ITEST Proposal Development

Sep | 2014

ITEST Proposal Development: Tools and Resources

The deadline for submitting ITEST proposals to NSF is coming up – November 6, 2014. Below we feature some resources and links that might be helpful to you as you prepare your proposal.

NSF program officers regularly provide information and tips about preparing successful proposals via webinars sponsored by STELAR; links to the most recent ITEST Solicitation webinars are included below. If you are looking for partners, whether evaluators, researchers, or content experts, the People Connector Directory for ITEST Proposals has the most up-to-date list of experts who have expressed interest in collaborating on ITEST projects. We have also included a number of resources about developing strong evaluation plans. For those conducting research on youth motivation, check out the ITEST Convening: Advancing Research on Youth Motivation in STEM. Likewise, for those whose work focuses on after school, check out the ITEST After School Convening resources.

Here are a few links that might be helpful as well:
- NSF ITEST Solicitation (NSF 14-512)

- Common Guidelines for Education Research and Development, in particular the section on "Foundational, Early Stage or Exploratory, and Design and Development Studies" and the associated Common Guidelines FAQ. This provides a framework for thinking about research and evaluation. Our partner resource center, CADRE, recently hosted a webinar on the Common Guidelines.

- More guidance on how to prepare and format your proposal for submission can be found by reading the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG 14-1).

Resources

Determining if Your Project is a Good Fit for the NSF ITEST Program

(Publications)

This document contains information on what types of projects are a good fit for the NSF ITEST program. The slides were presented on September 3, 2014, during an NSF ITEST Solicitation Webinar hosted by the STELAR Center.

STELAR Webinar: 2014 NSF ITEST Solicitation Information

(Event)

STELAR hosted an informational webinar with an NSF Program Officer on Wednesday, September 3, 2014, on the most recent ITEST Solicitation (NSF 14-512).

Solicitation link: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14512/nsf14512.htm

Proposals due: November 6, 2014.

Synopsis of ITEST Program:

STELAR Webinar: 2013 NSF ITEST Solicitation Information

(Event)

STELAR hosted two webinars to provide information and answer questions about the 2013/2014 NSF ITEST Solicitation.

The first informational webinar took place on December 12, 2013.

Presenters: David Haury, National Science Foundation; Robert Russell, National Science Foundation; Sarita Pillai, STELAR; Jacob Martinez, TEC; Dina Kovarik, Bio-Test

People Connector Directory for ITEST Proposals

(Opportunities)

Looking for an evaluator for your proposal or project? Need specific research expertise on your team? Use our People Connector Directory to find people who have skills you need, or to list yourself as a resource to others.

ARC-REESE Criteria & Guidelines for Rating the Methodological Rigor of Educational Research in STEM

(Publications)

ARC was asked by NSF to conduct a pilot project to review the research methodologies employed by a sample of projects funded by the REESE (Research and Evaluation on Education in Science and Engineering) program. ARC convened an expert panel in consultation with NSF to develop standards and a rubric for rating the rigor of REESE projects’ methodologies, with the ultimate goal of reporting on the methodologies employed in the REESE program overall.

Evaluation in the Context of ITEST Projects

(Highlight)

A key component of the technical support offered by STELAR (and by the LRC from 2003-2012) has been in helping projects to develop rigorous and relevant project evaluations that can provide formative and summative feedback to project leaders to improve their project and determine impact.

A Program Director's Guide to Evaluating STEM Education Programs: Lessons Learned from Local, State, and National Initiatives

(Publications)

In today's world of high accountability, strong evidence on intended outcomes is key to building credibility and replicability of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. This primer, for program directors/managers, educators and others responsible for developing and implementing STEM programs:

ITEST Convening: Advancing Research on Youth Motivation in STEM

(Project Profile)

The ITEST Learning Resource Center at EDC hosted a convening designed to develop a theoretical framework to guide future research on youth motivation in STEM with a particular emphasis on populations most underrepresented in STEM. Two guiding questions were be the focus of the event: What is currently known about motivation in STEM for underrepresented youth? What can be done to cultivate new research around STEM motivation for underrepresented youth?

Advancing Research on Youth Motivation in STEM: A Report on the NSF ITEST Convening

(Publications)

This report outlines the discussions and outcomes of the Advancing Research on Youth Motivation in STEM Convening held at Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA) in September 2011. The convening was hosted by the ITEST Learning Resource Center (LRC) at Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC).

ITEST Webinar: NSF ITEST Convening: Defining an Afterschool Research Agenda

(Event)

Presenter: Tony Streit, ITEST Learning Resource Center at EDC; Carrie Parker, ITEST Learning Resource Center at EDC; Karen Peterson, National Girls Collaborative; Siobhan Bredin, ITEST Learning Resource Center at EDC; Jennifer Adams, attendee; Priti Gupta, attendee

ITEST Afterschool Convening: Defining an Afterschool Research Agenda

(Event)

EDC, in partnership with the National Girls Collaborative Project and MPR Associates, Inc., convened a 3-day meeting comprised of NSF-funded ITEST grantees, researchers in STEM workforce development and informal learning, STEM industry leaders, and philanthropic organizations.

ITEST Idea Brief: Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Participants through Community Partnerships and Other Strategies

(Publications)

In this Idea Brief, Principal Investigators from three youth-based ITEST projects discuss how community partnerships strengthen their efforts to recruit and retain diverse participants.

Recent Highlights

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