Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Full Awards (FULL) | NNH23ZHA001N TEAMIIFULL

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH23ZHA001N TEAMIIFULL

NASA's Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Full Awards (FULL) opportunity is a discretionary education grant program designed to expand high-quality, NASA-connected STEM learning through museums and other informal education institutions. Funded projects are expected to give young people meaningful, hands-on experiences that feel connected to real NASA work, while also strengthening the support systems around learners, including families, educators, and partner institutions. The program is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically means NASA expects to be actively involved during the project period through collaboration, guidance, or access to agency resources, rather than simply providing funding and stepping back.

The core purpose of TEAM II is to create authentic STEM engagement that aligns with NASA mission-driven priorities and uses NASA's unique assets as the "hook" and the substance of the learning experience. Proposals should connect clearly to one or more NASA-relevant technical subject areas, such as space exploration, aeronautics, space science, Earth science, and microgravity. The emphasis is on experiential learning beyond the classroom that builds innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, rather than passive outreach or one-time events. NASA also expects projects to be designed using evidence-based educational strategies, either by applying approaches already supported by research or by thoughtfully developing and testing new approaches that respond to state and local needs.

Audience and equity are central to the program. The primary target group is upper elementary and middle school students (grades 5-8), with the next priority being early elementary (grades K-4). NASA signals openness to innovative approaches that effectively serve other age groups, including early learners and high school students, but the strongest alignment is clearly with the grade 5-8 focus. Beyond students themselves, projects should be built to engage "learning support systems" such as parents and caregivers, classroom teachers, informal educators, and the institutions that shape a learner's opportunities. A major expectation is that projects will attract and sustain participation from groups historically underrepresented and underserved in STEM, including women and girls, people with disabilities, learners in rural or otherwise underserved communities, areas lacking reliable access to information and communication technology, and participants who are new to NASA STEM experiences.

A defining feature of TEAM II is the expectation that projects will leverage NASA people, content, and facilities in a concrete way. That could include interactions with NASA-affiliated experts, use of NASA mission data and media, integration of NASA engineering and science practices, or structured experiences that draw on NASA-developed tools and resources. The goal is not branding for its own sake, but using NASA's real-world missions and problem contexts to make STEM learning more engaging and credible, and to help learners see themselves as capable of participating in STEM.

Measurement and accountability are built into the funding requirements. Each project must include an independent evaluation that tracks progress, impact, and outcomes. NASA expects outcomes to be defined up front, paired with clear metrics and measures, and focused on measurable changes in participants' knowledge, skills, behaviors, and/or attitudes. A specific budget requirement reinforces how important this is: at least 8 percent of the total project budget must be dedicated to evaluation activities. In addition to evaluation, projects are expected to demonstrate impact on learner interest in STEM, positive attitudes toward STEM topics, and improved self-perception of their ability to take part in STEM work.

The program also prioritizes scaling impact through partnerships. Proposals are expected to use partnerships and regional or national networks of STEM and STEM education-related informal education institutions (often described as STEM Ecosystems) to broaden reach and strengthen results. That network approach is meant to avoid isolated programming and instead create models that can spread, be adapted, and benefit from shared infrastructure, shared learning, and shared audiences. In the same spirit, funded teams must proactively share best practices with the informal education community and explain how project products and evaluation findings will be disseminated. This sharing explicitly includes coordination with NASA's Museum and Informal Education (MIE) Alliance, signaling that NASA wants outcomes, tools, and lessons learned to travel beyond the immediate project sites.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, the opportunity is run by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under CFDA 43.008, using a cooperative agreement mechanism. The award ceiling is $800,000 per award, and NASA anticipated making about 6 awards under this particular solicitation (NNH23ZHA001N TEAMIIFULL). The opportunity was posted June 15, 2023, with an original closing date of September 12, 2023. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification in the full announcement, which commonly indicates that a range of organizations may apply, especially those connected to museums, informal education, or affiliated networks, but applicants would need to confirm exact eligibility details in the official eligibility section.

In practical terms, a strong TEAM II Full proposal is one that looks like a well-structured learning initiative rather than a simple outreach campaign: it is rooted in NASA-relevant content, designed with research-backed methods, built with partners that can extend reach, and planned from the beginning with rigorous independent evaluation and clear outcome measures. It also needs a credible plan for inclusion and access, showing how the project will meaningfully engage underserved communities and sustain their participation, while producing shareable resources and lessons that can strengthen the broader informal STEM education field.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Full Awards (FULL)" 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 Jun 15, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 12, 2023. (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 $800,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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