The last decade has seen an explosion of new pedagogical programs, modules, and curricula in undergraduate STEM courses. Despite the importance of effective dissemination in spreading such programs to a broader community of users, relatively little attention is typically given to the needs of potential adopters. In this paper, we build on previous literature on dissemination and examine specific strategies implemented by programs that seek to develop new curricula across several STEM fields. We consider factors that affect likelihood of adoption from the perspectives of both potential disseminators and adopters, reviewing a set of case studies. Finally, we lay out a framework for effective dissemination of research-based STEM curricula, highlighting features that include demonstration of relative advantage over previous pedagogical methods, compatibility with departmental curricula, complexity, and trialability.