Does your organization want to broaden its equity-centered work and funding potential to better serve informal STEM education (ISE) learners?

Join the ISE Equity Visionaries

Learn & connect with like-minded organizations!

APPLY NOW
Applications due by December 19th, 2024

• Reach small to medium-sized CBOs interested in ISE equity research, developing equitable partnerships with other organizations, and building their capacity to apply to the AISL program
• Expand access points for small to medium-sized CBOs who have capacity but do not currently apply to the AISL program
• Broker relationships and enhance collaborations between CBOs and larger academic/research institutions
• Provide research resources that support equity-based research practices and support thoughtful and self-reflective involvement in equity-based ISE research
• Diversify who applies for AISL funding

• Attending and participate in 6 monthly seminars (60 to 90 minutes each) followed by additional conversations (60 minutes) for more specific guidance related to your organization’s goals (series schedule overview below)
• Creating a 1-page concept paper for a project idea to be submitted to a prospective program officer
• Providing feedback to the REVISE Center about your experience in the program (to be described as a case study serving the broader field to cultivate better resources and practices for organizations to pursue research funding)

• $1,000 stipend (paid to the participant’s organization)
• Learning the hidden curriculum behind federal funding
• Guidance on how to develop a research question, study design, and methodology that center equity
• Networking with other similarly situated CBOs
• A concept paper ready for submission to NSF
• Informing the ISE field of the needs and concerns of small to medium-sized CBOs

• Pursuing NSF funding
• Learning about and engaging in equitable research, evaluation, and practice
• Connecting with and developing equitable partnerships with other organizations who are also interested in the above

• Afterschool and/or out-of-school programs (e.g., YMCA, Girls Who Code, etc.)
• Aquariums and/or zoos
• Libraries and library programs
• Media
• Museums (art museums, natural history museums, children’s museums)
• Research/Evaluation organizations
• Parks, outdoor, or garden organizations (e.g. botanical gardens, nature centers, national parks, community gardens)
• Private foundations
• Professional organizations/societies (e.g., NSTA, AAAS, etc.)
• Science centers
• Summer, weekend, and extended camps

Is this an opportunity to partner up with like-minded organizations to submit grants?
Yes. Our hope is that fellows will be able to connect with other organizations interested in equity in ISE research and evaluation.

What stage of career might this opportunity be most beneficial for?
This opportunity is geared toward early- to mid-career professionals and any other individuals interested in developing research capacity in equity in ISE and grant writing for federal agencies.

What size organizations are too small?
No organization is “too small” to be a part of this initiative.

Is this cohort still appropriate for organizations that have received NSF grants in the past, including AISL, but none recently?
No. We are looking for organizations with little to no direct experience with receiving and managing an NSF grant. For details on the AISL program, we recommend reviewing the new solicitation and watching the recordings of the AISL informational webinars.

Can my organization partner with a researcher at a university to explore a research question (related to concept paper)?
Yes. In fact, we encourage smaller organizations to partner with larger ISE organizations and institutions of higher education since they typically have the financial infrastructure needed to manage a federal grant.

What are the time commitments of being in the program?
Fellows will be expected to attend 6 monthly sessions (60 to 90 minutes each) followed by additional conversations (60 minutes) for more specific guidance related to their organization’s goals. There is an additional debrief meeting at the end of the program. Thus, the total time commitment would be between 14 to 18 hours, not including time outside of the monthly sessions that fellows would use to generate their concept paper.

Will there be any in person seminars or workshops?
Unfortunately, at this point, there will be no in-person seminars or workshops.

When are you notifying people that they’ve been accepted?
After the December 19th deadline, the review committee will convene to review applications. Final decisions will be announced by January 17th.

If one individual is selected from the organization, can program/webinar materials be shared within the organization?
Yes! We want you to share the information you learn with the rest of your organization. In addition, a portion of the monthly session (i.e., webinar, workshop, training) will be open to the entire ISE field; the post-session portion is reserved for fellows only. So, it is possible to have your entire organization attend the “public” portion, while you (the fellow) get specialized information and guidance during the post-session portion.

If I have been a partner on an NSF grant but have not been successful or have not tried to obtain my own federal grant, then would this fellowship be appropriate for me?
Yes! The REVISE Center wants to empower community partners, practitioners, and anyone interested in doing research in equity in ISE through this program.