Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) grant opportunity is a discretionary research and development program designed to strengthen the future U.S. STEM workforce. It responds to widely cited concerns that the country will need more professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and that the pipeline into those fields must be broadened and improved. ITEST funds projects that both build and study learning experiences intended to increase students interest, readiness, and long-term participation in STEM and information and communications technology (ICT) intensive careers. In practice, that means applicants are expected not only to run strong STEM learning initiatives, but also to generate useful evidence about what works, for whom, and under what conditions.

A central requirement is that ITEST projects must include students, with an eligible age range spanning kindergarten through high school. Teachers may be included as participants when relevant, but the student component is mandatory. Projects can focus on any STEM-workforce-related content area and can take place in many settings, including classrooms, after-school programs, summer initiatives, virtual environments, or year-round models. NSF is especially interested in proposals that help clarify how students develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed for a changing STEM workforce, how to effectively spark and sustain interest in STEM pathways, and how to measure or predict students inclination to pursue STEM education and careers over time.

A highlighted priority within this competition is robotics competitions. NSF signals special interest in proposals that design and implement robotics competitions and, importantly, rigorously study their effectiveness as a method for engaging students in STEM learning and in broader "21st Century skills" (such as collaboration, problem solving, communication, and iterative design). The emphasis is not simply on hosting an event, but on using robotics competition as a testable intervention model with measurable outcomes tied to STEM engagement, learning, persistence, and career orientation.

ITEST invites three main project types. First, Scale-up Projects support large-scale implementation and testing of models that prepare students for the STEM and ICT workforce at a state or national level. These proposals must be grounded in evidence, meaning the approach being scaled should already have demonstrated success in a prior setting or study, and the scale-up effort should evaluate whether that success holds when expanded. Second, Strategies Projects support the design, implementation, and evaluation of new or adapted learning models aimed at students and/or teachers. These projects can be delivered through multiple formats (in-school, out-of-school, summer, virtual, or blended), but they must go beyond local impact by clearly describing how the work will contribute to the research knowledge base on STEM career preparation. Third, Research Projects focus primarily on building understanding of STEM workforce development challenges and solutions through research activities. Examples include efficacy or effectiveness studies of intervention models, longitudinal studies tracking engagement in STEM over time, development of measurement instruments (for engagement, persistence, motivation, and related constructs), and studies that identify predictors of students movement toward STEM career trajectories.

A strong equity focus runs through the program. NSF explicitly encourages projects that serve groups historically underserved and underrepresented in STEM and ICT intensive careers, with specific mention of students in rural areas and economically disadvantaged communities. This framing signals that competitive proposals should be attentive to access, participation barriers, culturally responsive design, and evidence of impact for learners who are often left out of high-quality STEM opportunities.

From a funding and logistics standpoint, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 11-525; CFDA 47.076, Education and Human Resources) anticipated around 30 awards supported by an estimated total of $20,000,000. Individual awards were expected to range from $300,000 (floor) to $2,150,000 (ceiling). The funding instrument is a grant, and cost sharing or matching is required. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted (open broadly to different entity types, subject to any additional requirements in the full solicitation). Key dates included a required Letter of Intent due March 11, 2011 (by 5 p.m. local time), and a full proposal deadline of May 13, 2011. For applicants needing assistance accessing the announcement, NSF directed users to Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov, and referenced NSF Publication 11-525 for full details.

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