NSF 26-501: Collaboratory to Advance Mathematics Education and Learning for K-12

Program Solicitation NSF 26-501

		U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
		Walton Family Foundation

Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

January 09, 2026

LOI for Phase I proposals

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

March 11, 2026

Deadline for Phase I proposals

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

Proposals Accepted Anytime

Deadline for Phase II proposals

Important Information And Revision Notes

Proposals must be prepared in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Use the version of the guide that is in effect on the proposal's due date.

Summary Of Program Requirements

General Information

Program Title:

Collaboratory to Advance Mathematics Education and Learning (CAMEL) for K-12

Synopsis of Program:

The Collaboratory to Advance Mathematics Education and Learning (CAMEL) for K-12 initiative aims to advance mathematics learning and education through purposeful collaboration that draws on the interdisciplinary Science of Learning (including neuroscience; cognitive, developmental, and social sciences; computer science; machine learning; engineering; and education research), deep experiences in education practice and teaching, and innovations in the use of data science, AI and technology. Through an agreement with philanthropic partners, including the Walton Family Foundation (WFF), CAMEL consists of two phases. Phase I invites proposals for the creation of new research networks to support the generation of high value datasets that aim to advance math learning and education. These research networks must include researchers who study the basic science of learning, education practitioners, and data scientists. The high value dataset may come from either generating a new dataset or by increasing the value of an existing dataset. Phase II, open only to awardees of Phase I, establishes a "collaboratory," which is a socio-technological platform that prioritizes community-building and capacity-building to sustain collaborative efforts to advance math learning and education in K-12.

Expanding Participation in STEM, NSF Priorities and Gold Standard Science:

NSF prioritizes cutting-edge discovery science and engineering research, advancing technology and innovation, and creating opportunities for all Americans. NSF has established priorities set forth by Congress, the administration and the NSF director to promote NSF's mission. Proposers should review the list of NSF priorities and are encouraged to align their proposals with them, where appropriate. NSF also expects the highest standards of scientific rigor, integrity and adherence to appropriate tenets of Gold Standard Science in proposals, as appropriate for the field of science and research modality.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

• Elizabeth F. Chua, telephone: (703) 292-8700, email: CAMEL@nsf.gov
• Anna V. Fisher, telephone: (703) 292-8700, email: CAMEL@nsf.gov
• Margret Hjalmarson, telephone: (703) 292-8700, email: CAMEL@nsf.gov

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):

• 47.075 --- Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 6 to 7

Anticipated Funding Amount: $9,000,000

Up to $9.0 million is expected to be available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. Contingent on the availability of funds and receipt of competitive proposals, NSF expects to make 6-7 awards under this solicitation. Awards are expected to be up to three years in duration with a maximum award size of $1,500,000 in total costs over the full duration of the project.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

• Letters of Intent: Submission of Letters of Intent is required. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
• Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required
• Full Proposals:
  • For proposals submitted via Research.gov, PAPPG guidelines apply.
  • For proposals submitted via Grants.gov, NSF Grants.gov Application Guide guidelines apply.

B. Budgetary Information

• Cost Sharing Requirements:

  Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

• Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:

  Not Applicable

• Other Budgetary Limitations:

  Not Applicable

C. Due Dates

• Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

       January 09, 2026

  LOI for Phase I proposals

• Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

       March 11, 2026

  Deadline for Phase I proposals

• Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

       Proposals Accepted Anytime

  Deadline for Phase II proposals

Proposal Review Information Criteria

Merit Review Criteria:

National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review criteria apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions:

Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Reporting Requirements:

Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.

I. Introduction

The Collaboratory for Advancing Mathematics Education and Learning (CAMEL) program will establish Collaborative Networks to integrate cross-disciplinary and cross-sector perspectives to support translation between research and practice, and the generation of high value datasets aimed to solve important problems in K-12 math learning and education. The program will also establish a Collaboratory with a National Coordinator that will synergize resources, research efforts, and coordination among the Collaborative Networks. CAMEL will be a new networked organizational form that prioritizes community-building and capacity-building among researchers, education practitioners, and data scientists.

II. Program Description

The CAMEL initiative partners with the Walton Family Foundation (WFF) and other philanthropic groups to advance K-12 math learning and education. It builds on studies of how people learn generally, how people learn math specifically, and how fundamental knowledge of human cognition and behavior could generalize to inform classroom strategies. It also includes how insights and experiences from education practitioners can inform theory and inspire new research directions. This two-way integration of knowledge combined with high value data sets and sophisticated analyses has the potential to reveal new insights into math learning and education. Specifically, CAMEL advances K-12 math learning and education through: 1) effective collaboration between scientific researchers and education practitioners; 2) innovative use of data science, AI, and technology; and 3) establishment of a "collaboratory" to facilitate collaboration and provide necessary training and education in data science and management.

