FY 2024 Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) STEM Innovator Award | NNH24ZHA003CTEAMIIINOV

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH24ZHA003CTEAMIIINOV

NASA is offering the FY 2024 Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) STEM Innovator Award (opportunity number NNH24ZHA003CTEAMIIINOV) to support informal education organizations and libraries that can deliver hands-on, inquiry-based or experiment-based STEM learning experiences tied directly to major NASA missions. The intent is to use NASA content and mission connections as a catalyst for high-quality public STEM engagement, while also advancing broader federal and agency STEM education priorities. This opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning NASA expects an active partnership role during the project rather than a simple pass-through grant.

The core purpose of TEAM II STEM Innovator Awards is to help an informal education institution expand its reach and influence as a NASA-focused STEM resource for a larger area, not just its immediate neighborhood. In this program, "regional" is defined in a meaningful way: a large geographic area that could span multiple states or substantial portions of a single state. NASA is looking for proposals that not only serve learners directly, but also strengthen the applicant institution itself so it can act as a hub that shares innovative informal STEM education practices, programming models, and NASA-aligned materials with other organizations across that region. Selected awardees also participate in the NASA Informal Education (IE) Learning Cohort, which is designed to build community, share lessons learned, and spread effective approaches across the broader informal STEM field.

A major emphasis is broadening participation in NASA-related STEM experiences, with clear priorities for who should benefit. Proposals should increase access to NASA STEM learning opportunities for a diverse set of K-12 youth, with the highest priority placed on upper elementary and middle school learners in grades 5-8. The next priority group is grades K-4. NASA also calls out a special emphasis on students who are new to NASA content and on those who have been historically underrepresented and/or underserved in STEM fields and opportunities. While the 5-8 focus is central, the solicitation also welcomes innovative methods to reach other age groups when appropriate, including early learners ages 3-6 and high school students, as long as the approach is thoughtful and clearly justified.

In terms of what projects should do, NASA is looking for authentic, experiential STEM opportunities that build skills associated with real STEM work: innovation, critical thinking, and problem solving. That can include new programs, new delivery models, or new products that help learners engage with NASA mission themes in tangible ways. Importantly, the project should be designed for scale and sharing. NASA wants awardees to develop an innovative opportunity or resource that can reach diverse audiences and then deliberately share the approach with the broader regional community, so the impact extends beyond a single site or a single set of participants.

Another central expectation is that projects leverage partnerships and existing STEM networks to magnify impact. Applicants are encouraged to use one or more regional or national networks, consortia, associations, or STEM Ecosystems (including both formal and informal education partners) to expand reach, strengthen implementation, and improve sustainability. The solicitation also highlights building NASA connections into local and regional coalitions that support STEM pathways for learners. This includes engaging organizations that represent both traditional and non-traditional constituents, particularly groups that bring diverse perspectives and can help connect NASA learning experiences to real community needs and long-term STEM engagement.

Key administrative details include that the funding instrument is a discretionary cooperative agreement under NASA, with the funding activity category listed as Education and CFDA number 43.008. The eligible applicant category is listed as "Others," and the text specifically targets informal education organizations and libraries. The opportunity was created on 2024-07-01 and had an original closing date of 2024-09-26. The award ceiling is $250,000. The posting indicates expected awards, but the number is not provided in the source text you shared, so applicants would need to confirm anticipated award count and any other constraints (such as period of performance, required deliverables, cost sharing if any, and reporting expectations) in the full notice.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as funding for institutions that can act as regional multipliers for NASA STEM engagement: delivering compelling, hands-on NASA-aligned learning experiences to diverse youth (especially grades 5-8), strengthening their own institutional capacity as a NASA STEM resource, and actively spreading effective practices through networks so that the benefits extend across communities and partner organizations.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2024 Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) STEM Innovator Award" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 43.008.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-09-26. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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