntheses, or Meta-Analyses, and (6) Conferences. Cognizant Program Officer(s): Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

Address Questions to the Program, telephone: (703)292-8616, email: DRLAISL@nsf. gov Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 47.

076 --- Education and Human Resources Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 60 to 85 Pending availability of funds, it is anticipated that about 15-20 Pilots and Feasibility Studies awards, 8-10 Research in Service To Practice awards, 10-15 Innovations in Development awards, 4-6 Broad Implementation awards, 8-10 Literature Reviews, Syntheses, and/or Meta-analyses awards, and 12-18 Conference awards will be made.

AISL will also fund 8-10 awards made through the EAGER, RAPID, Research Coordination Networks (RCN) mechanisms and 2-4 each CAREER awards and REU supplements.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $33,000,000 to $44,000,000 Limits for funding requests of AISL proposals are as follows: (1) Pilots and Feasibility projects: up to $300,000 with durations up to two years; (2) Research in Service to Practice projects: from $300,000 to $2,000,000 with durations from two to five years; (3) Innovations in Development projects: $500,000 to $3,000,000 with durations from two to five years; (4) Broad Implementation projects from $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 with durations from three to five years; (5) Literature Reviews, Syntheses, or Meta-analyses projects up to $250,000 with durations of up to two years; and (6) Conferences up to $250,000 with durations of up to two years.

Who May Submit Proposals: The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), Chapter I.E. There are no restrictions or limits. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 3 An institution or organization may serve as lead on no more than three (3) proposals submitted to the November deadline.

However, an institution or organization may partner as a subaward on other proposals submitted. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI: 3 An individual may be included as a Principal Investigator (PI) /Co-PI on no more than three (3) proposals submitted to the November deadline. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A.

Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not required Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required Full Proposals submitted via FastLane: NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) guidelines apply. The complete text of the PAPPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf.

gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp? ods_key=pappg .

Full Proposals submitted via Grants. gov: NSF Grants. gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.

gov guidelines apply (Note: The NSF Grants. gov Application Guide is available on the Grants. gov website and on the NSF website at: https://www.

nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp?

ods_key=grantsgovguide ). Cost Sharing Requirements: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply.

Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitter's local time): Proposal Review Information Criteria National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information Standard NSF award conditions apply. Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

About the Advancing Informal STEM Learning Program Over the last several decades there has been a growing understanding and acknowledgment that learning occurs across the lifespan and in places and spaces beyond schools or the school day.

Developments in technology continue to influence the ways and means for learning, including 24/7 access to information, tools for learning collaboratively, personalization of learning, and authentic/deeper contributions to scientific processes and studies. The social context of science is also changing.

The public's trust in the scientific enterprise means that questions of knowledge, evidence, and distinguishing among knowledge, views, and values are ever-present in media and in our daily discussions and deliberations (Dickel, 2016; NAS, 2015). Further, people expect to have a stronger voice in science.

This social context has contributed to a changing role of science in people's lives, which has resulted in the shifting dynamics of learning (e.g., do-it-yourself movement, public participation in scientific research, access to low cost, high quality sensors, and other tools to conduct one's own investigations), and interest in the interconnections and interdisciplinary of science with other disciplines (e.g. science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics).

In addition, advances in brain research, cognition, and other domains have stimulated interest in expanding notions of how early in life the learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can occur. There is unequal distribution of and access to quality STEM learning experiences for individuals, family, and communities.

Likewise, the sectors that comprise the informal STEM education field (e.g., mass media, museums/zoos/aquaria, after school, science outreach, citizen science, cyber-enabled learning, science communication, among others) have professionals of varying knowledge and capacities with respect to teaching and learning STEM.

Almost any environment can support informal science learning, such as a home, a museum, a library, a street, or a virtual or augmented reality game. Information networks, mobile media, and social networks transform educational possibilities and create opportunities for seamless learning environments.

Informal learning environments are, in principle, accessible to all learners, and evidence suggests they have particular potential for supporting learners from underrepresented groups (National Research Council, 2009). These settings offer learners direct access to compelling phenomena in the natural and designed world, and powerful representations of those phenomena.

Ubiquity, digital networks, and lack of formal accreditation procedures mean that anyone with appropriate expertise can facilitate STEM learning in the informal world. The AISL program is situated within the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL).

DRL's mission is to cultivate and catalyze fundamental and applied research and development (R&D) to improve the learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for the nation.

In support of this mission, AISL seeks to (a) advance new approaches to and evidence-based understanding of the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments; (b) provide multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences; (c) advance innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments; and (d) engage the public of all ages in learning STEM in informal environments.

