2019 NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) | NNH19ZHA002N

Opportunity Information: Apply for NNH19ZHA002N

The 2019 NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NNH19ZHA002N) is a NASA Research Announcement focused on supporting informal STEM education that is tightly connected to NASA missions. The program is run through NASA's Office of STEM Engagement, working in close coordination with NASA Mission Directorates and in cooperation with NASA Headquarters offices involved in communications and mission support. The core idea is to fund NASA-unique, evidence-based informal learning experiences that help students and the public engage with real NASA science, engineering, technology, and exploration in ways that are hands-on, inquiry-driven, and grounded in what NASA is doing right now.

TEAM II is designed specifically for Informal Education Institutions (IEIs) such as museums, science centers, planetariums, visitor centers, libraries, and similar community-facing organizations that deliver learning outside the traditional classroom. NASA is looking for projects that do more than share information; proposals are expected to create experiential learning that connects audiences to authentic NASA content and practices, helping learners build curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and confidence around STEM. A major emphasis is on strengthening the capacity of IEIs and their partners to use NASA resources effectively and to build programming that can be delivered widely through networks. In practical terms, NASA is not only funding activities for youth, but also investing in the broader learning ecosystem around them by supporting educators, families, and the institutions that influence how young people experience STEM.

A central requirement is strong partnership and networked delivery. Proposed projects are expected to work through major networks of other IEIs and youth-serving organizations, and they may also include libraries and K-12 schools. NASA also encourages collaboration with commercial entities, higher education institutions, and other government agencies when those relationships help advance federal STEM education goals and increase reach, quality, and impact. This network approach is meant to magnify impact beyond a single site, allowing effective NASA-based programming to spread across regions and nationally through established partnerships.

In terms of audience, TEAM II prioritizes STEM engagement for youth, especially upper elementary and middle school students in grades 4 through 8, along with their support systems, including families and both informal and formal educators. NASA's framing makes clear that while students are the ultimate beneficiaries, educators and institutions are crucial multipliers, so projects should be designed with measurable effects on learners as well as practical support for the adults and organizations guiding them. NASA also explicitly calls for projects that enhance diversity and inclusion, meaning proposals should demonstrate how they will better serve groups historically underrepresented and underserved in STEM fields, not just as a general value statement but as an integrated part of recruitment, design, delivery, and evaluation.

The solicitation spells out the kinds of outcomes NASA wants to see. Projects should align with mission-driven needs and priorities, leverage NASA content, people, and facilities where appropriate, and use evidence-based educational strategies in both design and implementation. Proposals are expected to address state and local needs rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach. Importantly, NASA expects measurable impact, including improved learner interest in STEM, more positive attitudes toward STEM topics, and improved self-perception of a learner's ability to participate in STEM. In other words, evaluation and demonstrable outcomes matter, and the proposal should be built around clear goals, strategies, and metrics rather than just promising exciting activities.

Funding under TEAM II is planned as cooperative agreements, which typically means NASA expects an active partnership role during the project rather than a hands-off grant. Subject to congressional appropriations and the quality of proposals received, NASA anticipated selecting between 1 and 8 awards. Individual awards are capped at $1,000,000, and the minimum request allowed is $500,000. Proposed performance periods must be at least two years and no more than four years, reflecting NASA's expectation that projects will be substantial enough to build capacity, develop or refine programming, implement it across networks, and collect meaningful evaluation results over time.

Eligibility is centered on nonprofit, U.S.-based informal education organizations. To apply as the lead or managing organization, an institution must be legally recognized as a nonprofit by a federal, state, or local authority; be located in the United States or its territories; and provide STEM education programming (including but not limited to exhibits) through leadership of or partnerships with networks such as other IEIs, youth-serving organizations, libraries, and/or K-12 schools, potentially alongside commercial, higher education, or other agency partners. NASA notes that an institution does not need specific words like "museum," "science," "planetarium," "youth," "visitor center," or "library" in its legal name to qualify, and NASA Visitor Centers of various types (private, state, or federal entities) are eligible to propose.

The solicitation also sets expectations about institutional commitment and leadership. The Principal Investigator is required to be a senior executive or similarly ranked leader from the eligible institution, such as a President, Vice President, CEO, CFO, Board Chair, Superintendent of Schools, Planetarium Director, or Director of Sponsored Research. NASA frames this requirement as an indicator that the organization is sufficiently invested and positioned to carry out a multi-year, networked project at the scale TEAM II is meant to support.

On the administrative side, applicants must have standard federal registrations in place by the proposal due date, including a DUNS number (as referenced in the announcement), an active SAM registration, a CAGE code, and registration in NASA's NSPIRES system. NSPIRES registration is required not only for the lead institution but for all participating organizations that will receive subawards or subcontracts. Applicants could submit through NSPIRES and, if using Grants.gov, must also register there, but NASA specifically warns that a required NSPIRES Program Specific Data Form is not available through Grants.gov and must be included as an appendix if submitting via Grants.gov. NASA also notes that additional guidance may be issued before the deadline through FAQs or formal amendments posted on the NSPIRES solicitation page, and that updates may be distributed through the NASA Education Express listserv.

Key timing and reference details from the posting include a creation date of May 7, 2019, and an original closing date of August 13, 2019. The opportunity falls under CFDA 43.008, is categorized as discretionary funding, and supports the education activity category. Overall, TEAM II is structured to help informal education organizations deliver modern, mission-connected NASA STEM experiences at scale, with a strong emphasis on partnerships, measurable learner outcomes, and expanding access and inclusion for communities that have historically had fewer opportunities in STEM.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2019 NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II)" 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 May 07, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 13, 2019. (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 $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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