Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE)

Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) is sponsored by National Science Foundation. Supports development of innovative models for STEM graduate education, adaptable for AI curriculum design to prepare students for AI-native project leadership. This program should be reviewed carefully against your organization's mission, staffing capacity, timeline, and compliance readiness before you commit resources to a full application. Strong submissions usually translate sponsor priorities into concrete objectives, clear implementation milestones, and measurable public benefit.

For planning purposes, treat rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows as your working submission target unless the sponsor publishes an updated notice. A competitive project plan should include a documented need statement, implementation approach, evaluation framework, risk controls, and a realistic budget narrative. Even when a grant allows broad program design, reviewers still expect credible evidence that the proposed work can be executed within the grant period and with appropriate accountability.

Current published award information indicates $500,000 - $1,500,000 Organizations should verify the final funding range, matching requirements, and allowability rules directly in the official opportunity materials before preparing a budget. Finance and program teams should align early so direct costs, indirect costs, staffing assumptions, procurement timelines, and reporting obligations all remain consistent throughout drafting and post-award administration.

Eligibility guidance for this opportunity is: Institutions of higher education If your organization has partnerships, subrecipients, or collaborators, define responsibilities and compliance ownership before submission. Reviewers often look for implementation credibility, so letters of commitment, prior performance evidence, and a clear governance model can materially strengthen the application narrative and reduce concerns about delivery risk.

A practical approach is to begin with a focused readiness review, then build a workback schedule from the sponsor deadline. Confirm required attachments, registration dependencies, and internal approval checkpoints early. This reduces last-minute issues and improves submission quality. For the most accurate requirements, always rely on the official notice and primary source links associated with Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE).

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NSF 24-529: Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) To save a PDF of this solicitation, select Print to PDF in your browser's print options. National Science Foundation Directorate for STEM Education Division of Graduate Education Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitter's local time): March 25, Annually Thereafter Important Information And Revision Notes With this solicitation, the IGE program will support proposals in two tracks: Track 1: Career Preparation and Student Success Pilots and Track 2: Systemic Interventions and Policies.

Under Track 1, the IGE program will continue to invite proposals to pilot, test, and validate innovative approaches to graduate education with an emphasis on career preparation and student success.

Track 2 is new with a primary goal to support research on how various systemic innovations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate education impact graduate student outcomes (such as graduation rates, retention, employment, etc.)

Leadership teams (PI/Co-PIs) for both tracks are encouraged to include experts in education research, the learning sciences, and/or evaluation, as appropriate, as well as in the principal science domain(s), as needed, to design and implement a robust and appropriate research plan. Proposals for the IGE Innovation Acceleration Hub are not being accepted through this solicitation.

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted.

The NSF PAPPG is regularly revised and it is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets the requirements specified in this solicitation and the applicable version of the PAPPG. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Summary Of Program Requirements Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Program The Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) Program is designed to encourage development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative approaches to STEM graduate education training.

The program seeks proposals that a) explore ways for graduate students in STEM master's and doctoral degree programs to develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to pursue a range of STEM careers, or b) support research on the graduate education system and outcomes of systemic interventions and policies.

IGE projects are intended to generate the knowledge required for the customization, implementation, and broader adoption of potentially transformative approaches to graduate education. The program supports piloting, testing, and validating novel models or activities and examining systemic innovations with high potential to enrich and extend the knowledge base on effective graduate education approaches.

The program addresses both workforce development, emphasizing broad participation, and institutional capacity-building needs in graduate education. Strategic collaborations with the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies, national laboratories, field stations, teaching and learning centers, informal science organizations, and academic partners are encouraged.

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.

General inquiries may be addressed to:, Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 16 to 20 IGE Track 1 Awards (6 to 10 anticipated in FY 2024) are expected to be up to three (3) years in duration with a total budget between $300,000 and $500,000.

IGE Track 2 Awards (6 to 12 anticipated in FY 2024) are expected to be up to five (5) years in duration with a total budget up to $1,000,000. The estimated number of awards and the anticipated funding amounts listed above for both Track 1 and Track 2 are for FY 2024. The number of awards and funding amounts in FY 2025 and FY 2026 are subject to the availability of funds.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $14,000,000 The anticipated funding amount of $14,000,000 is for FY 2024. Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: 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 subawards 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.

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.

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. There are no restrictions or limits. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 2 An eligible organization may participate in two Innovations in Graduate Education proposals per annual competition.

