EvaluATE

Tim Tewalt, founder of Mechatronics, shares his journey of updating educational programs to meet industry demands, revealing that proposal writing isn't just about having a great idea—it's about crafting a logical and achievable plan. Here are some key insights:

🔍 Evaluators and Funders Look for Detailed Steps: Beyond lofty goals, what steps will you take? How will new equipment fit into your curriculum? How will faculty be trained to use it effectively?

🔧 Aligning Equipment with Curriculum: New tech is exciting, but its integration must be thoughtful. Partners want to see tangible results, from course modifications to student feedback.

📊 Evaluation: It's not just about data collection—it's a tool for measuring success and identifying improvements. A solid evaluation plan sets the stage for a project's success.

📍Start with the End in Mind: A strong evaluation plan is key and sets the stage for a project's success.

Read more: https://hubs.li/Q02zsGhB0

Ever found yourself in the pre-award stage, scratching your head over crafting a stellar evaluation plan for your proposals? We feel you! The journey to securing those funds can be a bit bumpy, but worry not – we're here to lend a helping hand! We get it, sometimes it's a solo mission and you might not have an evaluator by your side from the get-go. But fear not, we've got your back with some fantastic resources to ace that evaluation plan, even if you're not a seasoned pro🤝

* For those applying to the NSF ATE program, EvaluATE has a number of resources to assist in the pre-award stage, compiled in this toolkit: https://hubs.li/Q020QJD40

* Learn to leverage your project logic model with this blog post by Ama Nyame-Mensah: https://hubs.li/Q020QK490

* Consider other ways to visualize your project’s intended logic with these example structures for program theories by Abt Associates: https://hubs.li/Q020QJ_C0

* Differentiate research plans from evaluation plans with this blog post by Kavita Mittapalli: https://hubs.li/Q020QNJJ0

* Familiarize yourself with the scope and process of evaluation with this manager’s guide to evaluation by Better Evaluation: https://hubs.li/Q020QNmk0

* Write stronger evaluation sections with these 10 helpful hints and 10 fatal flaws by Elizabeth Teles: https://hubs.li/Q020QKWh0