Grants

Over the last two decades, Dr. Heffernan's shared scientific infrastructure and student learning tools have benefited from million in grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), the Spencer Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Eric Schmidt's philanthropy and many other philanthropic organizations. 

• GA65 (2024). Using Artificial Intelligence to Personalize Mathematics Instruction to Students Interests. NSF #2341948. Walkington, C., Heffernan, N., Baker, R., Lan, S., & Pruitt-Britton, T. (08/01/2024 - 07/31/2028). This Developing and Testing Innovations Project aims to explore the impacts of using generative artificial intelligence to construct personalized algebra problems for 7th grade students based on their interests. 

• GA64 (2024). Mid-Scale RI-2: SafeInsights: A National Research Infrastructure for Large-Scale Learning Science and Engineering. NSF #2153481. Baraniuk R., Anton, A., McNamara, D., Baker, R., & Roediger, H. (05/01/2024 - 04/30/2029). Rice University is coordinating a large-scale national research infrastructure that will support transformational learning research across securely connected digital learning platforms. WPI will be involved in this infrastructure with a contract of 4.5 million.

• GA63 (2024). Talking Math: Improving Math Performance and Engagement Through AI-Enabled Conversational Tutoring. IES# R305T240029. Heffernan, N., Heffernan, & C., Feng, M. (03/01/2024 - 02/28/2027). The purpose of this grant is to develop a conversational Artificial Intelligence tutor (CAIT) to support independent math practice for middle school students strugglling with math, and otherwise may not have access to after-school tutoring. CAIT will be able to break math problems down into pieces, rather than just providing hints. 

• GA62 (2023). The Vital Prize Challenge. Heffernan, N., & Heffernan, C. (11/01/2023 - 01/32/2024). Funded by the NSF, the Visionary Interdisciplinary Teams Advancing Learning, or VITAL, Prize Challenge encourages teams to advance innovative concepts into prototypes for revolutionary learning technologies. Neil and Cristina Heffernan received $20,000 as semi-final round winners in the challenge. 

• GA61 (2023). Cyberinfrastructure for Learning Engineering Research & Development. With the generous support  of Schmidt Futures, this grant will leverage data from LEVI teams and external datasets to fine-tune existing large language models to cater to K-12 students.  

• GA60 (2023). Using ASSISTments for College Math: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Supports and Transferability of Findings. NSF # 2216035. Heffernan, C. (04/01/2023 - 03/31/2025). This grant will run a set of adaption studies to determine the transferability of findings between different populations of students, faculty, and institution types. Specifically, the grant will determine if existing online platforms can achieve similar success to past studies when applied to college-level mathematics education.

• GA61 (2023). Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Analyze Students’ Math Work Uploaded in a Digital Platform. Heffernan, N., Baral, S., Santhanam, A., & Cheng, L. With the generous support of the Jaffe Foundation, this grant aims to capture and analyze image-based open-responses from students uploaded into the ASSISTments learning platform. The grant will fund efforts to remove Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and enhance the quality of the image, and to extract and analyze relevant content from images to develop innovative deep learning methods that enables computers to better understand students' written work. 

• GA60 (2022). A Systemic Replication Study of Interleaved Mathematics Practice. IES #R305R220012. Matlen, B., Davenport, J., Doug, R., Heffernan, C., Heffernan, N.T., & Shaw, S. (08/01/2022 - 07/31/2027). In association with Bryan Matlen of WestEd and Doug Rohrer of University of South Florida, this project will leverage the ASSISTments learning platform to conduct a study verifying the highly promising mathematics learning intervention, interleaved practice, in 7th grade classrooms.

• GA59 (2022). Building a Mathematical Problem-Solving Environment to Prepare K-5 Students for Success in STEM and Health Careers. NHI #R44GM146483. Carpenter, K.  (04/15/2022 - 10/14/2022). Working with Teachley and The ASSISTments Foundation, this grant will design and conduct randomized control trials within the E-TRIALS infrastructure for research questions based around K-5 Students for Success in STEM and Health Careers. 

• GA58 (2022). Recovering from COVID-Learning-Loss with a Platform to Support Human Tutoring. EIR #S411B210024. Heffernan, C. This project aims to increase student learning by providing tools to support virtual/in-person tutoring programs, such as extending the TutorASSIST infrastructure with program administration oversight and an AI-Agent that will aid the human tutor. 

