Evaluation and Assessment Capability

Evaluation and Assessment Capability (EAC) supports NSF decision makers by studying programs and activities and their impact on the people who participate in and benefit from NSF investments. EAC also provides centralized resources and guidance for data collection, analysis, evaluation design, surveys, and enterprise analytics. EAC engages stakeholders in identifying learning priorities which drive a broad portfolio of projects that use qualitative and quantitative methods, from simple descriptive analysis to advances in modeling, network analysis, and machine learning.


           Featured Evaluations and Studies

2021 Merit Review Survey Report

October 2023 

Physics

This report describes survey findings on PI's and Reviewers' satisfaction with the NSF merit review process, including their perceptions of quality, fairness, and burden; drawing information from over 17,000 individuals who shared their experiences submitting or reviewing proposals during Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 and 2020. Full Report (PDF, 4.33 MB)

Long-term Educational Outcomes of NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site participants (2013 and 2014 Cohorts)

October 2023

This fact sheet summarizes postsecondary enrollment and graduation outcomes of 5,088 REU students who participated in an REU Site in either 2013 or 2014 and were matched to National Student Clearinghouse data 7-8 years after program participation. Fact Sheet (PDF, 1.12 MB)

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FY 2021 Merit Review Digest

June 2023

Mountaintop with snow

This report provides statistical information on proposals awarded and declined in fiscal year (FY) 2021 based on a snapshot of NSF’s transactional databases taken on October 1, 2021. Full Report (PDF, 6.24 MB) | Merit Review Data (XLSX, 125.34 KB)

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Convergence Accelerator Summary Report: Descriptive Characteristics from 2019 to 2021

April 2023

Student researchers, wearing goggles and lab coats, work at a laboratory bench.

This report provides descriptive statistics on applicants, grantees, and projects for the 2019, 2020, and 2021 cohorts in the Convergence Accelerator program using NSF administrative data. Full Report (PDF, 1.35 MB)