STEM K-12 (NSF 25-545) is a grant from National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) that funds STEM education research. NSF 25-545: NSF STEM K-12 (STEM K-12) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Active funding opportunity This document is the current version. Eligible applicants include proposals are accepted from various organizations, including universities, colleges, and non-profit organizations.

Awards provide $25,000 - $750,000 (typical duration one to three years).

NSF 25-545: NSF STEM K-12 (STEM K-12) | NSF - U.S. National Science Foundation Active funding opportunity This document is the current version. 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 25-545: NSF STEM K-12 (STEM K-12) To save a PDF of this solicitation, select Print to PDF in your browser's print options. Program Solicitation NSF 25-545 U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for STEM Education Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p. m.

submitting organization's local time): Proposals Accepted Anytime Important Information And Revision Notes The following solicitations are currently archived. Investigators who would have applied to these programs are particularly encouraged to consider NSF STEM K-12.

Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) Computer Science for All (CSforAll) Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) Translation and Diffusion (TD) Investigators who would typically submit to the EDU Core Research (ECR) solicitation for research in K-12 and informal settings are encouraged to apply to NSF STEM K-12. ECR will only accept proposals for DUE and DGE focused projects.

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 NSF STEM K-12 (STEM K-12) The NSF STEM K-12 program in the Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) in the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) supports fundamental, applied, and translational research that advances STEM teaching and learning and improves understanding of education across the human lifespan and a range of formal and informal settings.

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. STEM K-12, telephone: (703) 292-8620, email: STEMK12@nsf.

gov Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 47. 076 --- STEM Education Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 40 Anticipated Funding Amount: $30,000,000 Estimated program budget, number of awards, and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds and quality of proposals submitted.

It is anticipated that most awards supported by the program will range between $25,000 and $750,000, with a typical duration of one to three years. CAREER awards are expected to range between $500,000 and $750,000, but CAREER proposals must be submitted to the NSF-wide CAREER solicitation for the annual deadline.

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 sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.

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. For-profit organizations: U.S.-based commercial organizations, including small businesses, with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a passion for innovation.

State and Local Governments 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: 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 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. submitting organization's local time): Proposals Accepted Anytime Proposal Review Information Criteria National Science Board approved criteria apply.

Award Administration Information Standard NSF award conditions apply. Standard NSF reporting requirements apply. The NSF STEM K-12 program encourages innovative, multidisciplinary, and potentially transformative projects that build theory, generate new knowledge, and inform education practices in a rapidly evolving technological landscape with advances in emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI).

It supports fundamental, applied, and translational research that enhances STEM teaching and learning and across the human lifespan and in a range of formal and informal learning settings.

In addition to building theory and informing practice, the program seeks projects that produce new tools and frameworks; harness exemplary formal and informal learning; and unlock new avenues of scientific inquiry and discovery in STEM education to strengthen the Nation's standing as a global leader in STEM innovation.

Proposals submitted to the STEM K-12 program may focus on learning or instruction in any field(s) of STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) and may involve a variety of contexts in which teaching and learning take place, including formal education (pre-K to 12) and informal learning environments.

The program also supports projects that identify and address salient issues involved in translating research into educational practice for any STEM field, as well as projects that leverage insights from educational practice to drive fundamental research. Additionally, the program seeks proposals that explore how AI and other emerging technologies can be effectively leveraged to study and enhance STEM teaching and learning.

The U.S. must prepare its citizens to thrive in a digital society by providing early learning and exposure to AI (Executive Order 14277 Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth , April 23, 2025). Integrating AI into education systems and institutions will help prepare both youth and adults to contribute to an AI-driven society and sustain the Nation's leadership in technological innovation.

The NSF STEM K-12 program encourages multidisciplinary collaborations that bring together expertise and methodological approaches from various fields, including education research, social and behavioral sciences, implementation sciences, computer science, and all STEM disciplines.

In addition, the program encourages partnerships that integrate perspectives from education research, education practice, and industry, as well as perspectives of learners and other critical stakeholders who would benefit from the work.

