Meaningful and impactful evaluation starts with finding an evaluator with the right qualifications, experience, and perspective. To simplify this process, EvaluATE developed the ATE Evaluator Directory —your go-to resource for connecting grant seekers with qualified and well-matched evaluators for their projects. Evaluators interested in working with NSF ATE projects are welcome to create a profile, regardless of their prior experience with ATE projects. If your institution requires a competitive bid process, we recommend posting your opportunity on the ATE Evaluation RFP Repository.
Showcase your evaluation experience, approach to working with projects, and work samples with a profile on EvaluATE’s ATE Evaluator Directory.
Creating your evaluator profile is simple—just follow the prompts in our submission form. The EvaluATE team has thoughtfully designed these questions to showcase your unique skills and give you space to describe what it’s like to collaborate with you. We know that a good match between evaluator and client combines technical skills and working styles. A strong profile highlights both, offering a complete picture of you as an evaluator and person.
You’re welcome to update your profile at any time! Simply complete the submission form again and indicate you are updating information. New information will be added to the existing information unless you ask us to remove it.
The map of ATE Evaluators hosted by ATE Central is a useful resource of all evaluators who have previously worked on an ATE grant. The ATE Evaluator Directory is open to evaluators who have not previously worked on an ATE grant, but who are interested. This allows for a broader pool of evaluators to engage with ATE grant seekers. The directory profiles also include more detailed information about an evaluator’s qualifications and working style.
All ATE proposals are required to request funds to support an evaluator independent of the project. Ideally, this external evaluator should be identified in the project proposal. When searching for an evaluator, you want to look for someone who has experience as an evaluator, has strong research skills, is a good communicator, and will be responsive to your situation. It can be helpful for ATE projects if the evaluator understands NSF grants or 2-year colleges.
Policies around procuring or contracting with an evaluator may vary between institutions and organizations. Be sure to check with your institution’s procurement or grants management officer for guidance.
Evaluation needs are unique to each project. Determine the evaluative questions, data collection requirements, frequency of engagement, and whether a local evaluator is preferred.
Browse profiles of evaluators who have joined specifically to work with ATE projects.
Reach out to evaluators who may be a good fit for your project. We recommend setting up a call with the evaluator to learn more about their evaluation services.
An external evaluator is the person who will lead the design and implementation of the evaluation of your ATE project. The evaluation will include systematic collection and analysis of evidence related to the quality, effectiveness, and impact of the project. To be external, the evaluator must be independent of the project.
Proposal developers should contact an evaluator at least one month in advance of the proposal’s due date—earlier if possible. A good evaluation plan should be closely aligned with the project’s goals and activities. To achieve good alignment, the evaluator needs time to review a draft of the proposal, ask questions, and develop a sound evaluation plan. With short notice, some evaluators may offer to provide a generic evaluation plan. However, seasoned proposal reviewers will give your proposal a more favorable review if it has a well-integrated, tailored evaluation plan.
There is no list of vetted or approved evaluators for NSF projects. It is up to the proposal developer (who is usually the principal investigator) to locate an evaluator and determine if they are qualified and right for a project.
Here are four ways to locate a potential evaluator:
Most ATE projects employ evaluators based outside of their home institutions. However, program rules do allow grant recipients to contract with an evaluator who is employed by the project’s home institution, as long as the evaluator is independent of the project. That is, the evaluator should not work in the same unit where the project is housed. However, neither the evaluator nor any of the project’s personnel should have supervisory responsibilities in relation to the other party.
First, confirm they want to proceed in working with you on the proposal. Then, ask what they need from you. Most likely, this will include the draft proposal, a timeline for completing the evaluation plan, and a ballpark figure for the evaluation budget. Allow time for one or two conversations with the evaluator, to make sure that you share a common understanding of the proposed project and what responsibilities each party will have for the evaluation. IMPORTANT! Provide the evaluator with a link to the ATE program solicitation and the ATE evaluation plan checklist. The latter document includes details about the evaluation-related information needed for the proposal.
A prospective evaluator will probably ask you how much your evaluation budget is. The cost of an evaluation should be consistent with the scope of the evaluation effort. ATE evaluations are generally between 4 and 10% of a project’s direct costs.
Many evaluators are willing to help develop a proposal evaluation plan at no charge, with the understanding that they will get the evaluation contract if the proposal is funded. Make this agreement explicit. If you do not get the grant, there will be no financial benefit to the evaluator; this is the nature of grant funding. Try to avoid making numerous requests for information and assistance (particularly if your questions are not specifically about evaluation), given the evaluator is investing time in your project with uncertain benefits. Whether the proposal is funded or not, share the reviewers’ feedback with the evaluator. This will be valuable information for the evaluator’s professional development and is a type of compensation in and of itself.
If your proposal is accepted, contact the evaluator right away. Begin the contracting process as soon as possible, since it will almost certainly take longer than you expect. Defer to your institution’s established contracting process and boilerplate contracts. Work with the evaluator to prepare a statement of work to append to the formal contract. The statement of work should specify the evaluation activities, deliverables, and timeline, elaborating on what was stated in the grant proposal. Once the contract is fully executed, the document will serve as the basis for developing a detailed and actionable evaluation plan.
EvaluATE makes it easy to connect with the right evaluator for your ATE project. Start exploring the directory of active ATE evaluators today and take the first step toward meaningful and impactful evaluation.
EvaluATE is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number 2332143. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this site are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.