What goes in an NSF logic model
Goal
One sentence on the purpose of the project. It should connect directly to your research questions.
Inputs
The resources the project draws on: institutional support, faculty expertise, students, partners, and prior research.
Activities
Five to seven high-level, action-oriented statements that start with a verb such as create, develop, or establish. They are not a task list.
Outputs
What the activities produce. Things you count (students, partners, meetings) and things you create (a curriculum, a manual, a program).
Short-term outcomes
Tangible results during the project period that reflect your measurable objectives.
Mid and long-term outcomes
Mid-term outcomes arrive near or just after the award and are aspirational. Long-term outcomes are the best-case results that link back to your motivating rationale. Do not promise to measure them.
NSF logic model example
An illustrative example for a broadening participation project. Read it left to right: every outcome follows from an output, and every output from an activity.
Goal
Increase the number of first-generation students who complete undergraduate research in environmental engineering.
- Inputs
- Faculty mentors
- Department and college support
- Two community college partners
- Prior pilot data
- Activities
- Recruit community college transfer students
- Develop a mentored summer research curriculum
- Train faculty and graduate student mentors
- Establish a peer cohort that meets monthly
- Evaluate participation and retention each year
- Outputs
Counted
- Students enrolled
- Mentors trained
- Cohort meetings held
Created
- Mentoring manual
- Research curriculum
- Short-term outcomes
- Participants gain research skills
- Participants report a stronger sense of belonging
- Mid-term outcomes
- Participants stay in engineering majors
- Partner colleges adopt the curriculum
- Long-term outcomes
- A more diverse environmental engineering workforce
- A reusable model for other institutions
How the logic model builder works
Step 1
Start from your own words
Enter your goal and research questions, or let GrantCopilot read your Project Summary and Project Description.
Step 2
Draft the model
GrantCopilot proposes inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes using only what you wrote. It does not invent partners, numbers, or institutions.
Step 3
Edit and mark it complete
Every entry is editable. The logic model sits under your Project Description in the proposal navigation, with a status you set yourself.
Step 4
Export with your proposal
The logic model exports as a table in your PDF and Word documents, so it travels with the rest of the proposal.
Learn the terms in the logic model glossary entry, or read the full NSF proposal guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does NSF require a logic model?
The PAPPG does not require a logic model for every proposal. Some programs and solicitations ask for one or encourage a theory of change, especially in education, broadening participation, and center-scale projects. Read your solicitation, and ask your Program Officer if it is unclear. Even when it is optional, a logic model helps reviewers see how your activities lead to your outcomes.
Where does the logic model go in an NSF proposal?
It usually belongs in the Project Description, where it counts toward your page limit. Check your solicitation for any other placement it specifies. In GrantCopilot, the logic model sits under the Project Description in the proposal navigation.
What is the difference between a logic model and a theory of change?
A theory of change explains why you expect your activities to produce change. A logic model lays out the chain from inputs through activities and outputs to outcomes, usually as a one-page visual. A Theory of Change logic model combines the two: the chain plus the reasoning behind each link.
What is the difference between an output and an outcome?
Outputs are the direct products of your activities, such as the number of students trained or a curriculum you wrote. Outcomes are the changes that follow, such as new skills, changed behavior, or lasting systemic change. Every outcome should follow from an output, and every output from an activity.
How many activities should an NSF logic model have?
Five to seven high-level activities works well. More than that usually means you are listing tasks instead of the main lines of work, and the model stops fitting on one page.
Will GrantCopilot make up details for my logic model?
No. The draft is built only from the text you provide. If your text does not support a list, it is left empty for you to fill in. You review and edit every entry before it goes into your proposal.