NSF STEM + Computing Partnerships (STEM+C)

NSF STEM + Computing Partnerships (STEM+C) is a grant from the National Science Foundation that funds the integration of computational thinking and computing activities into pre-K through 12th grade STEM education.

Administered by NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resources and the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, this program prepares students with the essential computational skills needed for a technology-dependent world.

Funded activities include integrating computing into STEM teaching and learning from early childhood through high school, as well as applying STEM content in K-12 computer science education. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and research organizations. Funding amounts vary; standard and continuing grants are awarded based on available funds.

Note: this solicitation is archived.

NSF 17-535: STEM + Computing Partnerships (STEM+C) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Archived funding opportunity This solicitation is archived. NSF's implementation of the revised 2 CFR NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website .

These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements.

Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Updates to NSF Research Security Policies On July 10, 2025, NSF issued an Important Notice providing updates to the agency's research security policies, including a research security training requirement, Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program annual certification requirement, prohibition on Confucius institutes and an updated FFDR reporting and submission timeline.

NSF 17-535: STEM + Computing Partnerships (STEM+C) Posted: December 30, 2016 Download the solicitation (PDF, 0. 6mb) National Science Foundation Directorate for Education & Human Resources Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitter's local time): Important Information And Revision Notes This Solicitation updates NSF 16-527. The updates are as follows: The former STEM+C Track 2 categories for funding, Computing Education Knowledge and Capacity Building and Research on Education and Broadening Participation, have been removed from the current solicitation and incorporated into the Computer Science for All solicitation: https://www. nsf.

gov/funding/opportunities/csforall-research-rpps-computer-science-all/505359/nsf17-525/solicitation Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the revised NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) ( NSF 17-1 ), which is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 30, 2017.

Please be advised that proposers who opt to submit prior to January 30, 2017, must also follow the guidelines contained in NSF 17-1.

Summary Of Program Requirements STEM + Computing Partnerships (STEM+C) As computing has become an integral part of the practice of modern science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the STEM + Computing Partnerships program seeks to address the urgent need to prepare students from the early grades through high school in the essential skills, competencies, and dispositions needed to succeed in a computationally-dependent world.

Thus, STEM+C advances the integration of computational thinking and computing activities in early childhood education through high school (pre-K-12) to provide a strong and developmental foundation in computing and computational thinking through the integration of computing in STEM teaching and learning, and/or the applied integration of STEM content in pre-K-12 computer science education.

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. Arlene M.

de Strulle, EHR/DRL, Catherine Eberbach, EHR/DRL, Margret Hjalmarson, EHR/DRL, Paul W. Jennings, EHR/DRL, Julio E.

Lopez-Ferrao, EHR/DRL, Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering --- Education and Human Resources Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: Anticipated Funding Amount: Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.

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: There are no restrictions or limits. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI: There are no restrictions or limits.

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=papp . 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): 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.

Standard NSF reporting requirements apply. The STEM + Computing Partnerships (STEM+C) program seeks to advance a 21st century conceptualization of education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) that explicitly includes computing as a STEM discipline and as a discipline integral to the practice of all other STEM disciplines.

[1] Computing has become an integral part of the practice of modern science, technology, engineering and math. As a result, computational and computational thinking approaches are dramatically increasing the understanding of the world and society—from particle physics to biological and social systems to Earth systems science.

Computation is so central to the practice of science and engineering that the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee’s Report to the President, Computational Science: Insuring America’s Competitiveness(2005) [2] , called computation the "third pillar of scientific practice," joining the two classical approaches of theoretical/analytical and experimental/observational.

The translation of mathematical models of phenomena into computer simulations allows scientists to analyze systems, predict the future and reconstruct the past, on a scale far greater in complexity than previously possible. In addition, scientists now have the ability to collect, query, visualize and analyze unprecedented amounts of data. These computational capabilities are revolutionizing STEM disciplines.

All students—but particularly students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines—need to understand the role of computation and computational thinking within disciplinary problem solving. Too few students, however, have the opportunity to gain these understandings and skills in or outside of school.

A report by the National Research Council underscores that computational thinking skills are essential in the K-12 curriculum for reasons including, "succeeding in a technological society, increasing interest in the information technology professions, maintaining and enhancing U.S. economic competitiveness, supporting inquiry in other disciplines, and enabling personal empowerment" (NRC, 2011) [3] .