To implement these goals, the CAMEL solicitation has two Phases:

Phase I: CAMEL Collaborative Networks

Phase I will create CAMEL Collaborative Networks (CAMEL-CN) that bridge researchers and education practitioners. CAMEL-CN proposals must integrate cross-disciplinary and cross-sector perspectives in the generation of high value datasets aimed to solve important problems in K-12 math learning and education. Proposals may be submitted through one or both of the pathways below (1a or 1b):

1a) Novel Dataset Pathway: Creation of novel high-value K-12 math datasets that address current deficiencies in existing datasets, and ensure that the products of the research and education are widely applicable.

1b) Existing Dataset Pathway: Re-use of existing K-12 math datasets for new, potentially high impact use-cases through support for curation and safe sharing of these datasets.

Datasets are expected to:

• Address important research questions on K-12 math learning or have a clear use case.
• Address current deficiencies in data sampling and collection to ensure the data collection is representative of all K-12 learners.
• Protect student privacy by removing potentially identifiable information (PII) or having an approach to PII that ensures that no PII will be inappropriately shared.
• Be AI-ready and contain quality annotation or labels necessary for model training.
• Be large enough to train, build, and evaluate highly accurate models.
• Be thoroughly evaluated and analyzed for quality, robustness, viability, and bias.
• Be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR).

Each network is expected to:

• Address an important issue(s)/question(s) in mathematics learning/education that requires the collective expertise of researchers from the science of learning (e.g., neuroscience; cognitive, developmental, and social sciences; computer science; machine learning; engineering; and education research), education practitioners, and data scientists.
• Have a clear plan for access, preparation and annotation of the data so that it can be used by others.
• Have a clear and technical plan for sharing the data and promoting its usage.
• Engage in collaborative, integrative research and development that incorporates perspectives of the network members.
• Engage in the design of cross-network activities related to the National Coordinator for CAMEL (see Phase II).

Phase II: Establishment of a Collaboratory and National Coordinator for CAMEL.

Phase II is open to Phase I awardees only. Representatives from each CAMEL-CN will participate in intensive brainstorming activities, using the Ideas Lab mechanism (see NSF PAPPG Chapter II.F.6.). Through the Ideas Lab, a CAMEL National Coordinator will be selected for establishing the collaboratory and outcomes assessment. The collaboratory is digital infrastructure designed with the goal of synergizing research efforts and resources (e.g., datasets, tools, and workforce) and stimulating collaboration across the CAMEL-CNs for new research and development.

The envisioned collaboratory is more than a collection of datasets and communication technology; it leverages a new networked organizational form that prioritizes community-building among researchers, education practitioners, and data scientists. The collaboratory also prioritizes capacity-building in data science that translates research to practice through: 1) training and education; 2) building trust and collaboration; 3) co-learning to broaden expertise and converge on shared goals; and 4) agreements on norms, principles, values, and rules.

Responsibilities of the National Coordinator and Collaboratory will include outcomes assessment. The first concrete outcomes from CAMEL Phase I are the 5-6 new or re-purposed high-value, AI-ready datasets. The quality of these datasets and use of these datasets will have been strengthened by the co-production of knowledge from the collaborative networks. Tracking of the usage of these datasets will be achieved through the National Coordinator and Collaboratory in Phase II; this extends to the knowledge gained or tools developed from using these datasets. In addition to dataset generation, the Collaborative Networks and Collaboratory are designed to foster collaboration and bridge researchers and educators. Measures of success include interactions within the collaboratory as well as future collaborations. The Collaboratory is also designed to provide training and education in data science, which can be tracked through the use of tools within the collaboratory as well as the career trajectories of those involved.

Proposals should advance one or more of the following measures of success:

• Publications from research
• Datasets established or expanded
• New technologies or techniques established
• Improvements in student educational outcomes
• Undergraduates and graduate students trained in a specific critical area
• New infrastructure built

III. Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 6 to 7

Anticipated Funding Amount: $9,000,000

Up to $9.0 million is expected to be available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. Contingent on the availability of funds and receipt of competitive proposals, NSF expects to make 6-7 awards under this solicitation. Awards are expected to be up to three years in duration with a maximum award size of $1,500,000 total costs over the full duration of the project.

Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.

IV. Eligibility Information

Who May Submit Proposals:

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

• Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
• Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.
• Tribal Nations: An American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges as a federally recognized tribe pursuant to the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, 25 U.S.C. §§ 5130-5131.

