NCTI -

National Center for Technology Innovation
Advancing Technology Innovations for All Students

Call for Proposals

The competition for 2008 is now closed.  Watch this space for announcements of the awards to collaborative researcher-vendor teams on May 1, 2008. 

Intent:  To fund quick turnaround collaborative research that informs the development of assistive and learning technologies that can improve educational results for all students, particularly those with disabilities.

I. Timeline

  • RFP Released:  January 16, 2008
  • Letters of Intent Due: March 3, 2008
  • Proposals Due: April 2, 2008
  • Award Announcement:  May 1, 2008
  • Preliminary Findings Due: Mid-November 2008 (NCTI Annual Conference)
  • Final Reports Due: January 30, 2009 

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II. Eligibility

  • Collaboration team. Applicants must propose a collaborative study involving at least one researcher and one vendor to examine the effectiveness of a technology product in improving educational results for all students, particularly those with disabilities.
  • Technology. The technology product should be innovative, beneficial for students with disabilities, and have wide market appeal.
  • Non-disclosure of proposed ideas. NCTI and its reviewers will hold all knowledge shared in Letters of Intent and proposals in confidence.
  • Funding. Up to five awards of $15,000 will be made in 2008. The collaboration team must secure matching funds of at least $15,000 from at least one of the parties involved in the study. The matching funds may be given to the project in the form of in-kind materials, equipment, or staff. We encourage creative arrangements. The NCTI award and matching funds may be used to support an expansion of an already existing research project. However, these funds cannot be used to purchase hardware or software. No more than five percent of the award may be budgeted to cover administrative and indirect costs. 
  • Research plan. Applicants must submit a short and detailed plan (5 page limit) for conducting the proposed research. Upon award, grantees need to provide documentation of approval by the sponsoring institution’s Internal Review Board (IRB) of the research plan to protect human subjects and submit the plan to the American Institutes for Research (AIR) for review. If an applicant does not work for an institution that has an IRB in place, the applicant may submit plans for the protection of human subjects to AIR for IRB approval.
  • Research subjects. Subjects of the research should be children and youth (birth – 21 years old), but are not required to be studied in a school setting; research related to technology and training is acceptable. There is no requirement for the minimum number of subjects in a study.
  • Past research experience. Applicants must submit evidence of previously conducted research that indicates the ability to disseminate and publish findings.
  • Mandatory participation in NCTI Conference. Awarded applicants are required to present the project design and findings at the NCTI Technology Innovators Conference Technology Expo in November, 2008. Preliminary results are acceptable. Project monies may not be used to cover transportation or registration costs.
  • Mandatory participation in NCTI research on collaboration. Through this effort, NCTI seeks to learn about the process of collaboration in technology innovation; therefore, awardees must agree to be interviewed about their collaboration at two points in the research year.
  • Availability of findings. Preliminary findings are due to NCTI at the November 2008 conference. Final reports are due to NCTI by January 30, 2009. Awarded applicants are required to share findings of the research supported by this award through the NCTI website and other venues such as conference presentations. 
  • Payment schedule. Payment of the award will be made in two equal increments: one available upon award, and one upon submission of final report. Working with the proposed fiduciary agent of awarded projects to establish official subcontracts, NCTI intends to release funds within four weeks of award announcements.
  • Questions. Questions may be submitted at any time to asidana@air.org. See the Frequently Asked Questions page.

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III. Exclusions

NCTI will not make awards to:

  • Government agencies
  • Individuals
  • Lobbyists
  • Members of the NCTI Advisory Board
  • Researchers awarded support from a previous NCTI Technology in the Works competition. (Vendors are not excluded.)
  • Projects that focus on products already examined in previous NCTI Technology in the Works awards. Please see previous award abstracts for more information on these products.
  • More than one project at a single organization. An organization may submit several proposals for consideration, but only one proposal may be chosen for funding.

Please note that schools are not excluded from this competition. We welcome applications from schools and other agencies that serve children.

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IV. Letter of Intent

A Letter of Intent to submit a proposal will be appreciated, but not required, for a complete submission. Please submit a one page letter via email to dpmurray@air.org by 5:00 pm ET on or before March 3, 2008. Indicate the technology to be investigated and the key parties that will be collaborating. This Intent is not binding for the proposal, but will assist NCTI with planning the review process.

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V. Proposal

Proposal narratives must be submitted in MS Word or PDF formats, budgets are to be submitted on the customized MS Word template. Please allow NCTI at least one week to respond to requests for reasonable accommodations to these requirements.

The proposal must be submitted via email to Drew Murray at dpmurray@air.org by 5:00 p.m. ET on or before April 2, 2008.

A complete proposal includes the following components:

  1. Signed cover letter (electronic or scanned signature acceptable)
  2. One page abstract
  3. Up to five pages of narrative that include:
    1. Research plan (description of use of technology)
    2. Research activities (management plan and timeline)
  4. Resumes (three page limit for each) of key research staff
  5. Vendor profile (indicate the company’s ability to carry out the research plan within the budget and payment schedule)
  6. Budget form provided (see instructions on the form) 
  7. Signed letter of commitment from both parties with the name and contact information of the prime researcher indicated. (A hard copy of this letter with original signatures will need to be mailed to NCTI if awarded.)

    Submissions must be electronically time stamped by the deadline.

    Reasonable accommodations must be requested one week prior to deadline.

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    VI. Review Process and Notification

    Completed proposals received on or before April 2, 2008 will be evaluated by a review panel of experts in the field and of members of the NCTI Advisory Board. Applications will not be returned. NCTI and its reviewers will adhere to a non-disclosure agreement, holding ideas shared in proposals in confidence, sharing and publishing abstracts only of award winners. Up to five teams will be selected to conduct studies, and notification of all decisions will be released by  May 1, 2008.

    Each proposal will be reviewed based on the following criteria: 

    • Collaboration: Proposal demonstrates a collaborative, interdisciplinary agreement that exhibits elements found to be critical to success. For more information, see NCTI’s case studies of collaboration. 
    • Feasibility of Design: Study is feasible within the timeframe and budget proposed and ample evidence is provided that both research and vendor have the time and capacity to successfully conduct the study.
    • Importance of Study: The topic of the study is relevant and important to students with disabilities, as documented by existing research and emerging trends. 
    • Innovativeness: The technology being studied is innovative or applied in an innovative way to a new population, with ample evidence provided of the proof of concept for the technology or cross-population relevance.
    • Qualifications of Staff: Evidence of past research provides confidence in research team to conduct the study, analyze results and disseminate findings. If the proposal is submitted by junior researchers, evidence of involvement by an established researcher would strengthen the proposal.

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    VII. Contact Information

    For further information, please contact Anju Sidana at 202-403-5044 or asidana@air.org. 

     

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