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• GRANTS

I. Introduction
The NSF Fostering Interdisciplinary Networks to Develop Emergent and Responsive Solutions Foundry (NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY) program supports innovation in K-12 education by bringing together educators, technologists, parents or guardians, and researchers to co-design solutions that address real challenges in learning and workforce development. These challenges are identified by K-12 students, families, and educators themselves. The program emphasizes active participation, technical literacy, and early exposure to emerging technologies like AI, helping students prepare for a rapidly evolving digital economy.

This program directly supports NSF's broader goals of advancing U.S. competitiveness through technology, innovation, and workforce development. It aligns with NSF's commitment to building a strong national innovation ecosystem that translates scientific discoveries into practical tools and services with economic and societal impacts. By focusing on interdisciplinary collaboration and community-driven design, the program helps ensure that educational innovations are both relevant and scalable.

The program is led by the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), which focuses on accelerating key technologies, preparing the workforce for high-quality jobs, and fostering economic growth in all regions of the nation, and the Directorate for STEM Education Research, which focuses, in part, on learning in formal and informal settings. The NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY program is co-funded by philanthropic partners who share a commitment to technology-enabled learning. Together, these partnering organizations aim to empower all Americans to participate in shaping the future of education and innovation driving emerging technologies and the rapidly evolving digital economy.

II. Program Description
The NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY program is designed to invest in the development of innovative, technology-based solutions that improve K-12 STEM learning and workforce development. It brings together educators, technologists, parents or guardians, and researchers to co-design tools and strategies that address real-world challenges identified by K-12 students, families, and educators. The program's purpose is to create scalable, evidence-based innovations that enhance learning outcomes and prepare students for future careers in a globally-competitive STEM workforce. These efforts align with NSF's broader goals of advancing U.S. competitiveness by fostering innovation and strengthening the national workforce.

The program is implemented in two phases: Planning and Development. Planning proposals support early-stage collaboration among interdisciplinary teams. Each team must include at least one K-12 educator, one technologist, one researcher, and at least one parent or guardian of a student that is impacted by the selected challenge and that is not represented in the former three roles. These teams must use the NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY Dashboard to select a challenge track and co-design a wireframe to describe their technological solution. Funded activities may include stakeholder engagement, data collection, pilot testing, and early validation. A successful Planning proposal must outline a clear scope of work, define roles and responsibilities, and include measurable goals and outcomes.

Only teams that receive Planning awards are eligible to submit Development proposals. Based on continuous input from K-12 learners, parents or guardians, and educators, Development proposals focus on building and refining prototypes. Development projects are expected to demonstrate progress through key milestones: wireframe validation, prototype testing, and MVP deployment. Teams will present their innovations at a public showcase that encourages broad adoption.

The NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY program invests in a wide range of research, including design-based implementation research, efficacy studies, and translational research. It encourages connections to other NSF programs such as Translation to Practice (TTP), Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE), Innovation Corps (I-Corps™), and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR). These programs collectively enable a set of translational pathways that help teams move from concept to widespread use, ensuring that innovations are not only effective but also sustainable and accessible.

The NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY program is particularly interested in projects that incorporate AI in meaningful ways. This focus aligns with the Executive Order on Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth, which calls for the development of AI-driven tools and curricula to improve educational outcomes. Projects that explore AI as both a subject of learning and a tool for instruction are strongly encouraged.

To measure success, NSF expects awardees to define clear performance goals, indicators, and targets. These may include improvements in student engagement, learning outcomes, technical literacy, and access to STEM opportunities. Baseline data should be collected early in the project, with ongoing evaluation to track progress and inform refinement. Teams are also expected to document their processes and share findings to support replication and scaling.

The NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY program is a strategic investment in the future of STEM education. By supporting collaborative, community-driven innovation, it aims to create lasting improvements in how students learn and prepare for the workforce. The program not only advances NSF's mission but also contributes to the public good by ensuring that all learners have the opportunity to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The program is authorized under the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 U.S.C. §1861 et seq). All recipients must comply with applicable federal regulations, including those related to human subjects research, data management, and accessibility.