The program also welcomes quantitative, qualitative, mixed method approaches, and a range of research and/or development efforts across broad areas of scientific inquiry, including but not limited to: foundational studies that advance theory or build new conceptual frameworks related to STEM learning and teaching; design-based research that iteratively develops and refines learning environments, instructional models, systems, or approaches; projects aimed at cultivating the skills, dispositions, and knowledge needed to succeed in computer science, AI pathways, and technology careers, and more generally build capacity in the STEM workforce; development and study of innovations for teaching and learning (e.g., curricula, assessments, professional learning resources, technologies, media, etc.) for any STEM field; investigations of teaching and learning processes, including cognitive, motivational, or social aspects of learning; development and use of advanced research methods and analytical frameworks and tools, such as data science methods and machine learning, to study learning at scale or in complex learning environments; and the study of deeper learning and more effective teaching to create opportunities for all Americans everywhere.

Proposals submitted to the program should, as appropriate: be grounded in relevant theories and frameworks that inform the project's research focus and design; exhibit coherence across research questions, design, analysis, and interpretation; employ rigorous methodologies that align strategies for data collection and analysis to the study's context, aims, and guiding research questions; describe how the chosen research method(s) will yield trustworthy findings and recommendations that may advance future research and/or contribute to practices in STEM learning and teaching; and consider a translational process that includes plans for dissemination to benefit both science and society, with possible extensions to other settings or demographic groups.

The budgets and durations of supported projects vary widely and are greatly influenced by the nature of the project. Investigators should focus on innovative, potentially transformative project plans and then develop a budget to support those activities, rather than starting with a budget number and working up to that value.

Suggested ranges for funding requests of STEM K-12 proposals under this solicitation are as follows: (1) Research and/or Development proposals: $350,000 to $750,000 with a duration of two to three years; and (2) Conference proposals: $25,000 to $99,000 with a duration of up to two years. Proposals that contain budgets significantly beyond these ranges may be returned without review.

For Conference proposals, investigators must contact a cognizant STEM K-12 Program Director prior to submission and follow the guidance for Conference proposals contained in the PAPPG Chapter II. F. 8.

Note: The following solicitations are currently archived. Investigators who would have applied to these programs are particularly encouraged to consider STEM K-12.

Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) Computer Science for All (CSforAll) Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) Translation and Diffusion (TD) Investigators who would typically submit to the EDU Core Research (ECR) solicitation for research in K-12 and informal settings are encouraged to apply to NSF STEM K-12. ECR will only accept proposals for DUE and DGE focused projects.

This new, broad funding opportunity is expected to accommodate a wide range of projects, including ideas that would have aligned with the aforementioned solicitations. All proposals must be prepared and submitted in accordance with this program solicitation and the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) .

Anticipated Type of Award: Continuing Grant or Standard Grant Estimated Number of Awards: 40 Anticipated Funding Amount: $30,000,000 Estimated program budget, number of awards, and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds and quality of proposals submitted. It is anticipated that most awards supported by the program will range between $25,000 and $750,000, with a typical duration of one to three years.

CAREER awards are expected to range between $500,000 and $750,000, but CAREER proposals must be submitted to the NSF-wide CAREER solicitation for the annual deadline. 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 sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.

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. For-profit organizations: U.S.-based commercial organizations, including small businesses, with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a passion for innovation.

State and Local Governments 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: 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 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.

The following instructions supplement guidelines in the PAPPG and NSF Grants. gov Application Guide : Proposal Set-up. Select "Prepare New Full Proposal" in Research.

gov. Search for and select this solicitation in Step 1 of the Full Proposal wizard. In Step 3, Proposal Type, select "Research" or "Conference" as appropriate. Cover Sheet.

The box for Human Subjects must be checked; this box should not be left blank. The Human Subjects box should be marked as pending if an Institutional Review Board (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.

If human subjects activities are exempt from IRB review, enter the appropriate exemption number in the space provided. To avoid delays in processing award recommendations, it is strongly recommended that PIs begin the process of obtaining appropriate IRB approvals or exemptions as needed for projects involving human subjects. No awards will be made without such approvals or exemptions.

Project Summary. The Project Summary should indicate whether the proposal is a Research or Conference proposal. In addition, the Project Summary should indicate five keywords that best describe the theory, research methodology, any specific STEM disciplinary content that is to be studied (e.g., AI), and potential stakeholder communities, as appropriate.

