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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - NSF Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Program (NSF 09-507)

1) What is the NSF Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program?

The NSF Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program (Funding Opportunity Number 09-507) is a research and development (R&D) grant opportunity focused on strengthening K-12 mathematics and science learning through innovative, evidence-based partnerships. The program emphasizes raising achievement for all students while making measurable progress in reducing persistent achievement gaps across diverse student populations.

2) What is the main goal of this grant opportunity?

The central purpose is to improve K-12 mathematics and science outcomes by supporting partnerships that do more than implement promising activities locally. NSF expects projects to generate credible evidence, contribute to the broader knowledge base in math and science education, and produce models that can be replicated or adapted in other settings.

3) Is this program focused on research, implementation, or both?

Both. The solicitation frames MSP as a research and development program. Projects are expected to implement innovative, evidence-based approaches while also producing rigorous evidence about their effects and advancing knowledge about what works, for whom, and under what conditions.

4) How does NSF expect MSP projects to go beyond local program improvement?

Funded projects are expected to build credible evidence, contribute to the field of math and science education, and generate transferable models or approaches that can be replicated or adapted elsewhere. The emphasis is on producing knowledge and evidence, not just running activities within one local context.

5) What types of partnerships or collaborations does MSP emphasize?

The opportunity is oriented around strong collaboration between higher education and K-12 education partners. NSF expects coherent, jointly planned work that integrates the roles of all partners, rather than disconnected subprojects.

6) What are the different MSP award types included in this solicitation?

The solicitation includes multiple award types designed for different stages and purposes, including:

• Targeted Partnerships
• Institute Partnerships (Teacher Institutes for the 21st Century)
• MSP Start Partnerships
• Phase II Partnerships
• Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance (RETA) projects
• Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3) projects

7) What is a Targeted Partnership?

Targeted Partnerships are intended to address well-defined teaching and learning challenges. They often focus on a specific grade band (elementary, middle, or high school), a key transition point (such as middle-to-high school), or a specific disciplinary domain within mathematics or the sciences.

8) What is an Institute Partnership (Teacher Institutes for the 21st Century)?

Institute Partnerships focus on developing teacher leaders or master teachers who have deep disciplinary content knowledge for teaching and the capacity to serve as intellectual leaders at the school or district level.

9) What is an MSP Start Partnership and who is it for?

MSP Start Partnerships are designed for organizations that are new to the MSP program. The solicitation particularly encourages participation by minority-serving institutions, community colleges, and primarily undergraduate institutions. These awards support foundational work such as data analysis, partnership development, evaluation planning, and project design needed to build a competitive full-scale Targeted or Institute Partnership proposal.

10) What is a Phase II Partnership?

Phase II Partnerships are intended for organizations that have already participated in MSP. They provide a pathway to extend and sharpen earlier work by focusing on specific innovative components with clearly documented evidence of potential impact. The solicitation emphasizes that Phase II work should conduct additional research and refinement rather than simply expanding existing activities without a research purpose.

11) What are RETA projects?

Research, Evaluation and Technical Assistance (RETA) projects are designed to strengthen the overall MSP ecosystem by conducting methodologically rigorous studies of MSP impacts on student learning and/or teacher learning. NSF encourages longitudinal designs, cross-site studies, and research that tests innovative methods for studying complex educational interventions.

12) What are I3 projects in this solicitation?

Innovation through Institutional Integration (I3) projects are intended to push institutions to strategically integrate and align multiple NSF-funded awards, especially those supported by NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR). For Fiscal Year 2010, proposals advancing I3 goals were solicited across nine EHR programs: CREST, GSE, HBCU-UP, ITEST, LSAMP, MSP, Noyce, RDE, and TCUP.

13) How is this program connected to the U.S. Department of Education?

The MSP program is coordinated with the U.S. Department of Education's Math and Science Partnerships efforts, with an emphasis on scaling successful innovations into wider practice.

14) How is this solicitation connected to national policy priorities?

This work is framed as part of the America COMPETES Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-69), reflecting a national priority around STEM talent development and educational improvement.

15) How much funding was available under this solicitation?

NSF anticipated making about 24 awards with an estimated total funding level of $35,000,000.

16) What is the typical award size for individual grants?

Individual awards generally ranged from $250,000 (floor) to $1,250,000 (ceiling).

17) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity does not require cost sharing or matching.

18) What type of funding instrument is used?

The funding instrument is a grant.

19) What is the program classification and CFDA number?

The solicitation is categorized under science and technology and other research and development. It is listed under CFDA 47.076 (Education and Human Resources).

20) Is this funding opportunity still open?

No. The opportunity is archived, with an archive date of April 20, 2010. The record also lists April 7, 2010 as a closing date associated with the archived posting history.

21) Who can serve as the lead partner for Partnership categories?

For Partnership categories (Targeted, Institute, MSP Start, and Phase II), the lead partner must be an institution of higher education or an eligible nonprofit organization, including consortia of such entities.

22) Who is eligible to apply for RETA projects?

RETA eligibility is broader and follows the NSF Grant Proposal Guide categories.

23) Who is eligible to apply for I3 projects?

I3 eligibility is generally limited to accredited U.S.-based institutions of higher education (two-year and four-year). If the proposal is exclusively for I3 STEM education or related research, broader NSF proposer categories may apply.

24) Does NSF expect a single proposal or separate proposals for each partner?

NSF expects an MSP proposal to be submitted as a single integrated submission that includes funding support for all partners seeking NSF funds. This reinforces the expectation of coherent, jointly planned work.

25) Who must serve as Principal Investigator (PI) for Partnership categories?

For Partnership categories, the PI must be a mathematician, scientist, or engineer who is a regular faculty member in a mathematics, science, or engineering department at a higher-education core partner.

26) Is K-12 leadership required in the project leadership team?

Yes. For Partnership categories, at least one co-Principal Investigator must represent the K-12 core partner organization(s), ensuring K-12 leadership and implementation realities are embedded in project planning and governance.

27) Who is expected to serve as PI for I3 proposals?

For I3 proposals, the PI is expected to be the university provost or an equivalent chief academic officer, reflecting the institution-wide integration focus of I3. An exception is noted when the proposal is exclusively for I3 STEM education or related research.

28) What were the key proposal deadlines listed for this competition?

The solicitation was posted on March 4, 2009. Full proposal deadlines included August 20, 2009 (Targeted Partnerships) and August 25, 2009 (I3). The archived posting history also references April 7, 2010 as a closing date.

29) Where were applicants directed for full proposal requirements?

Applicants were directed to the NSF publication associated with the solicitation (NSF 09-507) for complete requirements.

30) Where could applicants get technical help for submission?

Technical help was available through NSF's grants.gov support channel.

31) What is NSF looking for in terms of evidence and evaluation?

Across the solicitation, NSF emphasizes credible evidence and rigorous approaches. In particular, RETA projects are described as methodologically rigorous, with encouragement for longitudinal and cross-site research designs and innovative methods for studying complex educational interventions.

32) How does the solicitation describe expectations around scaling and broader impact?

The program is coordinated with U.S. Department of Education MSP efforts and places emphasis on scaling successful innovations into wider practice. NSF also highlights producing replicable or adaptable models and contributing to the broader knowledge base.