• GA57 (2021). Revisions to the ASSISTments Digital Learning Platform to Expand Its Support for Rigorous Education Research.  IES# R305N210049. Heffernan, N. (09/01/2021-08/31/2026). This grant. will fund Neil and Cristina Heffernan's efforts to 1) make ASSISTments a better instrument for detecting the effectiveness of student supports and 2) attract more teachers to ASSISTments by creating an adaptive version of the platform. 

• GA56 (2021). Collaborative Research: Common Error Diagnostics and Support in Short-answer Math Questions. NSF #2118725. Heffernan, N. T. & Shaw, S. (10/01/2021 - 09/30/2024). Working with Professor Andrew Lan at UMASS(#2118706) and Cristina Heffernan at the ASSISTments Foundation, this grant will develop artificial intelligence mechanisms that can automatically identify common wrong answers to math problems and diagnose errors.

• GA52 (2021). Fully Latent Principal Stratification: A New Framework for Big, Complex Implementation Data from Education RCTs. IES #R305D210036. Whittaker, T., Kang, H., & Sales, A. (09/01/2021 - 08/31/2024). This grant funds the development of fully latent principal stratification (FLPS), a data science tool for modeling large complex multivariate log data from computer-based interventions. 

• GA51 (2020). REU Site: Leveraging The Learning Sciences & Technologies to Enhance Education and Learning in Secondary Schools. NSF #1950683. Heffernan, N., Shaw, S., & Beck, J. (06/01/2020 - 05/31/2025). This grant engages twenty-four unique students in a ten-week summer undergraduate research experience, allowing them to collect and interpret data collected by ASSISTments, test educational interventions with A/B experiments on the E-TRIALS platform, and assess classroom dynamics through innovative deep-learning technology. 

• GA50 (2019). Midphase: Scaling Teachers' Professional Development for ASSISTments. U.S. Department of Education. EIR. In collaboration with the ASSISTments Foundation, WestEd and Lesley University, the project will scale the ASSISTments platform to high-need middle school students in predominantly rural areas. To do this, the project will implement, refine, and evaluate the ASSISTments approach and improve the user experience, create online professional learning, offer instructional supports, and study the effects of these interventions in an effort to improve the ASSISTment platform's efficiency and accessibility.

• GA49 (2019). Collaborative Research: CyberInfrastructure for Shared Algorithmic and Experimental Research in Online Learning. NSF #1931523. Heffernan, N., Heineman, G., Ostrow, K., & Botelho, A. (10/1/2019 - 09/30/2025). In collaboration with UPENN's Ryan Baker, this project will create new technology that will enable researchers to more easily run scaled, highly instrumented studies on education. Leveraging  ASSISTments and Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), the technology will allow online field experiments to test interventions with a focus on how adaptive learning experiences can be optimized. 

• GA48 (2019). Collaborative Research: Precision Learning: Data-Driven Experimentation of Learning Theories using Internet-of-Videos. NSF #1940236. Heffernan, N. (10/1/2019 - 09/30/22). In collaboration with PennState and Arkansas State, researchers will identify a large collection of videos that address mathematics skills and extract features. These videos and features will be checked for usability before being presented to students and verify learning effectiveness. 

• GA47 (2019). ETRIALS. Schmidt Futures Grant #995. Heffernan, N. (2019).

• GA46 (2019). The Arnold Foundation to add an extra year to the IES Replication Grant ($500,000 via Wested.)

• GA45 (2019). Collaborative Research: Student Affect Detection and Intervention with Teachers in the Loop.  NSF #1917808. Heffernan, N. (09/01/2019 - 08/31/2024). In this project, investigators will develop adaptive learning systems that enlist the help of teachers to develop better student affect detection methods. 

• GA44 (2019). IUSE: EHR: Improving Undergraduate Algorithms Instructions with Online Feedback. NSF #1903304. Heineman, G., Heffernan, N., & Botelho, A. (06/01/2019 - 05/30/2023). This project will leverage artificial intelligence techniques to improve undergraduate student learning and instructor productivity in computing courses. 

• GA43 (2019). Support to create the ASSISTments Foundation from an anonymous philanthropy. 

