Module 2 - Forming Partnerships
Overview | Orientation | Partners | Roles | Proposal Steps | Resources
Orientation to Partnerships
There are many resources on the Web that describe effective partnerships. Most agree that effective partnerships are results-driven and characterized by a strategic alignment, shared vision and accountability, and open, frequent communication among partners. Many also suggest that the most successful partnerships are based on members' enlightened self-interests. Effective and inclusive partnerships can be long-lasting and often carry over to additional or new initiatives. These types of partnerships honor the contributions of all partners, and ensure that all voices are heard. Of the many general resources available on partnership development, two can provide some useful background. The first, Effective Partnership Working—Getting the basics right from start to finish, provides a useful resource on what it takes to develop and maintain an effective partnership. It can be found here. The second, although focusing on building partnerships for leadership development in schools, includes a listing of generic partnership elements that should be considered in building an effective partnership. Partnership Effectiveness Continuum—A research-based tool for use in developing, assessing and improving partnerships can be found here.
Partnerships are important to NSF. Remember from your review of the ITEST Solicitation that Strategic Partnerships are a required element of your ITEST proposal (see the section on Pillar 2 in ITEST Solicitation).
Strategic Partnerships
Core to this Pillar is the call for investigators to work with community stakeholders to identify and define opportunities for proposed research to support students’ awareness and preparation for careers in the technological and computational workforce.
Opportunities such as entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, externships, internships, and mentoring can promote or support students’ STEM engagement and interest in STEM/ICT careers. Community stakeholders may include, but are not limited to, neighborhood or community groups, nonprofit or philanthropic organizations, businesses, libraries, museums, educational institutions, and other agencies.
The voices, knowledge, and experiences of individuals who have been underrepresented and/or underserved in STEM should be considered to play a key role at the center of strategic partnerships, collaborations, and career guidance to ensure that students have full and equitable opportunities to prepare for the future workforce. Such community-based strategies may include, for example, project leadership, research positions, conceptualization of the partnership, decision-making processes, and interpretation and dissemination of evidence and research results.
The following details are considerations for clear descriptions of this required Pillar.
- Describe how partnerships will strengthen existing collaborations and/or develop new connections between educational institutions, employers, and their communities; how will opportunities, such as entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, externships, internships, and mentoring promote or support students’ STEM engagement and interest in STEM/ICT careers. Specify how partnerships directly engage students, parents, and/or teachers in STEM career-based learning experiences, as is age-appropriate and may capitalize on formal and/or informal learning contexts to support academic learning.
- Discuss partnerships that are led by or that actively incorporate the values and diverse perspectives of individuals from groups that are underrepresented and/or underserved in the technological and computational fields.
- Successfully sustaining a partnership requires trust to identify and negotiate differences between policies and culture. Discuss the collaborative theory of action, how it is being implemented, and the ways in which the partnership will benefit students, educators, and strategic partners, such as schools, industries, and professional organizations.
STELAR found that in 2020–2021, 85% of ITEST projects worked with at least one partner.
What constitutes a partnership?
- An agreement to participate/work together in a common endeavor.
- A relationship between individuals or institutions in which each plays a mutually agreed upon role in a project.
What are the benefits of partnerships?
- They enable organizations to focus on and contribute what they do best on a project.
- They provide a way to include diverse perspectives on a project and to reach key stakeholders with whom you may not have direct relationships. This can be a great way to design a project that contributes to NSF’s goal to broaden participation in the STEM workforce, particularly when the partnership is genuine and invites the diverse perspectives to challenge assumptions you may bring.
- They can provide opportunities for learning and growth for your organization (e.g., seeing other approaches and use of other tools can spur changes in your organization’s approaches and tools).
Partnerships are vitally important to the success of your project. Once funded, you will need to work effectively and productively with your partners to ensure a successful project. During the proposal development process time, energy, and thought must be given not only to identifying and recruiting your project partners but also to clarifying roles and responsibilities so that, once funded, your project will operate smoothly.