STEM Award Program

The TVA STEM Award Program is a competitive funding opportunity sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated, a TVA retiree organization. TVA is a federally owned corporate agency that provides electricity and supports economic development, environmental stewardship, and infrastructure across a seven state region in the Tennessee Valley. This program reflects TVA commitment to building a future workforce by supporting innovative STEM education initiatives that prepare students for careers aligned with regional economic and energy priorities. The purpose of the program is to fund classroom or school level STEM projects that are hands on, innovative, and designed to enhance student learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The program prioritizes projects that incorporate design thinking, foster collaboration, and promote 21st century skills such as critical thinking, communication, and problem solving. Funded projects must align with one of four TVA priority focus areas: Environment, Energy, Economic and Career Development, or Community Problem Solving. These focus areas ensure that funded initiatives contribute to real world applications and workforce readiness. Funding is available in fixed award tiers of 1000, 1500, 2500, 3500, or 5000 dollars. The total program funding pool is approximately 1.5 million dollars. Funds must be used strictly for project related STEM activities and cannot be used for disallowed expenses such as furniture, travel, food, salaries, construction, renovation, or general office supplies not directly tied to STEM learning. Payments are made to school districts or eligible organizations via ACH, and recipients must provide appropriate financial documentation including a W9 form. Projects must be completed by June 1, with final reports due by June 30. Eligibility is limited to public or private K-12 schools located within the TVA service area or watershed and receiving power from a TVA distributor. Nonprofit organizations, homeschool groups, and pre kindergarten organizations are not eligible. Religious affiliated schools must meet specific criteria, including nondiscrimination policies and independent nonprofit status. Applications must be submitted by the educator who will implement the project, and each teacher may submit only one application per cycle. While schools may submit multiple applications from different teachers, proposals may compete internally for funding. The application process requires submission of a detailed project proposal through an online portal. Applicants must provide contact information, school and district details, financial officer information, and confirmation of eligibility criteria such as electricity provider. The proposal includes narrative responses describing the project overview, student activities, instructional approach, alignment with TVA focus areas, incorporation of design thinking, and expected learning outcomes. Additional required components include a budget narrative and a completed budget template that accounts for the full amount requested. Applications are evaluated based on creativity, alignment with program priorities, interdisciplinary design, student impact, and inclusion of community partners. The application window for the program opens on August 1 and closes on September 15 at 11:59 pm. Award notifications are expected by November 15. Funded projects must be completed by June 1 of the following year, with final reporting due by June 30. The program is recurring annually, with similar timelines expected each cycle. While no formal pre application stage is required, applicants are encouraged to thoroughly review the application package, collaborate with colleagues, and prepare submissions offline before uploading to ensure quality and completeness. Overall, the TVA STEM Award Program is designed to support educators in delivering meaningful STEM learning experiences that connect classroom instruction with real world challenges and career pathways. By emphasizing innovation, collaboration, and community engagement, the program aims to strengthen the STEM pipeline and prepare students for future success in a rapidly evolving workforce landscape.

Focus on innovative interdisciplinary STEM projects that align with TVA priority areas include clear student outcomes and real world applications involve community partners and ensure strong budget alignment