National Science Foundation Fostering Interdisciplinary Networks to Develop Emergent and Responsive Solutions Foundry

The National Science Foundation Fostering Interdisciplinary Networks to Develop Emergent and Responsive Solutions Foundry program is a federal funding opportunity administered by the National Science Foundation through its Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships and the Directorate for STEM Education. This program is designed to support collaborative efforts that bring together educators, technologists, researchers, and families to co-develop innovative, technology-driven solutions addressing persistent challenges in K-12 education and workforce development. The program reflects NSF’s broader mission to advance scientific discovery, promote innovation, and strengthen the national workforce, particularly in response to the growing importance of artificial intelligence and digital technologies. The primary objective of the program is to foster interdisciplinary networks that can design, test, and scale evidence-based tools, practices, and technologies that improve student learning outcomes and better prepare learners for participation in an AI-driven economy. A key emphasis is placed on early exposure to artificial intelligence concepts and tools, with the intent of building technical literacy, curiosity, and career readiness among K-12 students. Projects are expected to be grounded in challenges identified directly by students, educators, and families, ensuring that funded solutions are relevant, inclusive, and responsive to real-world educational needs. Funding is structured in two sequential phases: Planning and Development. Planning awards support early-stage collaboration, enabling teams to define problems, engage stakeholders, conduct pilot testing, and develop initial design concepts such as wireframes. These awards provide up to 50000 dollars for a period of up to two months. Development awards are only available to teams that have successfully completed the Planning phase and are intended to support the creation and refinement of prototypes and minimum viable products. Development awards provide up to 300000 dollars over a one-year period. The program anticipates approximately 70 total awards, with an estimated total funding pool of 8500000 dollars, subject to availability of funds. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations associated with research or education, state and local governments, and federally recognized Tribal Nations. Each project team must include representation from four required stakeholder groups: a K-12 educator, a technologist, a researcher, and a parent or guardian. Proposals must clearly describe how K-12 students will be meaningfully involved throughout all stages of development, including ideation, design, testing, and refinement. The program explicitly prohibits exclusionary practices and requires that projects align with NSF priorities for broad participation and equitable access. Applications must be submitted through Research.gov or Grants.gov in accordance with NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide requirements. Planning proposals are limited to a three-page project description, while Development proposals allow up to ten pages and require more detailed research and development plans, including milestones, evaluation strategies, and pathways for scaling innovations. All proposals are evaluated using NSF’s merit review criteria, including intellectual merit and broader impacts, as well as additional program-specific criteria such as alignment with educational needs, measurable outcomes, and stakeholder engagement. The application timeline includes a full proposal deadline of May 27, 2026 for Planning proposals and November 18, 2026 for Development proposals. Awards are expected to follow NSF’s standard review and notification processes, including evaluation by program officers and external experts. Projects must adhere to federal compliance requirements, including human subjects protections where applicable, and recipients are required to submit annual and final reports. The program represents a strategic investment in advancing STEM education through collaborative innovation and aims to generate scalable solutions that can be broadly adopted across educational systems nationwide.

Ensure strong alignment with K-12 needs and curriculum; include measurable outcomes and clear evaluation metrics; demonstrate continuous stakeholder engagement including students and families; clearly define milestones such as prototype and MVP development