• GA42 (2018). QUICK-COMMENTS. Schmidt Futures. Heffernan, N. (2018). 

• GA41 (2018). Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need. GAANN #P200A180088. Rundensteiner, E. & Heffernan, N. (07/01/2018 - 07/01/2021). This program provided fellowships, through the Artificial Intelligence department of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, to fund U.S. Ph.D. students in their projects. 

• GA40 (2018). Putting Teachers in the Driver's Seat: Using Machine Learning to Personalize Interactions with Sutdents (DRIVER-SEAT). NSF #1822830. Heffernan, N., Whitehill, J., Ostrow, K., & Botelho, A. (09/01/2018 - 08/31/2022). Applying technologies used by Google's Smart Reply, this project will provide teachers a quick and effective way to respond to student online homework via machine learning. 

• GA39 (2018). A Bayesian Multi-Scale Personalized Learning Approach. Office of Naval Research (ONR) #N00014-18-1-2768. Heffernan, N. & Whitehill, J. (8/1/2018 - 7/31/2021).

• GA38 (2018). The Efficacy of From Here to There: A Dynamic Technology for Improving Algebrain Understanding. IES #R305A180401. Ottmar, E., Landy, D., Goldstone, R., Mason, C. & Decker-Woodrow, L. (08/01/2018 - 07/31/2021). Investigators will test the efficacy of From Here to There (FH2T), an interactive touch-based application developed with prior IES funding designed to improve conceptual understanding of algebraic ideas. 

• GA37 (2018). Personalizing Mathematics to Maximize Relevance and Skill for Tomorrow's STEM Workforce. NSF #1759229. Heffernan, N. & Ostrow, K. (08/01/2018 - 06/31/2022). This project will advance the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) to increase student motivation and capacities to pursue careers in STEM. Investigators will test an intervention system to engage students with meaningful STEM problems and provide on-line tools to assist teachers in this process.  

• GA36 (2017). Efficacy of ASSISTments Online Homework Support for Middle School Mathematics Learning: A Replication Study. IES #R305A170641. Feng, M., Heffernan, N., Roschelle, J., & Murphy, R. (09/01/2017 - 08/31/2021). Investigators will conduct a replication study of the impact of the platform ASSISTments on student mathematics outcomes.

• GA35 (2017). Evaluating the Effectiveness of ASSISTments for Improving Math Achievement. IES #R305A170243. Walters, K. & Sorenson, Nicholas. (07/01/2017 - 06/30/2022). The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of a new platform called ASSISTments on student outcomes in STEM. 

• GA34 (2017). CIF21 DIBBs: PD: Enhancing and Personalizing Educational Resources through Tools for Experimentation. NSF #1724889. Heffernan, N., Williams, J., Ostrow, K., & Botelho, A. (07/01/2017 - 06/30/2021). This project would develop a technology to automate the creation and data analysis of randomized controlled experiments, question sets used to compare alternative educational strategies. 

• GA33 (2016). BD Spokes: Spoke: NORTHEAST: Colloaborative: Grand Challenges for Data-Driven Education. NSF #1636782. Arroyo, I. & Heffernan, N. (09/01/2016 - 08/31/2020). This project will support the collaboration of teachers, administrators, and researchers to increase the capacity of data analyzation in the Northeast in an effort to improve teaching and learning. 

• GA32 (2015). Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) In Computer Science to Support Data-Driven Computing Research. GAANN #P200A150306. Rundensteiner, E. & Heffernan, N. (09/01/2015 - 08/31/2018).This program provided fellowships, through the Computer Science department of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, to fund U.S. Ph.D. students in their projects. 

• GA31 (2015). Collaborative Research: The Downside of Perseverance--Investigating and Moving Students Beyond Unproductive Persistence. NSF #1535428. Heffenan, N. (09/15/2015 - 08/31/2020). This project will investigate how a computer-based learning environment can support and promote students to be both persistent and productive in mathematics learning.