Who May Serve as PI:

There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1

An individual may appear as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI in no more than one Phase I proposal submitted in response to this solicitation.

Proposers are responsible for adhering to this limit. In cases where an investigator appears in these roles in two or more proposals, the first compliant proposal received will be accepted and the excess proposal(s) will be returned without review. No exceptions will be made.

Partners (e.g., WFF) and their staff are ineligible to be involved in any proposals submitted to this funding opportunity, including as unfunded collaborators, via letters of collaboration or support, or via any other means.

V. Proposal Preparation And Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Letters of Intent (required):

A Letter of Intent (LOI) is required to be eligible to submit a Phase I proposal. The LOI must be submitted via Research.gov no later than the LOI deadline date.

Title: The title should begin with "CAMEL-CN:".

Synopsis (not to exceed one page, in a single PDF file not to exceed 10 MB in size): The synopsis must include brief descriptions of the following elements: (1) the project's integrative mathematics learning, math education, and data science goals, including the domain of math (e.g., algebra, calculus, geometry); (2) the composition of the network, the expertise covered and how the network enables new insights into math learning and education; (3) a brief description of the dataset(s) and the rationale/justification for why the new dataset(s) to be created would be of high value, and/or why the re-use of existing datasets would create added high value; (4) the potential for high-impact outcomes in math learning and education; and (5) the training needs/challenges the project would address.

After the summary statements, the one-page synopsis must also list up to five comma-separated keywords that represent the key focus area(s) to be addressed by this proposal. The keywords should include age ranges of the learners, area(s) of math, and data format(s). After the keywords, and on a separate line, the one-page synopsis must also list whether the submission comes under Phase 1a or 1b, or both.

Letter of Intent Preparation Instructions:

When submitting a Letter of Intent through Research.gov in response to this Program Solicitation please note the conditions outlined below:

• Submission by an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) is not required when submitting Letters of Intent.
• A Minimum of 0 and Maximum of 4 Other Senior Project Personnel are permitted
• A Minimum of 0 and Maximum of 99 Other Participating Organizations are permitted
• Submission of multiple Letters of Intent is not permitted

Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Research.gov or Grants.gov.

You must prepare your proposal according to Chapter II.D.2 of the PAPPG, unless this solicitation specifies different instructions. Always use the version of the PAPPG in effect on your proposal's due date.

• For proposals submitted via Research.gov, PAPPG guidelines apply.
• For proposals submitted via Grants.gov, NSF Grants.gov Application Guide guidelines apply.

In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:

Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via Research.gov. PAPPG Chapter II.E.3 provides additional information on collaborative proposals.

Proposal Title

Titles for CAMEL Phase I proposals should begin with the phrase "Phase I CAMEL-CN". Additional title prefixes (e.g., "Collaborative Research:" or "RUI:") may be included as applicable. (See PAPPG Chapter II.E.3. for more information about collaborative proposals.) Titles for CAMEL Phase II proposals should begin with the phrase "Phase II CAMEL".

Project Description

In addition to the guidance specified in the PAPPG, including the requirement for a separate section labeled "Broader Impacts," Project Descriptions for Phase I should address the following points:

• Description and value of the interdisciplinary composition of the network and collaboration-building activities, and how they contribute to the project's goals;
• Description and significance of the data, tools, or other resources, including their quality, importance, structure, format, and scale;
• Relationship to similar data or other resources, relevant standards, coordination with relevant related activities and infrastructure, and potential for integration with other resources;
• Anticipated range of uses for research and education in math learning or other related fields (e.g., artificial intelligence);
• Plan for preparation and deployment, including technical plans, metadata and documentation, and plans for outreach and community input; and
• Anticipated implementation timetable and strategy for evaluation and management over the course of the award period.

Collaboration and Management Plan

A Collaboration and Management Plan is required for all proposals. Up to 2 pages are allowed for this document. This document must describe the plan for sustained collaboration among researchers, K-12 education practitioners, and data scientists toward co-design of the proposed research and co-production of knowledge. This document may include paid or unpaid consultants or collaborators. Information in this document should include:

• Research team members, their expertise, and the specific roles of each team member in the proposed project.
• Coordination and decision-making mechanisms that will enable integration across the multi-disciplinary project team.

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:

Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

C. Research.gov/Grants.gov Requirements

You can submit proposals in response to this solicitation through Research.gov or Grants.gov, unless otherwise noted.

Information on how to prepare and submit proposals is available on the Submitting Your Proposal page on NSF.gov.

VI. NSF Proposal Processing And Review Procedures

Information on NSF's proposal processing and review procedures is available on the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page on NSF.gov.

