The Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program supports educational activities for pre-kindergarten to grade 12 (P–12) students that contribute to workforce development to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs.

SEPA promotes partnerships among biomedical and clinical researchers and teachers, schools, museums, science centers, media experts, and other educational organizations. The program provides opportunities for students to explore careers in basic or clinical research, for teachers to participate in professional development in science and health content and teaching, and improves community health literacy through activities at science centers and other educational settings.

Two types of SEPA projects are funded under the Notification of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) PAR 23-137: (1) classroom-based projects for pre-college students and teachers, and (2) informal science education projects conducted in locations such as science centers, libraries and other educational settings. SEPA projects may focus on any discipline of health research within NIH’s mission.

SEPA K–12 resources are aligned with state and national K–12 standards for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teaching and learning and are rigorously evaluated for effectiveness. SEPA is sponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

SEPA also has provided funding for eligible small business entities to develop interactive digital media (IDM) biomedical sciences resources for precollege students and teachers through PAR-23-213 (R43/44, SBIR).

Learn more about the SEPA program.

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact a SEPA Program officer to discuss topics, target audience(s) and delivery platform.

Mercedes Rubio, PhD (NIGMS) rubiome@mail.nih.gov
Jessica Faupel-Badger, PhD (NIGMS) badgerje@mail.nih.gov

Additional SEPA contacts at NIH Institutes and Centers can be found here.

SEPA Programs: Workforce Development Partnerships Since 1991

The Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program was created to encourage collaborative health and science education projects among biomedical and clinical researchers and educators, schools, and other interested organizations. The goal of these projects is to improve student understanding of health sciences in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, increase the public’s understanding of science, and prepare the healthcare workforce of the future. SEPA was established in 1991 and transferred from NIH’s Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences in early 2017.

Currently, there are 108 active SEPA awards. Examples of SEPA-funded activities include career exploration resources, mobile science labs, museum exhibits, summer research opportunities for teachers or students, classroom experiences, and innovative science lessons on healthy eating, neuroscience and many other topics. SEPA programs reach people across the United States in rural, suburban and urban locations.

Explore SEPA Programs:

The SEPA Interactive Portfolio Dashboard provides information on current active award in the Division of Research Capacity Building (DRCB) in the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Explore SEPA projects

SEPA projects are evaluated to ascertain the impact on participants through the use of various evaluation tools such as interviews, focus groups, surveys, knowledge tests, and other instruments. Evaluation questions should focus on: “Is this project effectively teaching and engaging students in the field of study?” “Did it meet its objectives?” “How do we know?” The exact evaluation is customized for the objectives of each project. Investigators may find this information valuable in getting ideas for how to evaluate their own projects. Teachers and others may also find the information useful.

Evaluation tools, surveys and instruments

• Citizen Science Central — Evaluation Instruments: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Online Evaluation Resource Library (OERL)
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation — Logic Model Development Guide

Evaluation Resources Websites

• American Evaluation Association
• CAISE: Principal Investigator’s Guide: Managing Evaluation in Informal STEM Education Projects
• Program evaluation models and related theories: AMEE guide no. 67