Answers about research software
Answers for researchers and small research teams building software, including grant-funded (SBIR/STTR, NSF) projects: scoping, costs, timelines and what reviewers expect. New answers are added as we publish them.
- Who builds the software platform for an NSF CAREER award, and how?
NSF CAREER platforms are usually built by grad students plus an engineering team for the durable parts. Budget 10–20% of the award, mostly in year one. - What does a school district's IT security review ask for?
District IT review wants a signed data privacy agreement, a data inventory, a security questionnaire of 50–150 questions and network details. Plan 2–12 weeks. - FERPA compliance checklist for edtech pilots in school districts
FERPA checklist for edtech pilots: data agreement, data inventory, access controls, logging, deletion. Plan 4–10 weeks for district privacy review. - How to budget software engineering in an SBIR Phase II proposal
Engineering usually takes 25–40% of an edtech SBIR Phase II budget. Split it into milestone lines: hardening, logging, district review and pilot support.