Translation and Diffusion | 25 528

NSF Translation and Diffusion (TD) Grant - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NSF Translation and Diffusion (TD) grant opportunity about?

The NSF Translation and Diffusion (TD) opportunity funds projects in PreK-12 STEM education that improve how knowledge moves along the research-practice continuum. It focuses on the common problem that strong research findings and promising classroom practices often do not spread smoothly across settings, disciplines, or scale. The solicitation supports work that helps research become usable in real classrooms and also helps effective classroom practice sharpen, reshape, or inform foundational research.

What does NSF mean by "translation and diffusion" in this program?

In this context, translation refers to making research-based ideas, tools, and findings usable in authentic PreK-12 educational settings. Diffusion refers to how those ideas, tools, or evidence spread and become adopted across different contexts, communities, disciplines, or levels (for example, from individuals to classrooms to schools and districts). A central expectation is that this movement is genuinely two-way: practice informs theory and theory informs practice, rather than treating classrooms as the final destination for research products.

What are the main goals of the TD solicitation?

The solicitation has two main goals:

• Build the science of translation and diffusion: Support rigorous study of theories, frameworks, and models that explain how ideas and evidence move across boundaries and become usable in practice.
• Advance specific work along the continuum: Push particular STEM education practices, research results, or scientific discoveries further along the research-to-practice (and practice-to-research) continuum so that something concrete advances, not just general discussion.

What kinds of boundary-crossing or scaling is NSF interested in?

NSF is explicitly interested in knowledge transfer that crosses fields and levels of analysis. Examples described in the summary include movement:

• Across levels of analysis (for example, from biological factors to cognitive and socioemotional processes to observable behaviors)
• Across organizational scales (for example, individuals to classrooms to schools, districts, and broader demographic contexts)
• From controlled lab settings into the complexity of authentic school environments

Is the TD program only about getting research into classrooms?

No. While improving the usability and spread of research-based insights in real classrooms is important, the solicitation also emphasizes the reverse pathway: effective classroom practices can serve as evidence that enriches or reshapes foundational constructs and theories in STEM education research. The program frames translation and diffusion as a two-way process.

What types of proposals does NSF invite under this solicitation?

NSF invites four proposal types under the TD solicitation:

• Research on Translation or Diffusion
• Proof-of-Concept Research
• Synthesis
• Conference/Workshop

What is a "Research on Translation or Diffusion" proposal?

Research on Translation or Diffusion proposals support scholarship that directly advances understanding of translation or diffusion mechanisms in PreK-12 STEM education. This can include developing new models or refining existing ones, adapting theories/frameworks from other domains, and then testing or studying them through research. These projects may also examine how effective classroom practices can inform and strengthen foundational research theories and constructs.

What is a "Proof-of-Concept Research" proposal?

Proof-of-Concept Research proposals support early-stage work that tests whether a specific research-based insight, approach, or product is feasible and viable for advancing practice in formal PreK-12 settings. These projects are not necessarily full implementation efforts; instead, they are intended to lay the groundwork for later, more systematic work by establishing methodological, theoretical, empirical, design, or social foundations.

Does the Proof-of-Concept category support adaptation across different contexts?

Yes. The program notes interest in projects that adapt insights across meaningfully different contexts, populations, subject domains, or levels of analysis, particularly when the adaptation requires new theory-building and careful empirical work.

What is a "Synthesis" proposal in this program?

Synthesis proposals fund efforts that critically integrate what is already known about a translation-and-diffusion topic relevant to PreK-12 STEM education. They are expected to draw from multiple disciplinary communities and literatures, identify gaps or weak points in the knowledge base, and, when appropriate, map out high-value next steps for research and development.

What is a "Conference/Workshop" proposal in the TD solicitation?

Conference/Workshop proposals are supported when they clearly align with the program focus. They typically aim to convene communities, align terminology and frameworks, or accelerate agenda-setting in areas where knowledge is fragmented.

What education level and subject area is the TD opportunity focused on?

The solicitation is focused on PreK-12 STEM education, and it emphasizes translation and diffusion across research and practice within formal PreK-12 settings.

Who is eligible to apply for the TD grant opportunity?

Eligibility is broad. The summary lists the following as eligible applicants:

• U.S. institutions of higher education (including community colleges and four-year universities)
• State and local governments
• Federally recognized tribal nations
• U.S.-based for-profit organizations (including small businesses) with strong STEM research or education capabilities
• Non-profit non-academic organizations (such as museums, observatories, research labs, and professional societies)
• Other federal agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), subject to NSF PAPPG restrictions and guidance
• Foreign organizations (with limits described for cooperative projects)

Can for-profit organizations apply?

Yes. The summary states that U.S.-based for-profit organizations, including small businesses, may apply if they have strong STEM research or education capabilities.

Can non-profits like museums or professional societies apply?

Yes. The summary specifically lists non-profit non-academic organizations such as museums, observatories, research labs, and professional societies as eligible.

Are foreign organizations allowed to submit proposals?

Yes. The summary notes that foreign organizations may submit proposals. However, in cooperative projects involving U.S. and foreign partners, NSF support is limited to the U.S. portion of the project.

How does NSF handle funding for international branch campuses of U.S. institutions?

If a proposal includes funding for an international branch campus of a U.S. institution, the submission must clearly explain why work at the international site benefits the project and why the activities cannot be performed at the U.S. campus.

What restrictions apply to other federal agencies and FFRDCs?

The summary indicates that other federal agencies and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) may be eligible but must follow NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) restrictions and guidance.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this NSF solicitation?

The Funding Opportunity Number listed in the summary is 25 528.

What is the CFDA number and program title associated with this opportunity?

The listing describes it as an NSF discretionary grant opportunity under CFDA 47.076, titled Translation and Diffusion.

What is the original closing date for this opportunity?

The original closing date provided in the summary is 2025-04-01.

When was this opportunity created or posted?

The posting indicates a creation date of 2024-12-22.

Does the public summary list an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?

No. The public summary does not specify an award ceiling or an expected number of awards. The summary suggests that applicants would need to consult the full solicitation for typical budget ranges, project durations, and any tracks or limits tied to the proposal type.

What kinds of project outcomes does NSF appear to be looking for?

Based on the summary, the program expects projects to move beyond general discussion and help something concrete advance along the research-practice continuum. This could include advancing understanding of translation/diffusion mechanisms (for example, through models and empirical study) and/or establishing feasibility and foundations for research-based approaches to become viable in formal PreK-12 settings.

Is this solicitation intended to support work in authentic school environments?

Yes. The summary highlights interest in shifts from controlled lab settings to the complexity of authentic school environments, reflecting an emphasis on how knowledge holds up, adapts, and becomes usable in real-world contexts.