Participation includes serving as a lead organization on a non-collaborative proposal or as a lead organization, non-lead organization, or subawardee on a collaborative proposal. Organizations participating solely as evaluators on projects are excluded from this limitation.

Proposals that exceed the organizational eligibility limit (beyond the first two submissions based on timestamp) will be returned without review regardless of the organization's role (lead, non-lead, subawardee) in the returned proposal. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1 An individual may serve as Lead Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI on only one proposal submitted to the IGE program per annual competition.

Proposals that exceed the PI/Co-PI eligibility limit (beyond the first submission based on timestamp) will be returned without review regardless of the individual's role (PI or Co-PI) in the returned proposal. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions A. Proposal Preparation Instructions Letters of Intent: Not required Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required Full Proposals submitted via Research.

gov: 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. Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Other Budgetary Limitations: Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. submitter's local time): March 25, Annually Thereafter Proposal Review Information Criteria National Science Board approved criteria apply. Award Administration Information Standard NSF award conditions apply.

Standard NSF reporting requirements apply. Summary of Program Requirements Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions Proposal Preparation Instructions Research. gov/Grants.

gov Requirements NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures Merit Review Principles and Criteria Review and Selection Process Award Administration Information Notification of the Award Innovation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate education is vital to meet the needs of science and society in the 21 st century.

There are multiple drivers for change including: (i) recent major national reports on the state of STEM graduate education, (ii) the accelerating pace of science and engineering discoveries and technological innovations, (iii) national STEM workforce trends, (iv) the growing globalization of science and engineering, and (v) calls to align graduate education practices and models with the needs of students and enhanced understanding of how people learn.

1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 More recent drivers for innovation in STEM graduate education include heightened attention to (vi) graduate admissions policies, (vii) student mental health and wellness, and (viii) the potential uses of emerging technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 .

There is increasing recognition, also, that addressing the grand challenges in science and engineering requires interdisciplinary and broad professional training, which is atypical for most graduate programs.

Additionally, there is a growing body of evidence that diversity and inclusivity accelerate scientific innovation, hence there is a national need to identify and adopt practices that are effective in broadening participation in STEM graduate programs.

14 To address this wide range of issues, innovation is needed at multiple levels and scales ranging from the interpersonal level of student-advisor and mentor-mentee relationships through the level of the graduate program to the broad systemic environment of policies and procedures.

Improved understanding through research is particularly needed at this latter level about how large-scale interventions impact graduate student outcomes and that cut across programs, institutions, and disciplines.

To identify effective innovations at all scales, the IGE program calls for new approaches to a) pilot, test, and validate innovative and effective STEM graduate education models and programming, and b) examine the systemic impact of new and recent innovations in graduate education policies, procedures, and interventions.

The IGE program is dedicated to (a) piloting, testing, and validating innovative approaches to graduate education, and (b) supporting research on the graduate education system and rigorous examination of outcomes associated with systemic graduate education interventions and policies. The IGE program seeks to generate the knowledge required for the customization and implementation of the most successful, transformative approaches.

The goals of the IGE Program are to: Generate the knowledge base needed to inform the development of bold, new, and potentially transformative approaches to graduate education as well as their customization, implementation, and broader adoption. Catalyze rapid advances in STEM graduate education broadly as well in particular disciplinary and interdisciplinary STEM fields.

The IGE Program calls for proposals in two tracks to: Design, pilot, and test new, innovative and transformative approaches for inclusive STEM graduate education (Track 1); Examine the impact of innovative systemic policies, procedures, and interventions on graduate education outcomes (Track 2); Examine the potential to extend a successful approach developed in one discipline or context to other disciplines or contexts (Tracks 1 and 2); Develop approaches that are informed by learning science and the existing body of knowledge about STEM graduate education (Tracks 1 and 2).

The primary beneficiaries for all IGE research projects (Track 1 and Track 2) must be master's and/or doctoral students in STEM-designated degree programs.

Eligible degree programs include research-based STEM master's and doctoral degree programs, Professional Science Master's programs and MEng programs with research training but do not include programs that only award certificates or professional degrees [such as Doctor of Audiology (AuD), Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), Doctor of Education (DEd), Doctor of Naprapathy (DN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy (DScPT), Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Liberal Arts (MLA), Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND), Doctor of Optometry (OD), Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD), Doctor of Pharmacy, (PharmD), Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology (SLPD)].

