Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH14ZHA001N APPENDIXI
Apply for NNH14ZHA001N APPENDIXI
- The NASA Headquarters in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2014 NASA RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT NRA MINORITY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROJECT MUREP SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING AND MATH STEM ENGAGEMENT MSE" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.008 Education.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 2, 2014 and posted on Dec 1, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 2, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
- Unrestricted
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Opportunity Summary:
The 2014 NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Engagement (MSE) is a competitive federal funding opportunity from NASA Headquarters designed to strengthen STEM education pathways for underrepresented students at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Through this solicitation, NASA seeks proposals that create and run a NASA-related STEM challenge, with the intent of boosting minority undergraduate participation, persistence, and degree completion in STEM fields that align with NASA workforce and mission needs. The program sits at the intersection of education and applied research and development, emphasizing hands-on, mission-connected learning experiences rather than purely classroom-based activities.
Funding is issued as cooperative agreements, which means NASA expects to have substantial involvement during the project period (for example, coordination, technical engagement, or participation tied to NASA mission alignment) rather than acting solely as a pass-through funder. Awards can run for up to three years, and NASA anticipated making about three awards under this appendix. There is no stated cost sharing or matching requirement in the opportunity summary, which can reduce barriers for eligible institutions that may not have large discretionary funds to commit. The CFDA listing associated with the opportunity is 43.008 (Education), and the opportunity was posted in early December 2014 with a proposal deadline of March 2, 2015.
Eligibility is narrowly focused: only Minority Serving Colleges and Universities that are legally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may apply as the primary applicants. While the announcement indicates broad applicant categories in a generic field, the controlling eligibility language clarifies that MSI status recognized by the Department of Education is required for this specific NRA. Partnerships are allowed and can include community colleges and other organizations, such as informal education entities, nonprofit organizations, and state or local government agencies, typically as subawardees or contractors. However, every institution involved in the proposal, including partners, must be registered in NASA’s proposal system. NASA also notes a standing policy relevant to international involvement: investigations involving non-U.S. organizations must be conducted on a no-exchange-of-funds basis, meaning international partners can participate only if NASA funds are not transferred to them.
Programmatically, the core idea is the development and implementation of a “NASA STEM challenge†that is explicitly tied to NASA-relevant science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and cross-cutting concepts. These challenges are meant to be creative, active-learning experiences that engage students in NASA-related problem solving, design, and applied learning. NASA’s MSE effort is aimed at MSIs that can credibly demonstrate potential to increase the number of minority undergraduates pursuing STEM education in areas that matter to NASA. In practice, proposals are expected to show not only interesting activities, but a coherent strategy for student engagement and measurable outcomes.
The opportunity lays out three main goals for funded projects. First, it aims to increase retention and completion rates for undergraduate STEM degrees at MSIs in disciplines relevant to NASA. Second, it aims to expand NASA-focused STEM experiences that actively engage underrepresented groups, using hands-on learning approaches intended to improve retention of knowledge and strengthen critical thinking. Third, it aims to disseminate proven and innovative practices in STEM teaching and learning, as well as strategies for recruitment and retention of underserved students. That final goal signals that NASA is looking for projects that can generate transferable lessons, models, or toolkits that other institutions can adopt, rather than one-off events that end when the funding period concludes.
The solicitation also identifies specific objectives that proposals are expected to address. Institutions must design, develop, and implement a NASA-related STEM challenge that targets participation by MSI students and community college students enrolled in STEM. The challenge must be aligned with NASA’s mission and tied to a specific NASA program or project, which encourages proposers to ground the work in real NASA priorities rather than loosely themed STEM outreach. Finally, proposers must develop and implement processes to capture and document impact, meaning evaluation is not optional. Applicants should plan for data collection and analysis methods that can show outcomes such as participation, persistence, learning gains, progression in STEM coursework, degree milestones, or other indicators tied to the stated goals.
On the administrative side, the opportunity stresses that proposal submission is electronic and must be completed by an authorized organizational official. Organizations can submit through NSPIRES (NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System) or through Grants.gov, but NSPIRES registration is required either way. If an organization submits via Grants.gov, it still must be registered in NSPIRES in addition to being registered in Grants.gov. The announcement emphasizes early preparation because registrations and account setup can take time, and NASA expects applicants to be fully compliant by the proposal due date.
By the proposal deadline, applicants are required to have several standard federal identifiers and registrations in place: a DUNS number, an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM, formerly CCR), a valid CAGE code, and a valid NSPIRES registration. Additionally, all principal investigators and other key participants (such as co-investigators) must be individually registered in NSPIRES, regardless of which submission portal is used. The solicitation also makes clear that proposers should monitor NSPIRES for updates, because NASA may post FAQs or formal amendments prior to the deadline, and applicants are responsible for staying current.
For applicant support and communication, NASA requested that substantive questions be submitted in writing to NASAMSE@nasaprs.com no later than 10 business days before the proposal due date to allow time for an official response. The listing also references NAIS Support (nais.support@nasa.gov) for technical difficulties accessing the announcement materials. Overall, the opportunity is structured to fund a small number of multi-year MSI-led projects that combine NASA mission alignment, undergraduate STEM engagement (including community college connections), and clear evaluation and dissemination plans, all implemented under a cooperative agreement model with active NASA involvement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NASA MUREP STEM Engagement (MSE) opportunity?
This is the 2014 NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Engagement (MSE). It is a competitive federal funding opportunity from NASA Headquarters intended to strengthen STEM education pathways for underrepresented students at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) through mission-connected, hands-on learning.