The NRC report also points to a scarcity of research informing the teaching of computational thinking in the early grades. As a result, computational thinking and computer science in pre-K-12 is often taught without consideration for age-appropriate teaching and learning.

The STEM + Computing Partnerships program targets these research gaps—seeking to build the evidence base for effective pedagogy and pedagogical environments that will make the integration of computing within STEM disciplines more age-appropriate and contemporaneously relevant to pre-K-12 STEM education. Computational thinking is a fundamental skill for everyone, not just for computer scientists.

To reading, writing, and arithmetic, we should add computational thinking to every child’s analytical ability (Wing, 2006, p. 33-35) [4] .

Students can gain a better understanding of STEM and computing fields if they can see the creative modes of scientific exploration made possible by advances in computation, such as visualizations of scientific concepts, modeling and simulation in engineering design, use of high performance computing for physics, climate research and weather modeling, molecular chemistry, computational biology, and bioinformatics.

Keeping in mind that computational thinking involves more than the mere use of computers, STEM+C expects to contribute to the discovery of the nature of computational thinking itself and how it is demonstrated within many disciplines. One expectation of the STEM+C program is that it will prepare students to confront the emerging challenges in computational and data-enabled science and engineering.

Accordingly, the solicitation broadens the definition of computing to include computational science, data science, human computer interfaces, and cybersecurity. Integration of computing and computational thinking within other STEM disciplines may well have profound effects on pre-K-12 STEM education—reflecting the increasing role of computational approaches and computational thinking in the STEM disciplines.

[1] Public Law No: 114-59, STEM Education Act of 2015. [2] President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC 2005, p. 1).

Computational Science: Insuring America’s Competitiveness, Report to the President. National Coordination Office for Information Technology Research and Development, Washington, DC. [3] National Research Council (NRC, 2011) Report of a Workshop of Pedagogical Aspects of Computational Thinking.

Washington, DC: National Academy Press. [4] Wing, J. (2006) Computational Thinking, Communications of the ACM, March, Vol.

49, No. 3. The STEM+C program seeks to build evidence to inform development of new pedagogical strategies and pedagogical environments for integrating computing and computational thinking in the teaching and learning of pre-K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and/or to integrate science, mathematics, and engineering in the applied teaching and learning of computer science in pre-K-12 education.

To prepare students from early childhood through high school, proposed research and development efforts should address interdisciplinary integration of computing and computational thinking in one or more of the STEM disciplines, with a focus on student learning pre-K-12, and/or professional development of inservice pre-K-12 teachers, and/or pre-service pre-K-12 teacher education, including preparation of teachers to integrate science, mathematics, and engineering in the applied teaching and learning of computer science in pre-K-12 education.

Applied research and development efforts may include, but are not limited to: studies of pedagogy that integrate computational thinking in one or more STEM content areas within grade bands (from pre-school to high school); research on, and development of new pedagogical environments that can better support interdisciplinary integration of computing in STEM learning; development of new technological tools that can more innovatively integrate computing into one or more other STEM disciplines or integrate STEM content into the teaching and learning of computing, and specifically, the use of technologies that go beyond the mere use of computers to teach students about computing concepts by encouraging the integration of computing and computational concepts in disciplinary-specific ways; modification or development of an entirely new curriculum and/or course materials; improvements in teaching and learning that incorporate learning that can transition between school and informal settings; and innovative pre-service teacher education programs and inservice teacher professional development to prepare teachers to integrate computational thinking or computing in their STEM teaching; modification of instructional strategies; and modifications of programs or any curricular activities in or out of school that are synergistic to school-based content acquisition.

The program encourages investigators to consider situating their work in the context of a more comprehensive interdisciplinary approach by integrating computing and computational thinking across an entire STEM curriculum. Exploratory Integration and Design and Development proposals are required to build knowledge through research .

Potential results of proposed research are expected to be of sufficient significance and quality to warrant peer-review and broader publication.

Rigorous quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods approaches are welcome and may be designed to be consistent with the Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development, a report from the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation (August 2013). For more information on the Common Guidelines: https://www. nsf.

gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp? ods_key=nsf13126 A suggested reference for proposals with interventions studying learning with technology, is the publication, Expanding Evidence Approaches for Learning in a Digital World, by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology (2013): https://tech.

ed. gov/expanding-evidence/ Proposals should include the following research components: Explicitly stated research questions and theory of action leading development efforts; details on methods used to answer research questions and that build an understanding of the research issues; types of data to be collected, methods for data collection, and management of data.

