Developing an ITEST Proposal

Module 0 – Orientation to the Course

This short module will provide an overview of the course.

Module 1 – Introduction

The goals of this module are to have you become familiar with NSF, its programs, and the STELAR Center, and to begin planning your proposal development process. You should review the latest version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) and the current ITEST solicitation prior to beginning the module. The information in each module is intended only to supplement the PAPPG and program solicitation.

Module 2 – Forming Partnerships

The goal of this module is to help you develop partnerships that enable the project to achieve its goals. Strategic partnerships are a required element of your ITEST proposal, and participants are expected to review the corresponding section of the latest version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) prior to beginning this module.

Module 3 – Writing a Compelling Project Description

Writing a winning proposal is both a science and an art. The science involves meeting all of the technical requirements listed in the PAPPG and the program solicitation. The art of writing a proposal involves writing a compelling project description that tells the proposal story. In this module you will learn about the technical requirements for writing the project description, the primary review criteria (Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts), and the characteristics of a “compelling” project description, and you will draft parts of your project description not specifically addressed in other modules.

Module 4 – Research

This module presents information about research plans for ITEST proposals. We will focus on designing a research study in your ITEST project that will look at indications of the impact of your intervention and also contribute Intellectual Merit.

Module 5 – Evaluation

This module presents information about evaluation designs for ITEST proposals. We will look at how to design an evaluation that will provide you with ongoing feedback on your work, as well as feedback on the overall success of the project.

Module 6 – Dissemination

This module addresses the dissemination plan section of NSF proposals.

Module 7 – Budget

This module will cover the details of developing a budget that aligns with the scope of work you are proposing.

Module 8 – Putting It All Together

In this module we will review the components of your proposal that you've developed through the course activities and create an outline of the final steps required to prepare for your proposal submission.

Module 9 – Finalizing and Uploading to Research.gov

All ITEST proposal submissions must go through Research.gov. This module provides an overview of the resources available to familiarize yourself with submitting proposals through this site.

Course Disclaimer: This course was developed by Education Development Center/STELAR. Completing the course does not guarantee that participants’ proposals are more likely to receive funding from NSF or the ITEST program.