What is the main purpose of this program?
The program is designed to increase minority undergraduate participation, persistence, and degree completion in STEM fields aligned with NASA workforce and mission needs by having institutions create and run a NASA-related STEM challenge.
What type of projects does NASA want to fund under this solicitation?
NASA is seeking proposals to design, develop, and implement a NASA-related STEM challenge tied to NASA-relevant science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and cross-cutting concepts. The emphasis is on active, hands-on, mission-connected experiences rather than purely classroom-based activities.
What is a "NASA STEM challenge" in this context?
Based on the solicitation summary, a NASA STEM challenge is a creative, active-learning experience where students engage in NASA-related problem solving, design, and applied learning. The challenge must be explicitly aligned with NASA mission needs and tied to a specific NASA program or project.
Who is eligible to apply as the lead applicant?
Only Minority Serving Colleges and Universities that are legally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may apply as the primary applicants for this opportunity. The controlling eligibility language requires Department of Education-recognized MSI status.
Are partnerships allowed, and who can be partners?
Yes. Partnerships are allowed and may include community colleges and other organizations such as informal education entities, nonprofit organizations, and state or local government agencies. These partners typically participate as subawardees or contractors, while the MSI remains the primary applicant.
Do partner organizations need to register in NASA's proposal system?
Yes. The opportunity notes that every institution involved in the proposal, including partners, must be registered in NASA's proposal system (NSPIRES).
Can international organizations participate as partners?
International involvement is permitted only under NASA's no-exchange-of-funds policy for non-U.S. organizations. That means international partners may participate only if NASA funds are not transferred to them.
What are the main goals NASA lists for funded projects?
The opportunity describes three main goals:
- Increase retention and completion rates for undergraduate STEM degrees at MSIs in disciplines relevant to NASA.
- Expand NASA-focused STEM experiences that actively engage underrepresented groups using hands-on learning approaches to improve knowledge retention and strengthen critical thinking.
- Disseminate proven and innovative practices in STEM teaching and learning, including recruitment and retention strategies for underserved students.
What specific objectives are proposals expected to address?
The solicitation indicates that proposals should:
- Design, develop, and implement a NASA-related STEM challenge targeting participation by MSI students and community college students enrolled in STEM.
- Align the challenge with NASA's mission and tie it to a specific NASA program or project.
- Develop and implement processes to capture and document impact (evaluation is expected, not optional).
Is evaluation required? What does NASA expect to see?
Yes. Applicants are expected to develop and implement processes to capture and document impact. The summary indicates evaluation plans should include data collection and analysis methods that demonstrate outcomes such as participation, persistence, learning gains, progression in STEM coursework, degree milestones, or other indicators aligned with the program goals.
Does the program focus only on MSI students, or are community college students included?
The objectives explicitly include targeting participation by both MSI students and community college students enrolled in STEM, indicating that community college connections are an intended part of the engagement strategy.
What is the award mechanism (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
Funding is issued as cooperative agreements. This means NASA expects substantial involvement during the project period (for example, coordination, technical engagement, or participation tied to NASA mission alignment) rather than acting solely as a pass-through funder.
How long can projects run?
Awards can run for up to three years.
How many awards did NASA anticipate making?
NASA anticipated making about three awards under this appendix.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
The opportunity summary states that there is no stated cost sharing or matching requirement.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA listing associated with the opportunity is 43.008 (Education).
When was the opportunity posted and what was the proposal deadline?
The opportunity was posted in early December 2014, and the proposal deadline was March 2, 2015.
How do applicants submit proposals?
Proposal submission is electronic and must be completed by an authorized organizational official. Organizations can submit through NSPIRES (NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System) or through Grants.gov, but NSPIRES registration is required either way.
If submitting through Grants.gov, is NSPIRES still required?
Yes. If an organization submits via Grants.gov, it still must be registered in NSPIRES in addition to being registered in Grants.gov.
What registrations and identifiers are required by the proposal due date?
By the proposal deadline, applicants are required to have:
- A DUNS number
- An active registration in SAM (System for Award Management, formerly CCR)
- A valid CAGE code
- A valid NSPIRES registration
Do principal investigators and co-investigators need NSPIRES accounts?
Yes. All principal investigators and other key participants (such as co-investigators) must be individually registered in NSPIRES, regardless of whether the organization submits via NSPIRES or Grants.gov.
Why does the solicitation emphasize early preparation for registrations?
The announcement highlights that registrations and account setup can take time, and NASA expects applicants to be fully compliant by the proposal due date.
Should applicants monitor NSPIRES after the opportunity is posted?
Yes. The opportunity indicates that NASA may post FAQs or formal amendments prior to the deadline via NSPIRES, and applicants are responsible for staying current.
How and when should applicants submit substantive program questions?
NASA requested that substantive questions be submitted in writing to NASAMSE@nasaprs.com no later than 10 business days before the proposal due date to allow time for an official response.
Who should applicants contact for technical difficulties accessing the announcement materials?
The listing references NAIS Support at nais.support@nasa.gov for technical difficulties accessing the announcement materials.
What is NASA looking for beyond interesting activities?
The summary suggests proposals should present a coherent strategy for student engagement and measurable outcomes, not just a set of activities. NASA also signals interest in projects that generate transferable lessons, models, or toolkits that can be disseminated and adopted by others.
Does this program sit more in education or research?
The solicitation is described as sitting at the intersection of education and applied research and development, emphasizing hands-on, mission-connected learning experiences aligned with NASA priorities.
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