NSF Funding Opportunities for Learning and Teaching

1. Elizabeth VanderPutten and Lee Zia National Science Foundation www.nsf.gov June 9, 2010 NH-EPSCoR NSF Funding Opportunities for Learning and Teaching

2. N S F

3. N $ F

4. Not Sufficient Funds

5. Overview • NSF Context: VanderPutten • RUI/REU, STEP, TUES: Zia • MSP, CAREER: VanderPutten • Helpful Hints: Zia • Q&A

6. NSF Funding Sources • Cross-Directorate Programs • Research in Undergraduate Institutions • Research Opportunity Awards • Directorate for Education and Human Resources • Discipline Research Directorates

7. NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR): Themes • Broadening Participation to Improve Workforce Development • Enriching the Education of STEM Teachers • Promoting Learning Through Research and Evaluation • Furthering Public Understanding of Science and Advancing STEM Literacy • Transforming STEM Education through Cyber-enabled Learning Strategies

8. NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR): Divisions • Division of Research on Learning (DRL) - merger of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education (ESIE) and Research, Evaluation, and Communication (REC) • Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) • Division of Human Resource Development (HRD) • Division Graduate Education (DGE)

9. Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI), NSF 00-144http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5518 Goals: • Support high quality research involving UGs • Strengthen the research environment in UG institutions • Promote the integration of research and education Eligibility: • 10 or fewer Science and Engineering PhDs/year • UG enrollment exceeds graduate enrollment • Research in NSF-supported fields • Multi-user instrumentation No deadline: contact NSF (see names in announcement)

10. Group of ~10 students with group activities Variety of research projects, maybe NSF-funded or maybe not Choice of mentor or project Most students not from host institution 1-2 students Research problems within an NSF-funded project Students usually from host institution Contact NSF program officer first No formal deadline Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), NSF 09-598 http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09598/nsf09598.htm REU Sites REU Supplements

11. REU continued • Citizens or permanent U.S. residents • Stipends and possible assistance with housing and travel • Deadlines (sites): • First Friday in June (Antarctica) • August 25, 2010 and 4th Friday in August thereafter (non-Antarctica)

12. STEP (STEM Talent Expansion Program) Goal: to increase the number of students (U.S. citizens or permanent residents) RECEIVING associate or baccalaureate degrees in established or emerging fields within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08569/nsf08569.htm Deadline for letters of intent (opt.): August 17, 2010 Deadline for full proposals: September 28, 2010

13. STEP: Budget info • One proposal per “unit” at an institution • About $30 million available in FY2010 • Budgetary Limitations • $.5 M for up to 5,000 undergrad students • $ 1 M for 5,000-15,000 undergrad students • $2 M for >15,000 undergrad students • 20-25% addition if significant partnership with an associate degree granting inst.

14. STEP: Types of efforts • Bridge programs that enable additional preparation for students • Programs that focus on improving the quality of student learning • high-caliber teaching in smaller classes • new pedagogical approaches • training of teaching assistants (grads & UGs) • Programs to encourage undergraduate research • Programs that provide financial incentives to students • Many others

15. TUES: Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2010/nsf10544/nsf10544.htm • Provide a framework for projects to maximize their effectiveness in improving and transforming undergraduate STEM education • Increase the emphasis on projects that build on prior work and contribute to the knowledge base of STEM education research and practice • Contribute to building a community of scholars who work in related areas of education • Explicitly identify a set of measurable outcomes that will be used in the project management and evaluation

16. TUES Framework New Learning Materials Research on Teaching and Learning Faculty Expertise Assessing Learning Implementing Innovations Projects should address a recognized need and undertake exemplary work in at least of the above elements. Projects may take advantage of natural synergies among these elements.

17. TUES: 3 Types of Projects • Type 1 –(05/26-27/2011 and 05/27-28/2012) • Exploratory, initial investigation, or adaptation in one of the five elements of the TUES Framework • Type 2 –(01/14/2011, 01/13/2012, 01/14/2012) • Expansion of smaller scale but proven innovations, refinement and testing on/in diverse users/settings • Type 3 –(01/14/2011, 01/13/2012, 01/14/2012) • Comprehensive, large-scale efforts to combine proven results and mature innovations from several component areas; emphasis on sustainability, national dissemination, etc.

18. TUES:Additional Emphases • Propose materials, processes, or models that have the potential to enhance student learning and to be adapted easily by other sites and • Involve a significant effort to facilitate adaptation at other sites. 

19. Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Program A Research and Development Effort

20. MSP: Types of Awards • Institute Partnerships: Focus on developing teacher leaders. • Targeted Partnerships: Focus on a grade band or content area with broad involvement of teachers, administrators and others in curricula change, professional development and assessment. • Start Partnerships: Focus on the data analysis and team building needed to develop a full Partnerships

21. Partnerships: Universities/colleges and K-12 schools must be included as core partners University must be lead partner Principal Investigators must include STEM faculty K-12 Representatives Education Faculty should be included Can include other organizations

22. RFP: NSF 10-556 • Institute, Start, RETA: July 8, 2010 • Targeted Partnerships: October 14

23. CAREER • For Assistant Professors in tenure track positions • Five Year grant with minimum award size of $400,000 • Proposals include • Research • Education • Integration of Research and Education

24. CAREER • NSF-wide • 3000 plus proposals • 500 plus awards - reviewed by disciplinary programs • Deadlines: NSF 08-557 • July 20, 2010 BIO, CISE, EHR,OCI • July 21, 2010 ENG • July 22, 2010 GEO, MPS, SBE, OPP

25. Other Programs of Interest • NSF Scholarships in STEM • Noyce Teacher Scholars • Advanced Technological Education • NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 • REESE, DRK-12, ISE

26. WAYS TO PARTICIPATE • Grant Holder • Principal Investigator • Member of Project Team, or Coalition, or Advisory Board • Test Site • User of Products • Participant in Workshops and Symposium • Reviewer of Proposals

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