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Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) Program FAQs

1) What is the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program?

AISL is a National Science Foundation (NSF) discretionary grant opportunity focused on improving how people learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outside of traditional classrooms. The program supports projects that strengthen both the practice of informal STEM learning and the research evidence behind what works, for whom, and under what conditions.

2) What does "informal STEM learning" mean in this program?

In AISL, informal STEM learning refers to STEM learning that happens outside formal school courses. Examples include learning experiences in museums, science centers, libraries, afterschool programs, community organizations, media and digital platforms, citizen science projects, and other public or community-based settings.

3) What is the main purpose of AISL-funded projects?

AISL projects are expected to do more than general outreach. They are intended to advance new approaches to designing and developing informal STEM learning experiences and to contribute evidence-based knowledge about design, implementation, and outcomes, often through iterative development and evaluation.

4) Does AISL focus only on creating engaging activities, or also on research?

AISL emphasizes both. Projects should create compelling informal STEM learning experiences and also build an evidence base that improves understanding of learning and engagement in informal environments, including how deeper learning develops over time.

5) What kinds of learning environments are considered a good fit for AISL?

AISL is designed for real-world settings where learning is often voluntary, socially mediated, and interest-driven, and where participation may occur across multiple experiences rather than within a single course or curriculum.

6) What are the program's priorities related to inclusion and access?

A major AISL priority is broadening access and engagement in STEM. This includes creating multiple pathways for participation that better reach and support populations historically underrepresented or underserved in STEM.

7) What does AISL mean by "multiple pathways for participation"?

Based on the program description, this refers to designing routes into STEM learning and participation that can connect people to opportunities over time and across settings, with an emphasis on inclusion and sustained engagement.

8) What kinds of outcomes does AISL care about?

AISL is interested in outcomes related to learning, engagement, inclusion, and effective practice. The program stresses understanding what works, for whom, and under what conditions, and how participants develop deeper learning over time.

9) What is meant by "iterative development and evaluation" in AISL?

AISL expects many projects to refine ideas over multiple cycles, using evaluation and assessment findings to improve the design and implementation of informal STEM learning experiences while generating usable knowledge about outcomes.

10) Does AISL support assessment approaches designed for informal learning settings?

Yes. AISL supports innovative research and improved assessment approaches tailored to informal environments, recognizing that informal learning differs from classroom learning in structure, motivation, and how participation unfolds.

11) How many project types does AISL fund?

AISL funds five project types, allowing applicants to match their proposal to the stage of development and intended scale of the work.

12) What are the five AISL project types?

The five project types are:

• Pathways
• Research in Service to Practice
• Innovations in Development
• Broad Implementation
• Conferences, Symposia, and Workshops

13) What are Pathways projects intended to do?

Pathways projects typically focus on building or strengthening routes into STEM learning and participation, often emphasizing inclusion, sustained engagement, and connections across settings or over time.

14) What are Research in Service to Practice projects?

Research in Service to Practice projects are oriented toward producing research that is directly usable by practitioners, helping professionals make better design and implementation decisions in informal STEM learning.

15) What are Innovations in Development projects?

Innovations in Development projects support the creation and testing of new informal STEM learning resources, models, tools, or approaches. These projects are usually at a developmental or pilot stage and include embedded evaluation and learning.

16) What are Broad Implementation projects?

Broad Implementation projects support scaling or wider adoption of approaches that already have a strong evidence base, moving from promising development into broader use with continued assessment.

17) What are Conferences, Symposia, and Workshops projects meant to support?

These project types support convenings that build the field, share results, set research and practice agendas, and create collaborations.

18) Which NSF directorate offered this AISL opportunity?

This opportunity was offered through NSF under the Education and Human Resources (EHR) directorate.

19) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 47.076.

20) What was the estimated total funding available under this announcement?

The estimated total funding available under the announcement was $27,000,000.

21) About how many awards were expected?

The announcement indicated an expectation of 46 awards.

22) What was the award size range for individual grants?

Individual awards ranged from a minimum (floor) of $300,000 up to a maximum (ceiling) of $3,000,000.

23) Was cost-sharing or a match required?

No. The announcement stated there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

24) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types could apply, subject to any clarifications in the full solicitation text.

25) What type of funding opportunity category was this?

The opportunity category was discretionary.

26) What activity area did this opportunity fall under?

The activity area was listed as science and technology and other research and development.

27) When was this solicitation originally posted?

The record indicates it was originally posted on October 21, 2013.

28) What were the proposal deadlines listed?

Full proposal deadlines were listed as January 14, 2014 and November 14, 2014.

29) Is this solicitation current or archived?

The information provided describes this as an older, archived solicitation. The record notes it was archived and replaced by NSF 14-555, with an archive date of April 15, 2014.

30) What replaced this archived solicitation?

The record states this solicitation was archived and replaced by NSF 14-555.

31) Where could applicants get help with Grants.gov access issues?

The solicitation directed applicants to Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov for access issues.

32) What NSF publication was referenced as the associated announcement document?

The opportunity referenced NSF Publication 13-608 as the associated announcement document.

33) What types of organizations is AISL designed for?

AISL is designed for organizations that want to build, test, study, and scale informal STEM learning experiences in community-based or public settings, while contributing meaningful evidence about learning, engagement, inclusion, and effective practice.

34) What distinguishes AISL projects from general outreach efforts?

According to the description, AISL projects are expected to generate knowledge about design, implementation, and outcomes, often through iterative development and evaluation, rather than simply delivering one-time outreach activities.