With this solicitation, NSF invites proposals for two types of projects (described below): Track 1: Career Preparation and Student Success Pilots: IGE supports projects that generate knowledge about new, potentially transformative improvements in graduate education and workforce development that prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers for the full range of possible STEM career paths to advance the nation's STEM enterprise.

Track 1 proposals focus on novel, pilot interventions in a single STEM program or at a single institution benefiting STEM students across multiple graduate programs. Track 1 will also support proposals examining the potential to extend a successful approach developed in one discipline or context to other disciplines or contexts.

Examples of topics that Track 1 projects may address include, but are not limited to: student professional skill development; career preparation and vocational counseling; faculty training and faculty professional development; entrepreneurship; experiential and project-based learning; outreach and community engagement; international experiences; virtual networks; pedagogical innovations related to generative AI and large language models; personalized learning; STEM identity and belonging; and mentoring.

Projects should address how the proposed approach would serve a broad population of students from diverse backgrounds. Track 1 proposals may request a total budget (up to three years in duration) between $300,000 and $500,000.

Track 2: Systemic Interventions and Policies: IGE Track 2 awards support research projects that are expected to generate knowledge about the graduate education system and outcomes of systemic intervention and policies.

IGE Track 2 projects may be implemented at different scales: within a field of study across multiple institutions and programs; across multiple fields of study within a single institution; or across multiple institutions and fields of study. Specifically encouraged are proposals that address one of the following six areas: 1.

Funding models and funding mechanisms with a priority emphasis on studies on the effects of traineeships, fellowships, internships, and teaching and research assistantships on graduate student outcomes addressing differences by sex, race, ethnicity, and citizenship and student debt load. 2.

Graduate student mental health and wellbeing with a priority emphasis on projects that include research, data collection, and assessment of the state of graduate student mental health and wellbeing, factors contributing to and consequences of poor graduate student mental health, and the development, adaptation, and assessment of evidence-based strategies and policies to support emotional wellbeing and mental health. 3.

Mentoring policies, procedures, and models with a priority emphasis on studies of effects of graduate education and mentoring policies and procedures on degree completion, including differences by (i) sex, race and ethnicity, and citizenship; and (ii) student debt load. 4. Graduate research environments and teams with a priority emphasis on proposals to study differences in graduate research environments (e.

g. , academic, industry, government, hybrid; place-based; team vs. independent; formal and informal social supports) and associated outcomes or develop and assess new or adapted interventions, including approaches that improve mentoring relationships, develop conflict management skills, and promote healthy research teams; 5.

Inclusive recruitment, admissions, retention, and completion strategies including, but not limited to, studies of the impact of previously implemented and/or new innovations in policies or other interventions designed to broaden participation in STEM graduate education of students who are members of groups underrepresented in the STEM workforce; and 6.

Credentialing and degree milestones including, but not limited to, studies assessing the impact of systemic innovations in graduate degree milestones, micro-credentials, stackable credentials, and competency-based approaches on graduate education outcomes such as student recruitment, retention, completion, skills development, and employment readiness.

Track 2 proposals may request a total budget (up to five years in duration) up to $1,000,000. Leadership teams (PI/Co-PIs) for both tracks are encouraged to include experts in education research, the learning sciences and/or evaluation, as appropriate, as well as in the principal science domain(s) as needed to design and implement a robust and appropriate research plan.

IGE welcomes proposals from early-career investigators and complements the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program's mission and focus. For information about the CAREER program, please refer to the Dear Colleague Letter: https://www. nsf.

gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp? ods_key=nsf22099 .

However, researchers at all stages of their careers including mid-career faculty and investigators from non-academic organizations are welcome to apply.

IGE especially welcomes proposals that reflect collaborations between IGE proposals and existing NSF Eddie Bernice Johnson Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) Initiative projects, provided the collaboration will strengthen both projects.

Researchers at minority serving institutions and emerging research institutions are strongly encouraged to submit proposals. Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 16 to 20 IGE Track 1 Awards (6 to 10 anticipated in FY 2024) are expected to be up to three (3) years in duration with a total budget between $300,000 and $500,000.

IGE Track 2 Awards (6 to 12 anticipated in FY 2024) are expected to be up to five (5) years in duration with a total budget up to $1,000,000. The estimated number of awards and the anticipated funding amounts listed above for both Track 1 and Track 2 are for FY 2024. The number of awards and funding amounts in FY 2025 and FY 2026 are subject to the availability of funds.

