2020 NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions Remote Opportunity Remote Opportunity Rapid Response (TEAM II RORR) | NNH20ZHA002N TEAMIIRORR

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH20ZHA002N TEAMIIRORR

The 2020 NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions Remote Opportunity Rapid Response (TEAM II RORR) was a one-time competitive funding opportunity from NASAs Office of STEM Engagement, developed in coordination with NASAs Mission Directorates and in cooperation with the Headquarters Office of Communications and the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. The core purpose was to support informal education institutions (IEIs) in delivering inquiry-based or hands-on, experiential STEM learning that is directly connected to major NASA missions and aligned with NASA communication themes, but delivered in a remote or distance-learning format that could meet the urgent needs created by COVID-19 disruptions.

Funding was offered through cooperative agreements, with awards generally in the 100,000 to 175,000 range for projects lasting up to one year. NASA anticipated making around six awards. The focus was squarely on the 2020-2021 school year and/or summer 2021, with an expectation that the work could continue beyond the initial funding period. Rather than requiring entirely new programs, NASA explicitly allowed organizations to propose expansions or improvements to remote-learning approaches they had already launched in response to pandemic-related closures, as long as the proposal strengthened, scaled, or broadened impact.

The solicitation emphasized three main goals: first, to build on and strengthen the creative work IEIs were already doing to deliver STEM engagement remotely; second, to expand the reach of strong remote STEM engagement projects for K-12 audiences; and third, to increase access to NASA-themed STEM learning by helping K-12 students, especially those traditionally underserved in STEM, overcome barriers associated with the digital divide. In practical terms, NASA was looking for projects that did not just move programming online, but that also took equity and access seriously, including the realities of limited broadband, limited device availability, and uneven access to high-quality remote learning supports in many communities.

In terms of expected outcomes, proposals needed to result in a concrete, innovative remote program, learning opportunity, platform, or product that could reach a diverse student population. The solicitation placed particular weight on serving underserved and underrepresented students in STEM and on reducing inequities faced by communities without reliable access to information and communication technology. Projects had to target youth within some subset of grades K-12, while also recognizing the broader ecosystem that supports youth learning, such as families, caregivers, informal educators, classroom teachers, schools, and community institutions. Another major requirement was scalability: the proposed work needed to be designed so it could be expanded and made available nationally through networks, partnerships, or other dissemination strategies, rather than remaining a small local pilot.

A key structural requirement was partnership with a NASA Center or other NASA entity. Applicants were expected to work collaboratively with NASA, and the program needed to connect meaningfully to NASA content and missions, not just use space as a general theme. This NASA partnership requirement reinforced the intent that funded projects would be authentic, accurate, and aligned with how NASA communicates about its work and priorities.

Eligibility was centered on US-based informal education institutions leading the proposal as the managing organization. Lead applicants had to be legally recognized nonprofits located in the United States or its territories that provide STEM education programming and that qualify as, or include a component that qualifies as, a museum, youth-serving organization, or library. The solicitation clarified that an organization did not need to have words like museum, science, planetarium, visitor center, youth, or library in its legal name to qualify, and it explicitly stated that all types of NASA Visitor Centers (whether private, state, or federal entities) could apply. While the lead had to be an eligible IEI nonprofit, projects could include a range of partners, including other IEIs, K-12 schools, commercial entities, higher education institutions, and other agencies that support federal STEM education goals.

The application process included several required registrations and identifiers that had to be in place by the proposal due date. Applicants needed a DUNS number (with a note that the federal government would transition to a Unique Entity Identifier, UEI, beginning in December 2020), an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, and registration in NASAs proposal system NSPIRES. Importantly, NSPIRES registration requirements applied not only to the lead organization but also to any entities included for subawards or subcontracts. Applicants submitting through Grants.gov also had to register there, but NASA warned that a required NSPIRES Program Specific Data form was not available through Grants.gov, meaning applicants needed to include the program-specific data sheet responses within the uploaded proposal package in a specific location (immediately before the proposals table of contents).

Administratively, the opportunity was listed as discretionary funding under CFDA 43.008, run by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The funding opportunity number was NNH20ZHA002N TEAMIIRORR. The solicitation was posted July 2, 2020, with an original closing date of August 13, 2020. NASA also noted that additional guidance could be released before the deadline as FAQs or formal amendments posted on the NSPIRES solicitation page, and it encouraged applicants to check regularly for updates and subscribe to the NASA Education Express listserv for notifications.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2020 NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions Remote Opportunity Remote Opportunity Rapid Response (TEAM II RORR)" 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 Jul 02, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 13, 2020. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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