Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers | 19 583

Opportunity Information: Apply for 19 583

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 19-583) supports applied research and development projects that create and study technology-rich learning experiences for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The program is focused on how innovative uses of technology can strengthen students knowledge of STEM subjects and grow their interest in careers connected to information and communication technology (ICT) and STEM fields more broadly. In practical terms, ITEST funds projects that do not just deliver instruction, but also investigate what works, why it works, and how it can be improved and shared so others can benefit.

The core goal is to engage students in meaningful, technology-driven experiences that move the needle in three connected areas. First, projects should increase student awareness of and interest in STEM and ICT occupations, helping learners see what these careers look like and why they matter. Second, projects should motivate students to pursue the educational pathways that lead to those careers, such as relevant coursework, programs, credentials, or postsecondary plans. Third, projects should build STEM disciplinary knowledge and practices in ways that develop critical thinking, reasoning, and communication skills that students will need as part of the future workforce. The emphasis is on experiences that are hands-on, engaging, and clearly tied to real-world STEM and ICT work.

ITEST places a strong emphasis on innovation in both formal and informal learning settings. That means proposals can involve classroom-based efforts as well as afterschool programs, summer camps, museum-based learning, community programs, or other out-of-school environments, as long as they provide direct learning opportunities for students. The program expects projects to be designed and carried out in close collaboration with strategic partners, which may include school districts, community organizations, informal education providers, employers, workforce organizations, universities, or other groups that strengthen career connections and implementation capacity. These partnerships are not an add-on; they are part of how ITEST expects projects to be built, tested, and made relevant to students lives and future options.

Broadening participation is a central requirement. ITEST proposals are expected to expand opportunities for all students, with particular focus on groups that have been historically underrepresented or underserved in STEM fields and related education and workforce pipelines. Successful projects typically make equity a design feature by addressing barriers to access, participation, and persistence, and by creating learning environments and supports that meet students where they are. This focus includes, but is not limited to, students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, students from low-income communities, students with disabilities, students in rural areas, and others who face systemic barriers in STEM and ICT pathways.

The program funds multiple project types to match different stages of innovation. Exploring Theory and Design Principles (ETD) supports earlier-stage work that clarifies the learning theory, design assumptions, and principles behind a new approach and investigates how and why it may work. Developing and Testing Innovations (DTI) supports building and evaluating a more mature intervention or model, including iterative development and evidence-building about outcomes. Scaling, Expanding, and Iterating Innovations (SEI) supports efforts where an innovation has already shown promise and the goal is to expand it to new contexts or populations, refine it through iteration, and gather stronger evidence about effectiveness and usability at a broader scale. In addition to these, ITEST also supports Synthesis proposals (to pull together and analyze what has been learned across studies or projects) and Conference proposals (to convene stakeholders and researchers around relevant themes).

Across all proposal types, ITEST requires applicants to address two major expectations. The first is strong design of the innovation aligned to ITEST goals, meaning the project must clearly demonstrate innovative uses of technology, provide innovative learning experiences, connect to STEM workforce development, include concrete strategies for broadening participation, and be grounded in meaningful strategic partnerships. The second is rigorous measurement of outcomes through high-quality research, which includes a sound research design, a credible project evaluation plan, and a commitment to disseminating findings so lessons learned can inform the field. In other words, ITEST is not only paying for programming; it is funding well-designed learning innovations plus the research and evaluation needed to show what impact they have and how they can be improved or adapted elsewhere.

Administratively, this is a discretionary NSF grant opportunity in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, listed under CFDA 47.076. The opportunity is open to a wide range of eligible applicants (described as unrestricted, with any further limits only as clarified in the official eligibility text). The award ceiling listed is up to $4,000,000, with an anticipated 30 awards. The opportunity was created on May 19, 2019, with an original closing date of August 19, 2019, reflecting the specific cycle of this solicitation.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.076.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 19, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 19, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 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.

Apply for 19 583

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