Anticipated Funding Amount: The anticipated funding amount of $14,000,000 is for FY 2024. IV. Eligibility Information Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: 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 subawards 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.

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.

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. There are no restrictions or limits. Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 2 An eligible organization may participate in two Innovations in Graduate Education proposals per annual competition.

Participation includes serving as a lead organization on a non-collaborative proposal or as a lead organization, non-lead organization, or subawardee on a collaborative proposal. Organizations participating solely as evaluators on projects are excluded from this limitation.

Proposals that exceed the organizational eligibility limit (beyond the first two submissions based on timestamp) will be returned without review regardless of the organization's role (lead, non-lead, subawardee) in the returned proposal. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1 An individual may serve as Lead Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI on only one proposal submitted to the IGE program per annual competition.

Proposals that exceed the PI/Co-PI eligibility limit (beyond the first submission based on timestamp) will be returned without review regardless of the individual's role (PI or Co-PI) in the returned proposal. V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions A.

Proposal Preparation Instructions Full Proposal Preparation Instructions : Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Research. gov or Grants. gov.

Full Proposals submitted via Research. gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG). 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 . Paper copies of the PAPPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf. gov .

The Prepare New Proposal setup will prompt you for the program solicitation number. Full proposals submitted via Grants. gov: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via Grants.

gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants. gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants. gov .

The complete text of 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 ). To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package, click on the Apply tab on the Grants. gov site, then click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructions link and enter the funding opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button.

Paper copies of the Grants. gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-8134 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf. gov .

In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following: Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via Research. gov.

PAPPG Chapter II. E. 3 provides additional information on collaborative proposals.

See PAPPG Chapter II. D. 2 for guidance on the required sections of a full research proposal submitted to NSF.

Please note that the proposal preparation instructions provided in this program solicitation may deviate from the PAPPG instructions. Title of Proposed Project: The title of the proposed project should begin with the term: "IGE: [add project Track 1 or Track 2]: [add project title]".

Cover Sheet: If international activities are proposed, whether or not they will be funded via the IGE award, the international cooperative activities box should be checked and the individual countries listed. For planning purposes, use October 1 as the award start date for proposals submitted to the FY 2024-FY 2026 competitions.

Project Summary: (1-page limit): Summarize, for Track 1 proposals: the graduate education innovation that will be piloted, the existing pilot that will be adopted or expanded, OR for Track 2 proposals: the systemic policies, procedures, or interventions and graduate student outcomes that will be examined) as part of the IGE project.

Describe the disciplinary field(s) involved, the knowledge that will be generated to inform implementation and adaptability of transformative approaches to STEM graduate education, and how the project is responsive to a need and/or opportunity. Each NSF merit review criterion (Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts) must be addressed in a separate statement (see the PAPPG for additional instructions).

The summary should be written in a manner that will be informative to STEM professionals working in the same or related fields, and understandable to a scientifically literate lay reader. Project Description (15-page limit): The Project Description cannot exceed 15 pages, including tables and illustrations. The Project Description must contain only the sections described below with the suggested headings and in the order listed.

For proposals submitted to TRACK 1 - Career Preparation Pilots: Describe the rationale for the proposed improvements and the overarching project goals of the IGE project with a focus on piloting and testing potentially transformative improvements in graduate education. The rationale for introducing the proposed innovation(s) should address the graduate education context or setting in which it will be introduced.

All innovations should be grounded in the appropriate literature. Specify the approaches or models to be piloted and tested as well as the targeted graduate student population and the justification for their inclusion. Identify the potential of the IGE project to provide added value to the current degree programs at the institution(s) or in the discipline(s).

Discuss the potential for extending the approaches and activities nationally and how they could advance the modernization of graduate education across STEM disciplines. Research Plan and Methods IGE supports qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches to examine the impact of the proposed improvements in STEM graduate education to enhance career development and workforce development.

This section should begin with a clear identification of the research questions and hypotheses and briefly describe the associated theoretical framework. Proposals should include how rigor will be ensured, including justification of the study design including why the proposed research strategies will be used to address the questions or hypotheses 15 , 16 .

Proposals should address problem formulation, data collection, data evaluation and analysis as well as statistical methods and/or qualitative analytical methods that will be used to analyze the data to ensure valid, reliable, and trustworthy results. Studies should be described in sufficient detail so that other researchers can replicate the research 17 .