• GA30 (2015). Integration of Intelligent Tutoring Systems for Electronics. Office of Naval Research (ONR). . Graesser, A. C., Hu, X., Nye, B. D., VanLehn, K. Kumar, R., Heffernan, C., Heffernan, N., Woolf, B., Olney, A. M., Rus, V., Andrasik, F., Pavlik, P., Cai, Z., Wetzel, J., Morgan, B., Hampton, A. J., Lippert, A. M., Wang, L., Cheng, Q., Vinson, J. E., Kelly, C. N., McGlown, C., Majmudar, C. A., & Morshed, B., & Baer, W. (05/01/2015 – 12/31/2015). The Office of Naval Research (ONR) organized a STEM Challenge initiative to explore how intelligent tutoring systems can be developed to help students learn STEM topics. The ONR then funded a joint project that integrated the designed systems from the challenge on the subject matter of electronic circuits. 

• GA29 (2014). SI2-SSE: Adding Research Accounts to the ASSISTments' Platform: Helping Researchers Do Randomized Controlled Studies with Thousands of Students. NSF #1440753. Heffernan, N. & Williams, J. (09/01/2014 - 08/31/2017). This project aims to add researcher accounts to the ASSISTments platform to better facilitate the research process.

• GA28 (2013). Improving Formative Assessment Practices: Using Learning Trajectories to Develop Resources that Support Teacher Instructional Practice and Student Learning in CMP2. NSF #1316736. Superfine, A. C., Goldman, S., Pellegrino, J., & Martinez, M. (10/01/2013 - 09/30/2019). The goal of this project is to support middle grades teachers in their efforts to meet college and career standards for student learning of algebra. Providing instructional resources and professional development opportunities through the Connected Mathematics Project 2, teachers will be able to interpret and react to students' performances and trajectories. 

• GA27 (2013). Making Math Tutors More Engaging and Effective through Interaction Design Patterns and Educational Data Mining. NSF #1252297. Baker, R., Heffernan, N., Ocumpaugh, J., & Scupelli, P. (09/15/2013 - 08/31/2018). This project will develop and validate interaction design patterns, structured definitions of high-quality design solutions that can be used to create more effective and engaging online mathematics problems. 

• GA26 (2013). The Gates Foundation. Beck, J. & Heffernan, N. (08/01/2013 - 07/01/2015). The purpose of this project is to support the creation of the next generation adaptive courses to enable student success.

• GA25 (2012). Two computer tutors will be combined. Office of Naval Research (ONR). Woolf, B. (05/01/2012 -05/01/2014).

• GA24 (2012). An Efficacy Study of Online Mathematics Homework Support: An Evaluation of the ASSISTments Formative Assessment and Tutoring Platform. IES #R305A120125. Roschelle, J. & Heffernan, N. (04/01/2012 - 03/31/2016). This grant funds the evaluation of the efficacy of the ASSISTments educational platform and its ability to tutor students and assess their performance. 

• GA23 (2012). Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need. N. (07/01/2012- 07/01/2016). This program provided fellowships, through a department of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, to fund U.S. Ph.D. students in their projects. 

• GA22 (2011). "Next Generation Learning Challenge" through EDUCASUE. (The primary funders are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation) ASSISTments: Using Web-Based Technologies to Support Grades Mathematics. $500,000. 2011 - 2012. *

• GA21 (2011). Empirical Research, Contextual Research: Taking advantage of Cognitive Science Principles: Adding to a Computer-Based Tutor an Automatic Reassessment and Relearning System. NSF# 1109483. Beck, J. & Heffernan, N. (09/01/2011 - 08/31/2016). The proposed project will build and test new functionality on the learning platform, ASSISTments. This functionality will test whether student performance is improved when instruction occurs over a variety of time points, rather than being focused in a single experience. 

• GA20 (2011). Research: Predicting STEM Career Choice from Computational Indicators of Student Engagement within Middle School Mathematics Classes. NSF #1031398. Heffernan, N. & Baker, R. (06/01/2011 - 05/31/2016). This program will ascertain how well "disengagement" of students in mathematics can be determined by math learning software and how it can predict later outcomes of STEM learning and career advancement. 

• GA19 (2010). National Center for Cognition and Mathematics Instruction (NCCMI). IES #R305C100024. Schneider, S. (01/01/2010 - 01/01/2015). This project will apply research-based design principles to revise middle-school mathematics curriculum.

