Opportunity Information: Apply for 12 508
Apply for 12 508
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Promoting Research and Innovation in Methodologies for Evaluation" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.076 Education and Human Resources.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 28, 2011 and posted on Oct 28, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 25, 2012 Full Proposal Deadline(s) January 25, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $6,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $800,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 12 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.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Promoting Research and Innovation in Methodologies for Evaluation (PRIME) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity focused on advancing the science of evaluation, especially as it applies to STEM education and workforce development efforts. Rather than funding STEM programs themselves, PRIME is aimed at improving the methods and approaches used to evaluate those programs. The central idea is to support research that can better determine what impacts STEM education projects actually produce, how and why those impacts occur, and how useful different kinds of evaluation evidence are for decision-making by educators, program leaders, funders, and policymakers.
A key emphasis of the opportunity is innovation in evaluation methodology. NSF is looking for projects that explore new or improved ways to assess outcomes and effectiveness, and that strengthen the theoretical foundations behind evaluation in STEM education and workforce development settings. This includes work that builds new evaluation frameworks, tests and refines measurement strategies, and addresses persistent methodological challenges such as attributing outcomes to specific interventions, capturing long-term or complex impacts, and evaluating programs that operate across multiple sites or contexts. PRIME also encourages applicants to translate and adapt evaluation approaches that have been developed in other fields, bringing them into STEM education evaluation when they offer a better fit or a meaningful improvement over common practices.
The program also highlights capacity-building for the evaluation field. That can include efforts that improve the infrastructure supporting high-quality evaluation, such as developing tools, shared resources, standards, training approaches, or other supports that help evaluators and researchers do more rigorous and informative work. In other words, PRIME is not only about producing findings from a single study; it is also about strengthening the broader evaluation ecosystem so that better methods can be used more widely and consistently in the future.
PRIME supports two main proposal types. Exploratory Projects are intended for earlier-stage work, such as proof-of-concept studies, pilot efforts, and feasibility testing. These projects typically focus on whether a new method can work in practice, how it can be implemented, and what refinements are needed before it can be used at scale. Full Scale Projects are meant for more extensive research efforts that move beyond feasibility and into deeper development, testing, validation, or broader application of evaluation methodologies. Together, these two tracks provide a pathway from early experimentation to more mature, well-supported methodological contributions.
In terms of funding details, this opportunity is a discretionary grant program within NSF's Education and Human Resources portfolio (CFDA 47.076). NSF expected to make about 12 awards, with an estimated total funding level of $6,000,000. Individual awards were anticipated to range from $250,000 (award floor) to $800,000 (award ceiling), and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement. Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals could be submitted by a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full solicitation.
The opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 12-508; NSF Publication 12-508) was posted on Oct 28, 2011, with a full proposal deadline of Jan 25, 2012, and it was archived on Feb 25, 2012. For full details, applicants were directed to consult the NSF publication linked in the announcement, and for technical access issues the notice referenced NSF Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
PRIME (NSF) Grant Opportunity FAQs
What is the PRIME program?
The Promoting Research and Innovation in Methodologies for Evaluation (PRIME) program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity focused on advancing the science of evaluation, particularly for STEM education and workforce development efforts.
What is PRIME trying to fund, in plain terms?
PRIME funds research that improves how STEM education and workforce development programs are evaluated. The goal is to develop and strengthen evaluation methods so evaluators can better determine what impacts STEM projects actually produce, how and why those impacts occur, and how useful different kinds of evidence are for decision-making.
Does PRIME fund STEM education programs themselves?
No. PRIME is aimed at improving evaluation methodologies rather than directly funding STEM education or workforce development programs.
Who is PRIME designed to help make better decisions?
The program emphasizes producing evaluation evidence that is useful for decision-making by educators, program leaders, funders, and policymakers.
What are the main research themes or emphases of PRIME?
The central emphasis is innovation in evaluation methodology. PRIME supports work that improves ways to assess outcomes and effectiveness and strengthens the theoretical foundations behind evaluation in STEM education and workforce development settings.
What kinds of methodological work does PRIME encourage?
PRIME encourages work such as building new evaluation frameworks, testing and refining measurement strategies, and addressing persistent methodological challenges in evaluation.
What are examples of methodological challenges PRIME is interested in?
The opportunity highlights challenges such as attributing outcomes to specific interventions, capturing long-term or complex impacts, and evaluating programs that operate across multiple sites or contexts.
Can applicants adapt evaluation approaches from other fields?
Yes. PRIME encourages translation and adaptation of evaluation approaches developed in other fields when they offer a better fit or meaningful improvement over common practices in STEM education evaluation.
What does PRIME mean by "capacity-building" for the evaluation field?
Capacity-building refers to efforts that strengthen the broader evaluation ecosystem, not just findings from a single study. Examples mentioned include developing tools, shared resources, standards, training approaches, or other supports that enable more rigorous and informative evaluation work.
Does PRIME only support single-study research projects?
Not necessarily. PRIME explicitly notes that it is not only about producing findings from a single study; it can also support work that strengthens infrastructure and resources so improved methods can be used more widely in the future.
What proposal types are supported under PRIME?
PRIME supports two main proposal types: Exploratory Projects and Full Scale Projects.
What is an Exploratory Project under PRIME?
Exploratory Projects are intended for earlier-stage work such as proof-of-concept studies, pilot efforts, and feasibility testing. They typically focus on whether a new method can work in practice, how it can be implemented, and what refinements are needed before using it at scale.
What is a Full Scale Project under PRIME?
Full Scale Projects are meant for more extensive research efforts that go beyond feasibility and focus on deeper development, testing, validation, or broader application of evaluation methodologies.
How do the two proposal tracks relate to each other?
Together, Exploratory Projects and Full Scale Projects create a pathway from early experimentation to more mature, well-supported methodological contributions.
Which NSF area or portfolio is PRIME associated with?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary grant program within NSF's Education and Human Resources portfolio (CFDA 47.076).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and publication number for this PRIME solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 12-508, and it is also referenced as NSF Publication 12-508.
How much funding was NSF expecting to award through PRIME?
NSF expected to make about 12 awards with an estimated total funding level of $6,000,000.
What was the anticipated award size range?
Individual awards were anticipated to range from $250,000 (award floor) to $800,000 (award ceiling).
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The opportunity stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning proposals could be submitted by a wide range of entity types, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full solicitation.
When was this opportunity posted and when were proposals due?
The opportunity was posted on Oct 28, 2011, and the full proposal deadline was Jan 25, 2012.
Is this PRIME opportunity still open?
No. The notice states the opportunity was archived on Feb 25, 2012.
Where were applicants directed to find full details?
Applicants were directed to consult the NSF publication linked in the announcement for full details.
Who was listed as the contact for technical access issues?
For technical access issues, the notice referenced NSF Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.
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