If the project builds upon an early-stage or exploratory study, proposals should include a clear rationale for how this project is anticipated to generate new knowledge and discuss how research methods will differ to account for differences in scope, scale and/or target population. Proposals should describe the theory of change that informs the project's approach to innovation 18 , 19 , 20 .

Proposals should also state the theoretical framework that informs the research and, for qualitative studies, discuss how people involved in the research process are situated with respect to student participants (e. g. , professional or potential power relationships, demographic or anticipated cultural similarities or dissimilarities).

If previously validated instruments or newly developed ones will be used, proposals should describe the method of verifying validity and reliability in the proposed study. For proposals submitted to TRACK 2 – Research on Systemic Interventions, Policies, Procedures and Outcomes: Describe the rationale for focus on the selected aspect of the graduate education system or systemic innovation.

The research focus should be grounded in the appropriate literature addressing prior studies, where relevant. Specify the interventions, policies, or procedures to be studied, the targeted graduate student population(s) and the justification for their inclusion, as well as the time-period of the innovation of focus.

Identify the potential of the IGE project to provide appreciable and meaningful added value to the current degree programs at the institution(s) or in the discipline(s) as well as anticipated limitations. Discuss the potential for extending the approaches and activities nationally and how they could advance the modernization of graduate education across STEM disciplines.

Research Plan and Methods IGE supports qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches to examine the impact of systemic innovations in graduate education, interventions, and policies. This section should begin with a clear identification of the research questions or hypotheses and briefly describe the associated theoretical framework.

Proposals should include justification of the study design including why the proposed research strategies will be used to address the questions or hypotheses 15 , 16 . Proposals should address problem formulation, data collection, data evaluation and analysis as well as statistical methods that will be used to analyze the data to ensure valid, reliable, and trustworthy results.

Studies should be described in sufficient detail so that other researchers can replicate the research. [17] If the study proposed is a meta-analytical, this section should address how differences in methodological procedures within the studies included such as sampling, treatment parameters, and observation methods will be addressed.

If a new systemic intervention is proposed, proposals should describe the theory of change that informs the project approach to innovation 18 , 19 , 20 . For qualitative studies, authors should also state the theoretical framework that guided the research and discuss how people involved in the research process are situated with respect to student participants (e. g.

, professional or potential power relationships, demographic or anticipated cultural similarities or dissimilarities). Examination of impact of interventions and policies across multiple institutions of similar and dissimilar types is encouraged.

Research may involve the collection of original data on near-term impact of the implementation of new policies and procedural interventions as well as secondary analyses using extant datasets or meta-analyses/meta-syntheses on previously implemented policy and procedural innovations. The duration of the intervention and the justification for the hypothesized correlation to the studies impact(s) should be clearly explained.

Proposals are welcome from higher educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and consortia of institutions.

The following sections are required in the Project Description for both Track 1 and Track 2 proposals: Organization and Management This section should include a clear identification of members of the project team and a description of their assigned roles and responsibilities; a project management plan, including a timeline, that outlines major steps to be taken during the proposed project.

If a collaborative proposal is proposed, describe the role of the non-lead institution(s) and the participating personnel roles, and the mechanisms for project communication. A collaborative proposal should be submitted only if the partner institution(s) has (have) a significant role and will substantially enhance the education model or components tested.

If a graduate student is participating in the research, clearly discuss the roles of the graduate student and the research mentors who will guide their educational research. See Graduate Student Support, below. The Project Description must contain, as a separate section within the narrative, a discussion of the broader impacts of the education model and activities.

This section must be clearly labeled "Broader Impacts." For further information see the PAPPG. Projects (Track 1 or Track 2) that include a novel intervention are strongly encouraged to include plans to assess project implementation and performance.

Assessments should be both formative and summative, and the plan should describe how and when both formative and summative assessments would be shared with the project participants and institutional administration. Projects are not required to have an external evaluator.

However, teams are encouraged to include evaluation expertise needed to ensure robust data collection and analysis methods appropriate to assess process and performance. Multiple iterations of data collection and analysis over the duration of the award are strongly encouraged, when appropriate. Performance assessment is not required for Track 2 Research projects that do not include implementation of novel interventions 21 .

The proposal should describe how successful approaches, practices, and models will be shared across the institution[s] or field[s] and nationally