Discuss the rationale for sample selection and criteria for recruitment of the sample size and population. A strategy for reaching a diversified audience with dissemination to STEM-education researchers, disciplinary educators, pre-K-12 practitioners, public audiences; and related professional audiences and organizations.

Discuss whether the design is premised on special needs and interests due to educational level, gender, race, ethnicity, economic status, or disability. The following are examples of research questions related to core objectives of the STEM+C program.

Proposers are encouraged to consider other important research concepts and questions in support of STEM+C objectives: What pedagogical environments and learning strategies are needed for developing computing skills within the context of specific STEM disciplines? How do such strategies need to be modified for integrating computing within different disciplines?

What are the learning progressions in computational thinking that can be identified from the early grades through high school? How do these differ with respect to various disciplines? Under what conditions does the integration of computing into one or more STEM disciplinary areas or STEM content into computer science education, increase student content acquisition, interest, motivation, and/or performance?

2. Interdisciplinary Partnerships and/or Collaborations Investigators must include computing and/or computational thinking in one or more disciplinary-specific fields of science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) and/or STEM content integration in computer science education; thus, it is essential to have interdisciplinary expertise on the project team.

In addition to the required interdisciplinary collaboration/partnership in STEM and computing, investigators are encouraged to broaden the expertise of the project team by including discipline-specific teachers and faculty; school personnel and district leadership; educational, developmental, and social psychologists; social and learning scientists; education technologists; out-of-school practitioners, researchers, and informal educators; education media and technology developers; representatives from business, industry, and school districts to inform workforce career direction; or other expertise specific to the needs of the project to advance objectives.

If the project is addressing issues of underrepresentation in STEM and computing, proposals must include appropriate expertise representative of the respective communities and populations participating in the project. Projects may propose to test ideas in a range of learning settings and demographic contexts.

Investigators are encouraged to consider multisector partnerships, such as industries with vested interest in evolving skills and competencies in STEM and computing for the current and future workforce, or engaging schools and organizations for informal learning to collaborate on the testing of ideas and tools for potential classroom adoption.

Collaborations should be substantive - seeking to create innovative pedagogical solutions, strategies, and research that could not be achieved without such collaboration, and that will be responsive to advancing of both knowledge and practice of STEM including computing education. 3. External Independent Review All proposals must include a strategy for objective independent review of the project.

An external review panel, advisory board, or a third-party evaluator may be proposed (see NSF proposal preparation guidelines). The external critical review should be sufficiently independent and rigorous to influence the project's activities and improve the quality of its findings.

Competitive proposals will (1) describe the expertise of the external reviewer(s); (2) explain how that expertise relates to the goals and objectives of the proposal; and (3) specify how the PI will report and use results of the project's external critical review process.

The Advisory Board and/or external evaluator should have sufficient methodological expertise to provide an independent review of the integrity of proposed education research activity and review of designs and activities (including theoretical frameworks, data collection plans, analysis plans, and reporting plans). Proposers should identify ways to determine levels of technical quality as needed.

Further information and guidance can be found in the publication: Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development: https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=nsf13126 The range of anticipated projects is quite broad; however, common to each project is that it should articulate research questions, the importance of the research to the field, formative and summative assessment, and data collection that, in aggregate, will provide evidence-based insights to inform and advance the field.

Integrating Computational Approaches in STEM Learning Investigators who have research-based hypotheses about how to effectively support student learning of computing and science or other STEM concepts might propose to develop learning progressions across grade bands, modules, or courses to study their impact on student understanding.

Investigators who have research-based hypotheses for improving student engagement in STEM and computing using various types of education media and technologies, might propose innovations to game-based learning and virtual/augmented reality, and or new technology applications/platforms for computational thinking.

Investigators who have research-based hypotheses for the design of new tools might propose to create, build, and invent products or computational solutions to domain-specific problems, including interventions or learning across settings (in and out of school).

Products and tools might seek to engage learners in reasoning, systems thinking, and understanding of scientific models, simulations, and visualizations that depict phenomena or any intervention that might potentially improve teaching and learning within the discipline through integration of computing.

Teacher Education and Professional Development Interventions Investigators who have research-based hypotheses on how to support pre-service and in-service teachers in understanding STEM + computing in their instruction might propose to study new pedagogical approaches to teacher education or invent, pilot, or modify one or more courses or a curriculum to infuse computational approaches into traditional science, technology, or infuse any STEM content into computer science, or both, or develop a new curriculum, course materials, assessments, pedagogy, design new pedagogical environments, or new foci for pre-service education and in-service teacher professional development.

Investigators who have research-based hypotheses on how to advance new pedagogy or teaching practices that prepare teachers to effectively facilitate students’ computational learning and thinking might propose to study new strategies for teacher preparation.

Investigators who have research-based hypotheses on pre-service teacher education might engage two- and four-year institutions to improve prospective teachers' understanding of computation and computational thinking sufficient to engage pre-K-12 students in real-world science and engineering problems. 1. Exploratory Integration: (up to $1,250,000); maximum duration three years.

Exploratory Integration supports creative, highly innovative work, such as development of prototypes; pilot testing of new tools and models; conducting innovative research on teaching and learning; designing and studying new pedagogical environments; identifying, adapting, or designing instruments to measure learning processes; modifying instructional practice; or conducting research to provide proof-of-concept and preliminary evidence.

Investigators may propose smaller scale exploratory work for a lower budget and shorter duration period under this category. Projects in this category, depending on research findings, may serve as prototypes or pilots for ideas to be expanded in future proposals.

Exploratory proposals may associate proposed work with the Early Stages and Exploratory type of research and development in the Common Guidelines for Educational Research and Development: https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=nsf13126 2. Design and Development: (up to $2,500,000); maximum duration three years.

Design and Development supports proposals that build on prior evidence demonstrating promise for impact on student or teacher learning in classrooms, schools, out-of-school environments, or other learning settings.

Investigators may propose interventions for design, research, implementation, and testing that, based upon prior evidence , can potentially advance and innovate new learning, teaching, and pedagogical environments suitable for advancing integration of computing in one or more STEM disciplines.

Projects in this category are expected to contribute substantial research findings to advance pre-K-12 STEM teaching or learning and/or computer science education, pre-K-12. Plans should be articulated for dissemination of results to researchers, practitioners, and if applicable, industry.

Design and Development proposals may associate proposed work with the Design and Development type of research and development in the Common Guidelines for Educational Research and Development: https://www. nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ.

jsp? ods_key=nsf13126 3. Field-Building Conferences and Workshops: (up to $250,000); maximum duration two years.

The program encourages proposals that have potential to expand the field of STEM + computing and evidence leading to effective, interdisciplinary integration of computing within other STEM disciplines. Budgets for conferences and workshops are expected to be consistent with the duration of the event and the number of participants. It is expected that proposed work will be outcome based.

Conference proposals must be prepared in accordance with the specific instructions in PAPPG, Chapter II. E. 7 and any additional instructions contained in this solicitation.

Anticipated Type of Award: Continuing Grant or Standard Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 25 to 35 Anticipated Funding Amount: $49,895,000 Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds. IV.

Eligibility Information 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: There are no restrictions or limits. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI: There are no restrictions or limits.

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 Grants.

gov or via the NSF FastLane system. Full proposals submitted via FastLane: Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF website at: https://www.

nsf. gov/publications/pub_summ. jsp?

ods_key=papp . Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf. gov .

Proposers are reminded to identify this program solicitation number in the program solicitation block on the NSF Cover Sheet For Proposal to the National Science Foundation. Compliance with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay processing.

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) 292-7827 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 the NSF FastLane system.

PAPPG Chapter II. D. 5 provides additional information on collaborative proposals.

See PAPPG Chapter II. C. 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. All Submitters Please Note: If you have problems during the submission of your proposal , please contact the Helpdesk directly for assistance: NSF Fastlane (1-800-673-6188) or Grants.

gov (1-800-518-4726) Important Proposal Preparation Information The following instructions supplement guidelines in the PAPPG and NSF Grants. gov Application Guide: Mark the Human Subjects box as pending, approved, or exempted (with exemption subsection 2 indicated). This box should not be left blank.

The Human Subjects box should be marked as pending if an IRB is either (1) reviewing the project plan and has not yet determined a ruling of "approved" or "exempt", or (2) the project plan has not yet been submitted to an IRB for review.

To avoid delays in processing award recommendations , it is strongly recommended that PIs begin the process of obtaining appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals or exemptions as needed for projects involving human subjects. No awards will be made without such approvals or exemptions. Select the STEM+C solicitation number .

In addition to the guidance provided in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG NSF 17-1 ) for Project Summary preparation , the first line of the overview must indicate the proposal category specified in the Program Description. To be competitive, a proposal must respond to the STEM+C Program Description in this solicitation.