The AISL program's priorities are: (1) Maximizing Strategic Impact, (2) Enhancing Knowledge-Building, (3) Promoting Innovation, (4) Advancing Collaboration, (5) Strengthening Infrastructure and Building Capacity, and (6) Broadening Participation. Through these priorities, described in more detail throughout the solicitation, the program contributes to STEM engagement and literacy, workforce development, and educational success.

It may also narrow the gap between the advancements in scientific discovery and the public's understanding of science. What is informal science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning?

It is "lifelong learning in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) that takes place across a multitude of designed settings and experiences outside of the formal classroom" (Center for the Advancement of Informal Science Education website). For more information see the Center for the CAISE website, http://www. informalscience.

org . AISL program investments should be of interest and utility to public audiences, informal STEM practitioners, and decision-makers. All proposals must articulate clear rationales describing why a project is primarily informal and how it adds value to the informal STEM learning community .

Given that almost any environment can support informal science learning, there is an opportunity to understand how learners can be supported to make bridges between what they learn in one setting and what they learn in another setting. Thus, projects may choose to include how informal learning practices connect with STEM-related frameworks and curricula, college and career readiness standards, or other educational settings.

Audiences for AISL Projects AISL projects engage participants drawn from both public and professional audiences. Public audiences may include learners of any age, educational level, geographic, or cultural background, including those from groups underrepresented in STEM or underserved in STEM, including geographic regions and economically challenged communities.

The AISL program is keenly interested in projects that support understanding issues of access to informal STEM learning opportunities for individuals/groups from populations typically underrepresented in STEM, people in rural as well as urban communities, adults across the lifespan, early childhood, and intergenerational and family groups.

Professional audiences are individuals involved in any aspect of research or development of STEM learning by the public in informal environments. Target audiences could include STEM educators, evaluators, education and learning researchers, technologists, media professionals, or STEM professionals doing outreach in informal settings. Graduate students and post-docs may also be included as professional audiences.

Proposals may focus on public audiences, professional audiences or both. Proposals should be clear about their target audience(s) and how the project's design and STEM learning component(s) are relevant and appropriate for the proposed target audiences and age levels.

A note about STEM-related fields and STEM-related occupations: STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; STEM includes the social, behavioral, and economic sciences. The term "STEM-related fields" is used in this solicitation to refer to these disciplines, their many sub-disciplines, and related fields that require knowledge and skills related to one or more STEM disciplines.

Content may focus on any areas of STEM that NSF supports, including interdisciplinary learning and learning that positions STEM within meaningful personal, cultural or societal frameworks. The proposals should discuss the STEM content area(s) in sufficient depth to provide a clear understanding of concepts, topics, processes, and associated skills that are conveyed to the target audience.

Topics should be relevant to the age levels of proposed target audience(s). Projects may integrate STEM and art or the humanities, as long as the primary goal is to enhance STEM learning. This section describes six priorities that the AISL program believes are essential for achieving its goals.

These priorities are also strategies to incorporate as approaches to the work. Every project does not need to address every priority. Thus, proposals should be clear about how the priorities are being addressed.

These priorities should be addressed at the level appropriate to the proposal type and amount of funding requested. 1. Maximizing Strategic Impact.

Strategic Impact refers to how a project addresses important areas for continued development and advances the informal STEM learning field overall (not simply the project impact for the target audiences or communities). Strategic suggests planned intent or focus and should address the question: What approach or model does the project offer for advancing the field or a sub-component of the field?

Applicants should think about who is needed on the project to ensure that a strategic focus is fostered. To be strategic, impact must go beyond project-level impact. How could others in the field be able to implement the approach or model created/investigated as a result of the project?

Note that strategic impact can be achieved regardless of the size of the organization (or the population of the communities that they serve) or the size of the target audience. 2. Enhancing Knowledge-building .

AISL projects are expected to build knowledge with respect to informal STEM education. Projects must describe and make a strong case for how a project advances the knowledge base of the informal STEM learning field through research, evaluation, or a combination of research and evaluation. The theoretical and empirical justification for the proposed project must be clearly articulated.

Knowledge generation may focus on developing, testing, and/or implementing innovative research, models, resources, and tools for informal learning environments. Foci of investigations may include, for example, "what is happening," "to what extent," "why," "how," "what works for whom," and "under what circumstances." The "Discover Research" tab on the http://www.

informalscience. org website may be helpful in finding current research, literature reviews, research agendas, etc. related to learning STEM in informal settings. Projects should build from the current literature and practice.

