2021 NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions Notice of Funding Opportunity (TEAM II NOFO)

NASA’s journeys have propelled technological breakthroughs, pushed the frontiers of scientific research, and expanded our understanding of the universe. These accomplishments, and those to come, share a common genesis: education in STEM. NASA’s OSTEM and Next Gen STEM deliver tools for young Americans and educators to spark interest in STEM, to learn, to build STEM identity and to succeed.

NASA TEAM II seeks to:

• Create unique opportunities for a diverse set of students to contribute to NASA’s work in exploration and discovery;
• Build a diverse future STEM workforce by engaging students in authentic learning experiences with NASA’s people, content and facilities; and
• Attract diverse groups of students to STEM through learning opportunities that spark interest and provide connections to NASA’s mission and work.

To achieve these goals, NASA TEAM II seeks to provide authentic STEM engagement opportunities for students, and for their learning support systems of families and informal and formal educators and institutions, that also support NASA STEM Engagement Strategic Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Design Principles:

• Provide authentic STEM engagement activities aligned with NASA mission-driven needs and priorities;
• Leverage NASA missions, content, people, and facilities to provide experiential authentic STEM opportunities that encourage innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills; 
• Use or develop evidenced-based educational strategies in designing and implementing the project and address state and local needs;
• Establish outcomes and define corresponding metrics and measures to demonstrate a measurable impact on learner interest in and positive attitudes towards STEM topics, and improve self-perception of the learner’s ability to participate in STEM;
• Attract and sustain diversity in student participation, and incorporate approaches to foster and promote inclusion, particularly for groups historically underrepresented and underserved in STEM fields; and 
• Utilize partnerships and regional and national networks of STEM- and STEM education-related IEIs to magnify reach and impact.

The 2021 TEAM II NOFO is an omnibus solicitation, offering a variety of distinct program elements to which eligible IEIs may propose, issued as appendices to the NOFO. For 2022, the Community Anchor Awards (TEAMII_ANCHR) program element is offered. If and when future TEAM II opportunities become available, NASA anticipates adding them as program elements under this NOFO through Fiscal Year 2023.

Community Anchor Awards for TEAM II (ANCHR) will provide financial support of between $35K-$40K total to cover activities for a period of one to two years that allow IEIs strengthen their service as a local NASA STEM informal education community resource, implement authentic NASA STEM experiences that benefit a significant population of diverse audiences in their local community or region, and participate in the NASA Informal Education (IE) Learning Cohort.

• In support of the 2022 NASA Strategic Plan, the NASA Strategy for STEM Engagement, and TEAM II focus on informal education, the TEAM II ANCHR opportunity seeks to broaden participation in NASA-related STEM engagement experiences through these goals:
• Strengthen an institution’s capacity to serve as a local or regional NASA STEM informal education community resource.
• Increase access to NASA STEM learning opportunities and materials that address the needs of a diverse set of K-12 youth in local communities or region, with a special emphasis on those who are new to NASA content and also historically underrepresented and/or underserved in STEM fields and opportunities; and
• Improve NASA connections to local or regional networks or coalitions which support learners to pursue varied pathways in STEM education and engagement and serve to unite their communities, particularly those that are inclusive of diverse organizations or agencies that offer perspectives from both traditional and non-traditional constituents.

Proposers receiving awards under this NOFO will receive the new designation of a “NASA Informal Education Community Anchor”, which recognizes the institution as a local community resource that addresses identified community needs related to STEM engagement, shares knowledge of NASA STEM Engagement learning resources and opportunities that can help meet that need, and holds programs/activities that utilize and grow that knowledge and impact the audience’s need. The awarded institution benefits from specific use of the NASA Insignia (Logo) and participation in a NASA Informal Education Learning Cohort.

Awards under the 2022 TEAMII_ANCHR program element will be made as grants. Procurement contracts shall not be awarded as a result of this NOFO. NASA’s ability to make awards is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment can be made. Please see Appendix K Community Anchor Awards to view the anticipated number of awards, maximum award and period of performance that may be made, pursuant to the authority of Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §200, 2 CFR §1800, and the NASA Grant and Cooperative Agreement Manual (GCAM).

The period of performance for 2022 TEAMII_ANCHR award is one to two years and proposal due dates are posted as specified in the 2022 TEAMII_ANCHR NASA Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES) landing page.

A summary of due dates for open opportunities are listed on the 2021 TEAM II NOFO NSPIRES landing page and in Table 1 of the NOFO. Interested applicants are responsible for regularly monitoring NSPIRES for any amendments to this NOFO or additional new program elements.