NSF National Resource Coordination Center on Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) | 24 596

Opportunity Information: Apply for 24 596

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is soliciting proposals to establish a National Resource Coordination Center focused on Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE), commonly referred to as the IUSE Center. The central idea is to create a dedicated, nationally visible hub that works side-by-side with NSF and the broader IUSE EDU community as an intellectual partner, not just an administrative support unit. In practice, this Center is meant to be the connective tissue for the portfolio of IUSE EDU-funded work, helping the community share knowledge, coordinate efforts, and amplify what has been learned about improving undergraduate STEM teaching and learning across the United States.

The opportunity is designed around two core objectives. First, the IUSE Center is expected to expand the reach and influence of NSF's IUSE investments by strengthening communication, engagement, and networking among current IUSE EDU awardees, prospective applicants, and other stakeholders who care about undergraduate STEM education. This implies an active role in convening people and projects, making it easier for practitioners and researchers to learn from each other, discover relevant results, and avoid working in silos. Second, the Center must provide practical support and resources that help with the development and long-term maintenance of IUSE EDU projects, with special emphasis on supporting prospective applicants and communities that have been underrepresented among IUSE EDU award recipients. In other words, the Center is expected to lower barriers to entry and participation, while helping sustain and strengthen projects once they are underway.

A defining feature of this solicitation is the expectation of deep collaboration. The IUSE Center will not operate independently or set its own agenda in isolation; it is expected to work collaboratively with NSF and with the IUSE EDU community to design, implement, and carry out its activities. A major priority is inclusion: the Center must ensure participation from diverse educators and education researchers and represent the full range of the nation's talent pool. It should also reflect the variety of eligible institutions and organizations involved in undergraduate STEM education, as well as the breadth of STEM education efforts supported through the IUSE EDU Program. This points to a Center that is intentional about broad representation across institution types, disciplines, geographic regions, and professional roles, and that can build pathways for new voices to enter and shape the community.

Eligibility is limited to specific types of U.S.-based organizations. Proposals may be submitted by U.S.-based for-profit organizations, including small businesses, as long as they have strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research or education and a clear interest in innovation. Non-profit, non-academic organizations may also apply, such as independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, and professional societies located in the United States that are directly tied to educational or research activities. Accredited U.S. institutions of higher education are eligible as well, including both two-year and four-year colleges and universities (community colleges included), provided they have a campus located in the United States and are submitting on behalf of their faculty. Federally recognized Tribal Nations are also eligible applicants, defined as American Indian or Alaska Native tribes, bands, nations, pueblos, villages, or communities formally recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior under applicable law.

There is also a specific note for projects involving international branch campuses of U.S. institutions of higher education. If any portion of the requested funding would support an international branch campus, whether directly or through subawards or consultant arrangements, the proposal must clearly explain why that international location benefits the project and why the planned activities cannot be performed at the U.S. campus. This is essentially a requirement to justify the necessity and added value of conducting project work outside the United States when the applicant is a U.S. institution.

Key administrative details provided in the listing include the Funding Opportunity Title "NSF National Resource Coordination Center on Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE)," Funding Opportunity Number 24-596, and the fact that NSF will make awards through a grant mechanism under the discretionary category for Science and Technology and other Research and Development activities. The CFDA (Assistance Listing) number associated with the opportunity is 47.076, and the agency is the National Science Foundation. The posting shows an original closing date of 2024-11-14 and a creation date of 2024-08-16. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided text, which typically means applicants need to consult the full solicitation for budget expectations, project period guidance, and any limits or preferred ranges.

Overall, this opportunity is about building a national coordination and resource center that increases the impact of NSF's undergraduate STEM education investments by connecting people, strengthening projects, expanding participation, and making it easier for the IUSE EDU community to collaborate, learn, and grow in a way that is both inclusive and sustained.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NSF National Resource Coordination Center on Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE)" 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 2024-08-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-11-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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