Projects may also consider building from or critiquing relevant research agendas or literatures about informal STEM learning that have been developed in recent years. This may be one way projects can contribute to the development of the field. Some current frameworks are available at http://www.

informalscience. org/research/what-important-gaps-informal-stem-education-research . Definitions of research and evaluation vary across the field of informal STEM education.

It is not the goal of this solicitation to set definitions for these approaches. Instead, the AISL program seeks to advance the collective understanding of learning STEM in informal environments and to provide appropriate means for communicating what has been learned. Thus, each proposal should identify how it builds knowledge.

It should make a case for how it is doing so, using appropriate resources from research and evaluation (CAISE, 2011; Friedman, 2008; IES and NSF, 2013). Support for evaluation is available at the "Design Evaluation" tab on the http://www. informalscience.

org website. With respect to learning, proposals must describe measures of learning outcomes for the target audiences, including how the chosen measures are appropriate for the proposed work and of practical interest and utility to practitioners and decision makers.

Recent reports encourage measuring learning outcomes in such terms as interest, engagement, attitude, motivation, behavior, identity, persistence and 21st century skills (Friedman, 2008; National Research Council 2009, 2012, 2015). The AISL program recognizes the complexities of measuring STEM learning in informal environments.

The program welcomes innovative and exploratory assessment methods that draw from knowledge and practice of learning across environments. 3. Promoting Innovation.

In a manner similar to NSF programs that fund projects at the frontiers of STEM research, AISL seeks to fund projects at the frontiers of STEM learning in informal environments that will advance the state-of-the-art. Depending on the discipline or sector, innovation may be framed in different ways and serve different purposes. Innovation may build on or extend current work or it might take that work in a totally different direction.

In the informal education field, innovation might address immediate challenges and opportunities; anticipate different structures, functions, and purposes of informal STEM education; challenge existing assumptions about learning and learning environments; or envision the future needs of diverse learners, educators, and STEM professionals in the U.S. In addition, personalized learning options and participatory learning environments are expanding and broadening participation in STEM.

The pervasiveness and accessibility of digital technologies raises interesting questions for understanding learning across contexts (e.g., home, work, school, etc.) and learning ecosystems. Projects can demonstrate innovation in many ways, including new models for research and practice, new types or combinations of deliverables, improvements in the deliverables, or their deployment in a different manner.

Research could help articulate the underlying processes of practice or build consensus in the field around a particular innovation. Since innovation often carries risk, the PI must be able to demonstrate an understanding of possible risks entailed and how they will be managed. It is important to specify the proposed project's innovation as determined by the PI team.

4. Advancing Collaboration. To achieve more significant outcomes than would otherwise be possible, projects should leverage resources of partners.

The term "collaboration" is used to cover a wide variety of activities: collective impact, partnerships, interdisciplinary work, networks, alliances, etc. Collaborations of all kinds are already important and frequently necessary for work in the informal STEM education field. "Advancing Collaborations" as a priority in the AISL program signals the need for a more focused, reflective approach to building collaborations.

Collaborations among practitioners, STEM researchers, and STEM education or learning researchers and evaluators should be an integral component of all projects. Projects are encouraged to include, when appropriate, collaborators who are not typically involved in informal STEM learning. Collaborations may also include multiple experts working on similar issues from varied or nuanced approaches.

Collaborations can be among individuals, within institutions, or across institutions.

Examples of potential collaborators or partners include: practitioners; research scientists; learning researchers; evaluators; graduate and undergraduate students; content or context specialists; co-designers; advisors; presenters who engage directly with public audiences; community groups; industry/business; academic institutions; or non-government organizations (NGOs).

In some cases, projects may explicitly target the improvement of the knowledge base, innovation, and dissemination of findings about collaborations in informal settings and/or in R&D related to learning in informal settings. AISL encourages exploration of new approaches/models or testing of approaches/models of collaboration that are used in other areas. 5.

Strengthening Infrastructure and Building Capacity. As part of AISL's efforts to advance the field of informal STEM education, it invests in projects that seek to build infrastructure and/or capacity in the field.

These efforts often focus on the following, though this is not an inclusive list of approaches: widely sharing research and other improvement-focused resources; developing and/or studying models related to informal STEM education; providing focused professional development or professional development resources related to informal STEM learning; and developing or supporting collaborations, connections, and professional networks within and across sectors of informal STEM education, or even more broadly.

6. Broadening Participation. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is charged with promoting the vitality of the nation's science and engineering research and education enterprises.