Project Description . Per the guidance in the PAPPG, the Project Description must contain, as a separate section within the narrative, a section labeled Broader Impacts that includes a discussion of specific broader impacts goals and outcomes and a plan and resources allocated to achieve them (more information about Broader Impacts may be found in the PAPPG and on the NSF website ).

Proposers may decide where to include this section within the Project Description. The proposal must also describe Results from Prior NSF Support for related projects in which the PI or co-PI have been involved, as outlined in the PAPPG. Supplementary Documentation.

Supplementary documents should include the Data Management and Sharing Plan, a List of Project Personnel , a Mentoring Plan (if applicable), and Letters of Collaboration from project partners (if applicable). Letters of support from persons endorsing the project but not making a substantial commitment to the project are not allowed.

Inclusion of any other information in the supplementary documents or as an appendix will result in the proposal being returned without review. Data Management and Sharing Plan: Data management and sharing plans will be reviewed by panelists and program directors and should be written with sufficient clarity and detail to support proposal processing and the merit review process.

Generic data management and sharing plans should be avoided. Each data management and sharing plan should describe the data, metadata, samples, software, curricula, documentation, publications, and other materials to be generated during the proposed research.

Data management and sharing plans should reflect the best practices and standards for the proposed research and types of data being generated, whether experimental, computational, text-based, media or physical materials. STEM K-12 expects its award recipients to describe how data and related materials are generated to allow others to reproduce the research study.

Further the data management and sharing plan should support the sharing of data, products, and methods in such a way that others can understand, validate, replicate, and build upon the research findings. For more information, please consult the recently released Companion Guidelines on Replication and Reproducibility in Education Research .

List of All Project Personnel: Provide a list of all project personnel in the Supplementary Document section. Include current, accurate information for all personnel and organizations 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/key personnel, funded/unfunded consultants, or collaborators, sub-recipients, postdoctoral researchers (if known), 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: Ebony Johnson-Smith; XYZ University; PI John Garcia; University of PQR; Senior/Key Personnel Proposal Resubmissions . Proposals submitted to this program description and declined may not be resubmitted for six months from the declination date. Proposals must be substantially revised to be reconsidered for funding.

Investigators are encouraged to carefully consider reviewers' feedback when revising. Proposals that are not substantially revised will be returned without review, as outlined in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), Chapter IV. E.

. Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited. Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.

m. submitting organization's local time): Proposals Accepted Anytime D. Research.

gov/Grants. gov Requirements For Proposals Submitted Via Research. gov: To prepare and submit a proposal via Research.

gov, see detailed technical instructions available at: https://www. research. gov/research-portal/appmanager/base/desktop?

_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=research_node_display&_nodePath=/researchGov/Service/Desktop/ProposalPreparationandSubmission. html . For Research.

gov user support, call the Research. gov Help Desk at 1-800-381-1532 or e-mail rgov@nsf. gov .

The Research. gov Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the Research. gov 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: https://www.

grants. gov/applicants . 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 Research. gov for further processing. The NSF Grants.

gov Proposal Processing in Research. gov informational page provides submission guidance to applicants and links to helpful resources including the NSF Grants. gov Application Guide , Grants.

gov Proposal Processing in Research. gov how-to guide , and Grants. gov Submitted Proposals Frequently Asked Questions .

Grants. gov proposals must pass all NSF pre-check and post-check validations in order to be accepted by Research. gov at NSF.

When submitting via Grants. gov, NSF strongly recommends applicants initiate proposal submission at least five business days in advance of a deadline to allow adequate time to address NSF compliance errors and resubmissions by 5:00 p. m.

submitting organization's local time on the deadline. Please note that some errors cannot be corrected in Grants. gov. Once a proposal passes pre-checks but fails any post-check, an applicant can only correct and submit the in-progress proposal in Research.

gov. Proposers that submitted via Research. gov may use Research. gov 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 Officer's discretion. Submission of such names, however, is optional.

Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the proposal. In addition, Program Officers may obtain comments from site visits before recommending final action on proposals. Senior NSF staff further review recommendations for awards.