Reviewers will judge the merit of each proposal based on the content of the Project Description. The narrative should include a problem statement, research questions and methods, and project goals and objectives. The discussion should include the theoretical framework that guides the research and development effort and should be informed by the relevant literature.

Plans for independent project evaluation and project dissemination are to be articulated. Supplementary documents should include Letters of Collaboration from project partners, the Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan (if applicable ) and the Data Management Plan . Letters of support from persons endorsing the project but not making a substantial commitment to the project, are not allowed.

Appendix : Not permitted. The 15 pages Project Description should contain all of the information needed to describe the project. Proposals submitted with an Appendix will be returned without review.

In addition to guidance provided in the PAPPG ( NSF 17-1 ) on required Special Information and Supplementary Documents, please provide current, accurate information for all personnel and institutions involved in the project. NSF staff will use this information in the merit review process to manage reviewer selection.

The list should include all PIs, co-PIs, senior personnel, paid/unpaid consultants or collaborators, subawardees, postdocs, project evaluators and project-level advisory committee members. This list should be numbered and include (in this order) Full name, Organization(s), and Role in the project, with each item separated by a semi-colon. Each person listed should start a new numbered line.

For example: Mary Smith; XYZ University; PI John Jones; University of PQR; Senior Personnel Jane Brown; XYZ University; Postdoc Bob Adams; ABC Community College; Paid Consultant Susan White; DEF Corporation; Unpaid Collaborator Tim Green; ZZZ University; Subawardee Collaborators and Other Affiliations Information: For this solicitation, the Collaborators & Other Affiliations information specified in the PAPPG should be submitted using the spreadsheet template found at https://www.

nsf. gov/cise/collab/ . For each proposal, a completed spreadsheet for each PI, co-PI, or senior personnel must be uploaded directly into Fastlane in .

xls or . xlsx format as a “Collaborator and Other Affiliations” Single Copy Document. NSF staff use this information in the merit review process to help manage reviewer selection; the spreadsheet will ensure the Collaborator and Other Affiliations information has a common, searchable format.

Note the distinction above for Supplementary Documents: the listing of all project participants is collected by the project lead and entered as a Supplementary Document, which is then automatically included with all proposals in a project. The Collaborators and Other Affiliations are entered for each participant within each proposal and, as Single Copy Documents, are available only to NSF staff.

Collaborators and Other Affiliations for participants listed above that are not PIs, co-PIs, or senior personnel can be uploaded under Additional Single Copy Documents using Transfer File. Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. Budget Preparation Instructions: Projects should budget for participation of two project members to attend the annual STEM+C PI meeting.

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m. submitter's local time): D.

FastLane/Grants. gov Requirements For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane: To prepare and submit a proposal via FastLane, see detailed technical instructions available at: https://www. fastlane.

nsf. gov/a1/newstan. htm .

For FastLane user support, call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf. gov . The FastLane Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the FastLane system.

Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this funding opportunity. For Proposals Submitted Via Grants. gov: Before using Grants.

gov for the first time, each organization must register to create an institutional profile. Once registered, the applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants. gov website.

Comprehensive information about using Grants. gov is available on the Grants. gov Applicant Resources webpage: http://www.

grants. gov/web/grants/applicants. html .

In addition, the NSF Grants. gov Application Guide (see link in Section V. A) provides instructions regarding the technical preparation of proposals via Grants.

gov. For Grants. gov user support, contact the Grants. gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.

gov . The Grants. gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.

gov. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation. Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants. gov and verify the desired funding opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted.

The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants. gov. The completed application will be transferred to the NSF FastLane system for further processing. Proposers that submitted via FastLane are strongly encouraged to use FastLane to verify the status of their submission to NSF.

For proposers that submitted via Grants. gov, until an application has been received and validated by NSF, the Authorized Organizational Representative may check the status of an application on Grants. gov. After proposers have received an e-mail notification from NSF, Research.

gov should be used to check the status of an application. VI. NSF Proposal Processing And Review Procedures Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program for acknowledgement and, if they meet NSF requirements, for review.

All proposals are carefully reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and usually by three to ten other persons outside NSF either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists, or both, who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with oversight of the review process.

Proposers are invited to suggest names of persons they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal and/or persons they would prefer not review the proposal. These suggestions may serve as one source in the reviewer selection process at the Program