As an NSF broadening participation emphasis program, the AISL program contributes to NSF's mission by supporting projects to engage professionals and the public from populations typically underrepresented in the STEM fields. Projects focused on young people can contribute to informing how the nation prepares this increasingly diverse cohort for rapidly changing occupations in STEM-related fields.

Projects focused on professionals can contribute to research on STEM learning outcomes, organizational capacity, and field-wide mechanisms for expanding access to STEM resources and experiences. AISL is particularly interested in receiving proposals from organizations that serve underrepresented minorities (URMs). For projects in which broadening participation is a primary goal, additional review criteria apply.

Applicants should state clearly whether their proposal has a primary focus on broadening participation. Reviewers will be asked to evaluate the details of the broadening participation plan based on the following Solicitation-Specific Review Criteria: Does the proposal identify the characteristics and needs of the targeted underrepresented groups (public or professional) to be served?

Does the proposal include explicit plans or strategies for addressing or accommodating the specific interests, community or cultural perspectives, and educational needs of participants of the identified underrepresented groups? For projects for which broadening participation is a secondary focus, it is still expected that the proposal will demonstrate knowledge of and collaboration with the target communities.

The AISL program supports six types of projects: (1) Pilots and Feasibility Studies, (2) Research in Service to Practice, (3) Innovations in Development, (4) Broad Implementation, (5) Literature Reviews, Syntheses, or Meta-analyses, and (6) Conferences. The range of project types available serve different functions and support varied strategies for guiding proposed work.

The first project type, Pilots and Feasibility Studies , is for investigating approaches to STEM learning and design of learning environments or problems that establish the basis for future research, design, and development of models or approaches.

The next three project types, Research in Service to Practice, Innovations in Development , and Broad Implementation , provide opportunities to more fully explore questions and issues for which there are preliminary findings, significant literature, or a practice base. Proposers are cautioned against trying to do too much within a single project.

Consider whether the proposed work is in the theory-building, theory-refining, or ready-to-scale stage. The last two project types, Conferences and Literature Reviews, Syntheses, or Meta-analyses , offer additional mechanisms for building capacity, advancing informal STEM learning, and synthesizing knowledge. Information on current AISL projects can be found at http://www.

informalscience. org or in the NSF Award Search by clicking here . (1) Pilots and Feasibility Studies Projects can be funded for up to $300,000 total and up to two years in duration.

The AISL program anticipates funding 15-20 per year. These projects offer opportunities for practitioners and researchers to investigate issues in and approaches to informal STEM learning and to establish the basis for future research, design, and development of innovations or approaches.

Such initial exploratory development work and pilot or feasibility studies should produce evidence, findings, and/or prototype deliverables that help the team make critical decisions about future work. These proposals may include high risk strategies or methods that need exploration (piloting) before further research and development is justifiable.

The proposal needs to explicitly identify the critical risks/challenges that will be addressed and state how the project will inform future work of the PI and team and, if successful, may lead to Research in Service to Practice , Innovations in Development , or Broad Implementation proposals. Pilots and Feasibility Studies should not be viewed as small-scale versions of these other proposal types.

In addition, because the NSF EAGER proposal type can be similar to this category, applicants are encouraged to read about the EAGER type of proposal in the PAPPG (Chapter II. E. 2) and talk to an AISL program officer (PO).

The AISL Pilots and Feasibility Studies proposals are consistent with the Early Stages and Exploratory type of research and development in the Common Guidelines for Educational Research and Development (IES and NSF, 2013). (2) Research in Service to Practice Projects can be funded for $300,000 to $2 million and from two to five years in duration. The AISL program anticipates funding 8-10 per year.

The Research in Service to Practice (RSP) project type focuses on research that advances knowledge and the evidence base for practices, assumptions, broadening participation, or emerging educational arrangements in STEM learning in informal environments, including the science of science communication (NAS, 2017). For these proposals it is important for practice to inform the research as well as having research inform practice.

Genuine partnerships between researchers and practitioners are required, such that the project is important and relevant to both research and practice. Research takes many forms and occurs at different scales. While the range for funding is quite broad, applicants should consider small and medium scale investigations depending on the nature of research questions and focus.

Proposals submitted under this project type: must include a review of the literature and the underlying theoretical framework that informs the research plan. Proposals should detail research methods, including sampling, qualitative, quantitative, or iterative design-based data collection and analysis plans, as appropriate.

may be qualitative or quantitative; involve methodological advances; develop or adapt assessment instruments or scales; use large databases; aggregate data across multiple or distributed settings; focus on post-hoc analyses of existing data; or conduct longitudinal studies that shed light on the impact of STEM learning activities on participants, institutions, or systems. may test the reproducibility of important findings.

AISL particularly encourages projects that provide research findings and recommendations that are useful for informal STEM education practitioners, researchers, and decision-makers. These types of projects often include a range of data to be collected and analyzed. To ensure clarity about the connections between the research questions, data, and analysis, consider including a table summarizing this information.

Research in Service to Practice proposals are consistent with the Design and Development type of research and development in the Common Guidelines for Educational Research and Development. (3) Innovations in Development Projects can be funded for $500,000 to $3 million and from two to five years in duration. The AISL program anticipates funding 10-15 per year.

The Innovations in Development project type is expected to result in deliverables such as exhibits, media products, after school programs, etc., and in innovative models, programs, technologies, assessments, resources, or systems for an area of STEM learning in informal environments.

As R&D projects, proposals should describe activities for the design and development of new or improved innovations or approaches to achieve specific goals related to STEM learning, engagement, and capacity building. These proposals build on evidence from the team's or the field's prior research, design, practice, and development work. It is understood that innovations take many forms and occur at different scales.

While the range for funding is quite broad, applicants should consider small and medium scale innovations depending on the nature of what is being innovated. An explicit theoretical framework as well as either a logic model or theory of action should guide projects.

In addition, proposals must articulate a plan and process for the design, development, implementation, and evidence-building components (based on research, evaluation, or both) of the proposed work. Iterative, design-based research approaches are encouraged, if appropriate.

Innovations in Development proposals are consistent with the Design and Development type of research and development in the Common Guidelines for Educational Research and Development.

NOTES: Innovations in Development proposals differ from Research in Service to Practice proposals in that Innovations in Development projects focus on and leverage the development of a product, model, tool, or resource to better understand and inform practice. These deliverables are expected to have a service life beyond NSF funding.

On the other hand, Research in Service to Practice projects have at their core a compelling research question about practice, about how people learn, and/or about specific learning environments. For this project type, most of the focus and effort are centered on the research. If products are developed, there is no expectation that they will have a lifetime after the completion of the research.

Projects can be funded for $1 million to $3 million and from three to five years in duration. The AISL program anticipates funding 4-6 per year. The Broad Implementation project type supports the expansion or reach of models, programs, technologies, assessments, resources, research, or systems that have a documented record of success, innovation, or evidence-based knowledge building .

The focus is on making innovations or approaches succeed when they are implemented at a larger scale. Sources of evidence may include summative evaluation or research data that indicate readiness for distribution to a broader population or new setting(s) and should be summarized in the proposal narrative.

When thinking about the focus for expansion, consider: geography, age, socio-economic status, cultural or linguistic group, race and ethnicity, gender, disability, learning setting, or another dimension. Where appropriate, investigators are encouraged to emphasize individuals from underrepresented or underserved groups as a target audience for a component or for the entire focus of the project.

Proposals must articulate a plan and process for the design, development, implementation, and evidence-building components of the proposed work. Project design may address innovative integration, incremental improvements, adaptations, or trials under typical conditions. Iterative, design-based, and improvement research approaches are encouraged.

Proposals should discuss how evidence will be collected to understand the mechanisms enabling broad implementation. Broad Implementation proposals are consistent with the Design and Development or Efficacy and Effectiveness types of research and development in the Common Guidelines for Educational Research and Development.

(5) Literature Reviews, Syntheses, or Meta-analyses Projects can be funded for up to $250,000 and are usually two years in duration. Investigators are strongly encouraged to contact a PO prior to submission to discuss your idea(s). The AISL program anticipates funding up to 10 projects within this category per year.

AISL supports capacity building through literature reviews, syntheses, and meta-analyses directly related to the goals of the AISL program. Applicants should be clear about which type of proposal they are submitting. A proposal should focus on a question, issue, or topic of critical importance to the AISL program.

Proposals should demonstrate a command of the literature on the question, issue, or topic, both breadth and depth. This background should be used to make a case for the amount, type, and relevance of available literature to conduct the literature review, synthesis, or meta-analysis.

Literature selection processes (methods, search criteria, etc.) and quality and inclusion criteria (peer review, conference work, reports, evaluations, other) should be discussed. Investigators are permitted, but not required, to propose workshops and other meetings as one of the means of doing the work or as part of diffusing the knowledge that is developed from these projects.

Projects can be funded for up to $250,000 and are usually two years in duration. Investigators are strongly encouraged to contact a PO