AISL Review Criteria: What We Learned From Last Year

Through the Advancing Informal STEM Learning program (AISL), the National Science Foundation (NSF) has supported research and development in innovative STEM media, out-of-school programs, museum exhibits, and community-driven citizen science projects. Since the company’s inception, Rockman et al has served as a researcher or third party evaluator on numerous NSF informal STEM programs. In our […]

Funding Fundamentals: Tips for Crafting a Strong NSF Proposal

By: Kristin Bass, Ph.D. With summer over, and school back in session, you may be planning in earnest for an NSF education proposal submission. Deadlines for the Advancing Informal Science Learning (AISL) and Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) are November 6th and 18th. Rockman staff have years of experience serving on NSF review panels, and writing […]

4 Key Takeaways from the American Evaluation Association Conference 2018

By Claire Quimby, Jennifer Borland, and Alison Allen Last week, a handful of our staff converged with other practitioners (both virtually and in-person) at the American Evaluation Association’s annual conference in Cleveland. This year’s conference drew over 2700 registered attendees and featured more than 1700 sessions. To say that inspiration and ideas were flowing would […]

Show Me the Funding: 4 NSF Proposal Tips

By Kristin Bass Ah, fall! It’s time for apples and cider, bonfires and hayrides, and in San Francisco, a welcome break from summer fog. For many of us at Rockman et al, it’s also the season for National Science Foundation proposals. Deadlines for the Advancing Informal Science Learning (AISL) and Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) are […]

3 Questions for Calibrating the Sample Size for Your Impact Study

By Kristin Bass, Ph.D. When it comes to sample sizes, how big is big enough? Here’s a quick introduction to planning out the optimal sample size to study the effects of your program. The number of participants you need in your sample depends first and foremost on the size of the effect you anticipate. The […]