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Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO). Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity.ÌýÌýÌý

Program SummaryÌý

The NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY program supports collaboration among K-12 educators, technologists, parents or guardians, and researchers, to develop innovative solutions to persistent challenges in learning and workforce development. These challenges are identified by K-12 students, families, and educators. The program aims to create and scale evidence-based practices, tools, and technologies that improve learning outcomes and prepare students for a digital, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven future.

A key focus is early exposure to AI to build curiosity, understanding, and readiness for future careers. The program encourages partnerships to co-design responsive, technology-based solutions between key sectors – schools, universities, industry, government, and nonprofits – and our nation’s families.

NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY program includes two phases: Planning and Development. Planning proposals help teams explore one of several focus areas. Only teams awarded Planning grants may submit Development proposals, which support the growth and implementation of promising ideas.

See the solicitation for complete details.Ìý

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• С»ÆÊé InternalÌýDeadline: 11:59pm MT April 16, 2026
• Sponsor Deadline: 5:00pm MT May 27, 2026

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

• Project Summary (3 pages maximum): Identify the one track from the and describe the potential outcome(s) of the proposed solution including the areas of application that are the initial target of the technology.Include an overview of the leadership team, listing members’ names, organization, expertise, and roles; at minimum, the team must include one K‑12 educator, one technologist, one researcher, and one parent or guardian, with a description of the classroom setting.Summarize the team’s expertise and responsibilities, including those involved in pilot testing the MVP, in a way that communicates the interdisciplinary nature of the project.
• PI Curriculum Vitae / Resume
• Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

Each NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY leadership team must have at least one member from each of four stakeholder groups: (1) K-12 educators, (2) technologists, (3) researchers, and (4) parents or guardians. One of these individuals must act as the Principal Investigator (PI) through an eligible organization described above. Co-PIs and additional Senior Personnel, (sub)contractors, consultants, etc., are also allowed.There are no PI degree requirements (i.e., the PI is not required to hold a Ph.D. nor any other degree).

Limited Submission Guidelines

An organization may submit only one Planning proposal and, if awarded a Planning award, one Development proposal.

Award InformationÌý

• An estimated 50 Planning awards of up to $50,000 each for up to 2 months.
• An estimated 20 Development awards of up to $300,000 each for 1 year.

Review Criteria

In addition to intellectual merit and broader impacts, the below criteria will be used to evaluate internal proposals.Ìý

• For each innovation, does the project describe the intended population, including the anticipated number of K-12 students reachable by the innovation, geography, content area of focus, and rationale for the proposed population?
• Does the project effectively articulate the intended outcomes of each innovation (e.g., learning gains) for the population and sub-populations if there are multiple potential benefits or outcomes of the innovation?
• To what extent does the project provide clear alignment of the innovation to both the track and the core curricula required by the intended population?
• For each innovation, does the project provide appropriate success indicators for measuring outcomes?
• How effectively does the project detail concrete approaches to measuring each success metric(s) at anticipated intervals?
• To what extent does the project clearly articulate the go/no-go steps where iteration is required on the design and implementation of the prototyped innovation?
• Does the project effectively plan for initial measurements of success metrics during a pilot of the MVP/prototype?
• Does the project provide ideas about future development and innovation pathways for the team and their innovation post- Finders Foundry support?