NSF GRADUATE STEM FELLOWS IN K 12 EDUCATION | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education program (often referred to as GK-12) is a National Science Foundation grant opportunity designed to connect NSF-supported graduate STEM training with real K-12 classrooms and learning environments. The core idea is to fund projects where graduate students who are actively engaged in cutting-edge research bring that research mindset, tools, and findings into schools, working side-by-side with teachers, students, and community partners. Rather than treating outreach as a separate add-on, the program frames K-12 engagement as a structured, collaborative experience that strengthens graduate education while also enriching STEM teaching and learning in local schools.

A central feature of the opportunity is the partnership model. Successful projects are expected to create meaningful collaborations among multiple groups: graduate fellows, STEM research faculty, K-12 educators and students, and often additional community partners such as local organizations, nonprofits, or industry. Through these collaborations, graduate students learn to translate complex STEM ideas into clear, age-appropriate learning experiences, while teachers gain access to current scientific and engineering perspectives and support that can enhance classroom instruction. The program emphasizes that this exchange is not one-directional; graduate fellows are also expected to deepen their understanding of their own research by seeing how it connects to everyday questions, community needs, and broader societal and global issues.

The program’s intended outcomes are spelled out across three levels. For graduate fellows, the emphasis is on professional growth that goes beyond disciplinary research skills. Expected benefits include a stronger grasp of their own research area and its broader impacts, improved ability to communicate STEM concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, and practical development of leadership, teamwork, and teaching capabilities. In other words, fellows are not only expected to become better researchers, but also better communicators and collaborators who can operate effectively in diverse professional settings.

For K-12 education, the program is structured to support both teachers and students. Teachers are expected to receive professional development in STEM content and pedagogy, benefiting from direct collaboration with research-active graduate fellows and STEM faculty. Students, in turn, are expected to experience more engaging STEM learning opportunities, improved exposure to authentic scientific and engineering practices, and increased interest in STEM careers. The underlying goal is to strengthen classroom experiences in ways that make STEM feel more relevant, current, and attainable.

For institutions of higher education, NSF positions GK-12 as a lever for changing how graduate education is traditionally done. The program encourages universities to move beyond conventional models by embedding and sustaining GK-12-like activities in their graduate programs over time. Expected institutional outcomes include transformed graduate training approaches, stronger and more durable partnerships with local school districts and other external partners (including industry and nonprofit organizations), and a clearer public impact of graduate education. In practical terms, the institution is encouraged to treat K-12 engagement as part of the graduate training ecosystem rather than a temporary project that ends when funding ends.

In terms of grant mechanics, this is a discretionary NSF grant opportunity in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category. The funding opportunity number is 09-549, with an estimated total funding pool of $15,000,000 and an expected 25 awards. The award ceiling is listed as $3,000,000, and there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement stated. The opportunity spans a wide set of NSF disciplinary areas, reflected in the CFDA numbers provided, including engineering, mathematical and physical sciences, geosciences, computer and information science and engineering, biological sciences, social and behavioral sciences, education and human resources, polar programs, international science and engineering, and cyberinfrastructure.

Eligibility is limited to U.S. academic institutions (including U.S. territories) that grant masters or doctoral degrees in NSF-supported STEM disciplines. The lead Principal Investigator must be a STEM discipline faculty member who is actively conducting STEM research at the lead institution. A notable restriction is that faculty whose primary research is in science education fields (for example, physics education research, mathematics education, engineering education, and similar areas) are not eligible to serve as the lead PI. This requirement signals that NSF intended GK-12 to be led by research-active STEM faculty, with education expertise and K-12 partnership work integrated into the project rather than driving it as a science education research program.

The timeline information in the source data reflects the historical nature of the posting. The opportunity was posted May 10, 2010, with a closing date of June 3, 2010, and it required a letter of intent by April 20, 2010 for that cycle (with earlier dates listed for a prior year). For applicants, this structure indicates NSF’s expectation of early coordination and planning, since strong school partnerships, graduate fellow roles, and integration with university programs typically require substantial lead time.

Overall, the GK-12 program is best understood as a workforce-development and educational partnership grant rolled into one: it aims to produce graduate scientists and engineers who can communicate and lead in diverse settings, while simultaneously strengthening K-12 STEM teaching and learning through sustained collaboration. It also pushes institutions to treat these experiences as part of the standard graduate training pipeline, increasing the likelihood that the benefits continue beyond the life of a single grant.

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