Funder: National Science Foundation
Due Dates: July 16, 2025 (ICT Level 2 & ESL Level 2/3) | January 21, 2026 (ICT Capacity-Building & Level 1, ESL Level 1)
Funding Amounts: Up to $2,000,000 per award; typical awards range from $200,000 (capacity-building) to $2M (large-scale projects); durations up to 5 years.
Summary: Supports innovative projects to improve undergraduate STEM education through research, development, and institutional transformation.
Key Information: Two main tracks: Engaged Student Learning and Institutional/Community Transformation; open to all higher education institutions and associated organizations.
Description
The National Science Foundation's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE: EDU) program aims to advance the quality and effectiveness of undergraduate education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The program supports projects that develop, implement, and study innovative teaching practices, curricular resources, and institutional strategies to improve student learning, persistence, and retention in STEM.
IUSE: EDU features two primary tracks:
- Engaged Student Learning (ESL): Focuses on the development, testing, and use of teaching practices and curricular innovations that engage students and improve learning outcomes.
- Institutional and Community Transformation (ICT): Supports systemic change at the departmental, institutional, or multi-institutional level, including research on organizational change processes and the implementation of evidence-based practices.
Projects may address a wide range of topics, including:
- Innovative teaching and learning practices
- Faculty professional development
- Diversity and inclusion in STEM
- Institutional partnerships and systemic change
- Replication and adaptation of evidence-based approaches
Proposals are expected to contribute to the broader knowledge base of effective undergraduate STEM education and demonstrate potential for broad societal impact.
Due Dates
-
July 16, 2025:
- Institutional and Community Transformation (Level 2) proposals
- Engaged Student Learning (Level 2 and Level 3) proposals
-
January 21, 2026:
- Institutional and Community Transformation (Capacity-Building and Level 1) proposals
- Engaged Student Learning (Level 1) proposals
Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. submitter's local time on the specified dates. Conference proposals may be submitted at any time after consultation with a program officer.
Funding Amount
- Total Program Funding: Approximately $61 million per year (subject to availability)
- Award Size and Duration:
- ESL Level 1 / ICT Level 1: Up to $400,000, up to 3 years
- ESL Level 2: $400,001–$750,000, up to 3 years
- ESL Level 3 / ICT Level 2: $750,001–$2,000,000, up to 5 years
- ICT Capacity-Building: Up to $200,000 (single institution) or $400,000 (multi-institution), up to 2 years
- Number of Awards: ~135 annually (varies by track and level)
No cost sharing is required. Scholarships for students are not supported.
Eligibility
-
Eligible Applicants:
- Institutions of higher education (including two- and four-year colleges and universities)
- Associated organizations (e.g., professional societies, research organizations)
- Unaffiliated individuals are not eligible
-
PI/Co-PI Limits:
- An individual may serve as PI or co-PI on no more than three IUSE: EDU proposals per year (October 1–September 30)
-
No restrictions on the number of proposals per organization.
Application Process
-
Submission Platforms:
-
Required Documents:
- Full proposal (no letter of intent or preliminary proposal required)
- Project Data Form
- Supplementary document listing all project participants (excluding students and unnamed individuals)
-
Proposal Preparation:
-
Review Criteria:
- Intellectual Merit
- Broader Impacts
-
Additional Requirements:
- Use of Creative Commons licensing for new materials
- Open-source licensing for software developed with grant funds
Additional Information
-
Tracks and Levels:
- Choose the appropriate track (ESL or ICT) and funding level based on project scope and scale.
- Projects are encouraged to include collaboration across disciplines, institutions, and with organizations new to NSF funding.
-
Conferences:
- Proposals for conferences and workshops may be submitted at any time (after program officer consultation).
-
Reporting:
- Annual and final project reports are required via Research.gov.
-
Special Focus:
- Proposals that align with NSF INCLUDES to broaden participation in STEM are especially encouraged.
External Links
Contact Information