• GA18 (2009). ASSISTments Meets Science Learning. IES #R305A090170. Gobert, J., Heffernan, N. T., Beck, J., & Koedinger, K. R. (01/01/2009 - 01/01/2012). Investigators will iteratively develop, test, and refine a new platform to assess students' science inquiry skills.  

• GA17 (2008). PIMSE: A GK-12 Partnership Implementing Mathematics and Science Education (PIMSE): Assisting Middle School Use of Tutoring Technology in the Classroom. NSF# 0742503. Heffernan, N., Rundensteiner, E., Heineman, G., & Gobert, J. (06/15/2008 - 04/30/2014). This project's aim is to promote the development of graduate students into STEM professionals. These students will grain teaching experience by being involved in developing and testing the ASSISTments tutoring system.

• GA16 (2008). Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science. NSF. This program supports summer research experiences for K-14 educators to foster collaborations between universities, school districts, and industry partners. 

• GA15 (2007). ASSISTments Meets Inquiry. NSF #0733286. Gobert, J., Ruiz, C., Heffernan, N., Baker, R., & Kim, R. (09/01/2007 - 08/31/2013). The purpose of this grant is to sponsor the development of a technology-based system for middle school assessment of inquiry skills in physical sciences. 

• GA14 (2007). NSF Supplement Research Experience for Undergraduates. Heffernan, N. (2007). 

• GA13 (2007). Scaling up a Web-Based Formative Assessment System: Testing the Replicability of Deploying ASSISTments beyond its 'Home Town'. Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center. Heffernan, N. (2007).

• GA12 (2007). Making Longitudinal Web-Based Assessments Give Cognitively Diagnostic Reports to Teachers, Parents & Students While Employing Mastery Learning. IES #R305A070440. Heffernan, N. (01/01/2007 - 01/01/2011). The purpose of this project is to develop a computer-based assessment and tutoring system designed to track and support mastery learning in mathematics for sixth and seventh graders. 

• GA11 (2006). Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need. GAANN. Ward, M., Heffernan, N., Agu, & Mani. (01/01/2016 - 01/01/2009). This program provided fellowships, through theComputer Science department , o fund U.S. Ph.D. students in their projects to support the Learning Sciences and Security. 

• GA10 (2006). SGER: Research Experience for K12. NSF # 0633930. Rundensteiner, E. & Heffernan, N. (09/01/2006 - 02/28/2009). This project will target K12 students and give them opportunity to engage in active research projects with scientists in the computer science department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 

• GA9 (2005). CAREER: Learning About Learning. NSF #02448319. Heffernan, N. (04/15/2005 - 03/31/2013). This project will involve the creation of a system to help 8th grade students learn math using assistments, individual pieces of computer-generated tutoring that combine assessment with assistance. 

• GA8 (2005). Demonstrating Affordable Behavior Modeling with CTAT through Machine Learning and Human Computer Interaction Techniques. Office of Naval Research (ONR). "Heffernan, N.  (2005 - 2008).

• GA7 (2004). U.S. Army: Phase 2: STTR. Sonalysts, Inc. (2004).

• GA6 (2004). How to incorporate intelligent tutoring into Army warrior simulation systems. U.S. Army: Phase 1: STTR. Sonalysts Inc. (2004).

• GA5 (2003). Programming by Demonstration for Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Research Advancement Program at WPI. Heffernan, N. (2003). 

• GA4 (2003). Using Web-Based Cognitive Assessment Systems for Predicting Student Performance on State Exams. IES #R305K030140. Koedinger, K. (01/01/2003 - 01/01/2007). To solve the issue of teachers dividing time between assisting students' developments and assessing their abilities, a web-based system will be created that can offer instruction to students while providing a detailed evaluation of their abilities. 

• GA3 (2003). Affordable Cognitive Modeling Authoring Tools using HCI Methods. Office of Naval Research (ONR). Heffernan, N. (2003 - 2006).

• GA2 (2002). Office of Naval Research (ONR). "Cognitive Tutor Tools for Advanced Instructional Strategies". PI Ken Koedinger. Co-PIs Heffernan & Aleven. $200,000. 2002.

• GA1 (2002). A Comparison of Student Learning Under Multiple Conditions: Classroom Instruction, One-on-one Human Tutoring, and Different types of Computer Tutoring. National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation. Heffernan, N. (06/01/2002 - 07/01/2004).