A. Merit Review Principles and Criteria

All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board-approved merit review criteria:

• Intellectual Merit, which encompasses the potential to advance knowledge.
• Broader Impacts, which encompass the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.

Information on NSF's merit review principles and process can be found on the How We Make Funding Decisions page on NSF.gov.

Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria

Consistent with applicable law and policy, Walton Family Foundation (WFF) may not participate in the NSF merit review process but may be permitted limited access as observers. All personnel of WFF with access to Privacy Act-protected and other non-public NSF information will be held to the same confidentiality and Conflicts-of-Interest standards as NSF staff and reviewers (e.g., they must sign Form 1230P, and both NSF and WFF will retain copies of these signed forms). WFF will take steps to track and control which of its personnel have access to Privacy Act-protected and other non-public information. Other philanthropic partners of CAMEL who are not expressly named in this solicitation may not access non-public proposal or review information and may not be observers of review panels.

After completion of the NSF merit review process, NSF will share with WFF's representatives the subset of proposals that have been rated Highly Competitive or Competitive, along with corresponding unattributed reviews and/or panel summaries. Reviewers will be informed that proposals and their unattributed reviews may be shared with the WFF. WFF may opt to decline access to the proposal and review information, particularly if it contains proprietary or privileged information. Proposals submitted to NSF are protected by the Privacy Act and NSF protects their contents from disclosure in accordance with applicable law. WFF's representatives must not copy, quote, or otherwise use or disclose to anyone beyond those with a need to know within WFF any material from any proposal that is shared under this partnership plan. Further, WFF agrees not to disclose any non-public information to any institution of higher education or organization outside of WFF.

NSF will be responsible for making all award decisions. Neither WFF nor other partners will have the right to approve the selection of grantees and have not earmarked the use of funds for any specific organization or individual involved in a proposal submitted in connection with this funding opportunity. NSF will be responsible for issuance of all awards and declinations. All awards will be subject to standard NSF terms and conditions, plus any other applicable terms and conditions. Neither WFF nor other partners will oversee the activities or use of funds by grantees for awards issued under this funding opportunity.

B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review.

After a proposal passes an initial compliance check, it will be reviewed by an NSF Program Officer. In most cases, three or more external experts will also review it (either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists or both).

Visit the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page for more information on the proposal review and selection process.

VII. Award Administration Information

A. Notification of the Award

Notification of an award is made to the submitting organization by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer.

B. Award Conditions

Information on NSF award conditions can be found on the Award Terms and Conditions page on NSF.gov and Chapter VII of the PAPPG.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Information on administrative and national policy requirements can be found on the National Policy Requirements for Recipients of NSF Awards page on NSF.gov.

Special Award Conditions:

Awardees under this funding opportunity will be required to include appropriate acknowledgment of the support of WFF and NSF in reports, press releases, and publications on work performed under this award. An example of such an acknowledgment would be: "This material is based upon work supported by a joint Walton Family Foundation and NSF activity under NSF Award No. [NSF award number]."

NSF intends to share these reports with WFF after they have been reviewed and accepted by the cognizant NSF Program Officer.

C. Reporting Requirements

Unless your award notice says otherwise, NSF requires the principal investigator of every grant to submit annual project reports and a project outcomes report for the general public. For complete reporting requirements, see Chapter VII of the PAPPG.

VIII. Agency Contacts

For questions related to the use of NSF systems contact:

• Research.gov: NSF IT Service Desk at rgov@nsf.gov or 1-800-381-1532. The Service Desk is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except for federal holidays).

For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:

• Grants.gov: The Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726. (Contact if the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from Grants.gov within 48 hours of submitting an application.)

The contact information below is accurate at the time of publishing. See the program page linked at the top of this solicitation for up-to-date contacts, as they may have changed.

General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:

• Elizabeth F. Chua, telephone: (703) 292-8700, email: CAMEL@nsf.gov
• Anna V. Fisher, telephone: (703) 292-8700, email: CAMEL@nsf.gov
• Margret Hjalmarson, telephone: (703) 292-8700, email: CAMEL@nsf.gov

IX. Other Information

For information on NSF directorates, programs and funding opportunities, go to NSF.gov.

About The National Science Foundation

The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency created by the "National Science Foundation Act of 1950." More information about NSF can be found on NSF.gov.

Location: 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314 General Information (703) 292-5111 TDD (for the hearing-impaired): (703) 292-5090

Privacy Act And Public Burden Statements

The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the "National Science Foundation Act of 1950," as amended. More information can be found on the Privacy Act and Public Burden Statements page on NSF.gov.