A flowchart that depicts the entire NSF proposal and award process (and associated timeline) is included in PAPPG Exhibit III-1. A comprehensive description of the Foundation's merit review process is available on the NSF website at: https://www. nsf.

gov/funding/overview . A. Merit Review Principles and Criteria The National Science Foundation strives to invest in a robust and diverse portfolio of projects that creates new knowledge and enables breakthroughs in understanding across all areas of science and engineering research and education.

To identify which projects to support, NSF relies on a merit review process that incorporates consideration of both the technical aspects of a proposed project and its potential to contribute more broadly to advancing NSF's mission "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes."

NSF makes every effort to conduct a fair, competitive, transparent merit review process for the selection of projects. 1. Merit Review Principles These principles are to be given due diligence by PIs and organizations when preparing proposals and managing projects, by reviewers when reading and evaluating proposals, and by NSF program staff when determining whether or not to recommend proposals for funding and while overseeing awards.

Given that NSF is the primary federal agency charged with nurturing and supporting excellence in basic research and education, the following three principles apply: All NSF projects should be of the highest quality and have the potential to advance, if not transform, the frontiers of knowledge. NSF projects, in the aggregate, should contribute more broadly to achieving societal goals.

These "Broader Impacts" may be accomplished through the research itself, through activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project. The project activities may be based on previously established and/or innovative methods and approaches, but in either case must be well justified.

Meaningful assessment and evaluation of NSF funded projects should be based on appropriate metrics, keeping in mind the likely correlation between the effect of broader impacts and the resources provided to implement projects. If the size of the activity is limited, evaluation of that activity in isolation is not likely to be meaningful.

Thus, assessing the effectiveness of these activities may best be done at a higher, more aggregated, level than the individual project. With respect to the third principle, even if assessment of Broader Impacts outcomes for particular projects is done at an aggregated level, PIs are expected to be accountable for carrying out the activities described in the funded project.

Thus, individual projects should include clearly stated goals, specific descriptions of the activities that the PI intends to do, and a plan in place to document the outputs of those activities. These three merit review principles provide the basis for the merit review criteria, as well as a context within which the users of the criteria can better understand their intent.

All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board approved merit review criteria. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities. The two merit review criteria are listed below.

Both criteria are to be given full consideration during the review and decision-making processes; each criterion is necessary but neither, by itself, is sufficient. Therefore, proposers must fully address both criteria. (PAPPG Chapter II.

D. 2. d(i).

contains additional information for use by proposers in development of the Project Description section of the proposal). Reviewers are strongly encouraged to review the criteria, including PAPPG Chapter II. D.

2. d(i), prior to the review of a proposal. When evaluating NSF proposals, reviewers will be asked to consider what the proposers want to do, why they want to do it, how they plan to do it, how they will know if they succeed, and what benefits could accrue if the project is successful.

These issues apply both to the technical aspects of the proposal and the way in which the project may make broader contributions.

To that end, reviewers will be asked to evaluate all proposals against two criteria: Intellectual Merit: The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge; and Broader Impacts: The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.

The following elements should be considered in the review for both criteria: What is the potential for the proposed activity to Advance knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields (Intellectual Merit); and Benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes (Broader Impacts)? To what extent do the proposed activities suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts?

Is the plan for carrying out the proposed activities well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on a sound rationale? Does the plan incorporate a mechanism to assess success? How well qualified is the individual, team, or organization to conduct the proposed activities?

Are there adequate resources available to the PI (either at the home organization or through collaborations) to carry out the proposed activities? Broader impacts may be accomplished through the research itself, through the activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project.

NSF values the advancement of scientific knowledge and activities that contribute to achievement of societally relevant outcomes.

Such outcomes include, but are not limited to: improved STEM education and educator development at any level; increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology; improved well-being of individuals in society; development of a globally competitive STEM workforce; increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others; improved national security; increased economic competitiveness of the United States; and enhanced infrastructure for research and education.

Proposers are reminded that reviewers will also be asked to review the Data Management and Sharing Plan and the Mentoring Plan, as appropriate. B. Review and Selection Process Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation