Research and Innovation Office

Extramural Coordinated Funding


UM Submission Instructions: Fostering Interdisciplinary Networks to Develop Emergent and Responsive Solutions Foundry (FINDERS FOUNDRY) - Planning Award 2026

Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Award Title: Fostering Interdisciplinary Networks to Develop Emergent and Responsive Solutions Foundry (FINDERS FOUNDRY) - Planning Award
Amount: $50,000
NSF estimates awarding ~50 Planning awards of up to $50,000 each for up to 2 months. Only teams that receive Planning awards are eligible to submit Development proposals (separate application with November 2026 deadline). The total anticipated funding amount for the FINDERS FOUNDRY opportunity is: $8,500,000.
UM Deadline: 04/13/2026
Sponsor Deadline: 05/27/2026
Description:

NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY Program

The NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY program supports collaboration among K-12 educators, technologists, parents or guardians, and researchers, to develop innovative solutions to persistent challenges in learning and workforce development. These challenges are identified by K-12 students, families, and educators. The program aims to create and scale evidence-based practices, tools, and technologies that improve learning outcomes and prepare students for a digital, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven future.

A key focus is early exposure to AI to build curiosity, understanding, and readiness for future careers. The program encourages partnerships to co-design responsive, technology-based solutions between key sectors – schools, universities, industry, government, and nonprofits – and our nation’s families.

Program Phases

NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY program includes two phases: Planning and Development. Planning proposals help teams explore one of several focus areas. Only teams awarded Planning grants may submit Development proposals, which support the growth and implementation of promising ideas. This limited submission competition is only for Planning proposals.

Leadership Team Requirements

Each NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY leadership team must have at least one member from each of four stakeholder groups: (1) K-12 educators, (2) technologists, (3) researchers, and (4) parents or guardians.

One of these individuals must act as the Principal Investigator (PI) through an eligible organization described above. Co-PIs and additional Senior Personnel, (sub)contractors, consultants, etc., are also allowed.

Funding and Award Period

NSF anticipates an estimated 50 Planning awards of up to $50,000 each for up to 2 months.

Limited Submission Selection Process

If the number of proposals submitted to this competition exceeds the number that the University can submit to the sponsor, review will be triggered.

Reviewers are not likely to be specialists in your sub-field, so it is advised that applicants avoid excessive jargon.

The PI(s) selected to move forward with full proposals will be notified by email by early May. Per the sponsor restrictions, no more than 1 submission may be put forth by the University.
Number of Applicants University is Allowed to submit: 1
Additional Requirements: None
Sponsor Guidelines: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/nsf-finders-foundry-national-science-foundation-fostering-interdisciplinary/nsf26-507/solicitation#awd_info
UM Nominations Process: Those interested in applying should submit the following as a single pdf document to collabor@umn.edu no later than 4pm on: 04/13/2026

1. Cover page including PI name, department, contact information, project title, any co-PI's name and department, and one paragraph project abstract.
2. Project summary - to include solicitation specific information (not more than three pages)
The project summary should include:

  • Overview: Identify the one track from the NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY Dashboard and describe the potential outcome(s) of the proposed solution including the areas of application that are the initial target of the technology.
  • Team Composition: For the Leadership Team, list team members names, organization, their expertise, and the role they play on the project. At a minimum the leadership team must include at least one (1) K-12 educator, one (1) technologist, one (1) researcher, and one (1) parent or guardian. Provide an overview of the classroom setting. Include a brief narrative describing the expertise of personnel and their specific roles, responsibilities, and contributions relative to the proposed effort, including those responsible for the pilot testing of the minimum viable product.
3. Biosketch of PI and any co-PI's (3 pages max., NSF format).
4. 3-5 names of possible UMN reviewers (NOT References) (with no Conflicts of Interest) plus 5 keywords to be used as search terms for possible reviewers (can be added to Cover Page)

Any questions can be submitted to collabor@umn.edu
Peer Review Coordination: Research and Innovation Office contact email
Status: The internal deadline has passed with no applicants. Contact us if interested.
Please note: To be considered for peer review and internal selection, faculty must follow the above submission guidelines and meet the UM deadline as set by the office coordinating the peer review for this opportunity.


General Information

  • Each posting has information about the external sponsor and opportunity as well as the internal application instructions.
  • Opportunities can be sorted by column headings; just click on the heading to re-sort by that column.
  • When a link redirects you to another site, it opens in a new browser window.
  • If you know of an opportunity that is not on the list, please contact Kristin Mead.
Internal Requirements

  • Sponsor: Name of funder.
  • Award Title: Funding opportunity nameAmount: Range/Maximum dollar amount awarded.
  • UMN Deadline: Submission deadline for internal proposal as determined by the coordinating office.
  • Sponsor Deadline: External deadline identified by the sponsor.
  • Description: General information about the sponsor and the funding opportunity. Usually describes the purpose of the funding opportunity, overview of what the sponsor is looking for, including distinctive criteria. This is not meant to take the place of the sponsor guidelines; please read the sponsor guidelines before deciding to apply.
  • Number of Applicants University is Allowed to Submit: The maximum number of applications the sponsor will allow the university to submit.
  • Additional Requirements: Identifies any special requirements such as cost sharing, partners, etc.
  • Sponsor Guidelines: Link to the sponsor’s funding opportunity website.
  • UMN Nominations Process: Contains specific internal submission requirements including internal proposal instructions, deadline, eligibility, internal nomination process, contact information.
  • Peer Review Coordination: The name and contact email of the office coordinating the funding opportunity. RIO coordinates most limited submissions, but opportunities coordinated by other offices or programs are also posted on this webpage.
  • Status:
    • Open: UM deadline has not passed and the opportunity is open for application.
    • Forecasted: The funder has not yet formally published the opportunity. The deadline has yet to be determined.
    • Archived: The opportunity has been archived by the funder.
    • Spots Remaining: UMN deadline has passed, with some applicant spots still available. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
    • First-Come, First-Served: Applicants accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact collabor@umn.edu if interested
    • Contact Us: The internal deadline has passed, but no applicants were selected. Please contact the office coordinating the peer review for more information.
    • In Review: Peer review process is in progress for the opportunity.
    • PI Selected: The PI(s) have been selected as the official UMN nominees.
    • Closed: UMN is no longer accepting applications.
UMN Selection Process

  • Once the internal deadline has passed, if the number of applicants is less than or equal to the number of spots the university is allowed to send forward, the applicants automatically become the UMN nominee(s).
  • If the status of an opportunity is "First-Come, First-Served", there was not time to hold an internal review. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • If there are no applicants, the status will change to "Contact Us". At this point, the opportunity changes to a first-come, first-served opportunity.
  • If there are multiple applicants, the office coordinating the nomination will determine the review criteria and coordinate the review process. The status will change to "In Review".
  • Once the review has been completed all parties will be notified via email.
  • Nominees will be provided with an email from RIO (or the designated coordinating office) indicating that they are the university's nominee. This letter should accompany the nominee's proposal.
  • SPA is notified of the university's nominee(s) and the status is updated to "PI(s) Selected".


*If you have questions about the University's process related to extramural funding opportunities requiring nomination or if you have any technical issues with the site, contact collabor8@umn.edu.

For questions, please contact RIO's Research Advancement group.