Selected NSF Programs in Undergraduate STEM Education

1. Selected NSF Programs in Undergraduate STEM Education Richard A. Aló Directorate for Education and Human Resources National Science Foundation September 17, 2011 Minority Serving Institutions-CyberInfrastructure Empowerment Coalition www.msi-ciec.us California Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technology, CalIT2

2. Selected Programs in DUE Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM TUES: NSF 10-544 STEM Talent Expansion Program- STEP: NSF 08-569 (Old) Scholarshisps in STEM S-STEM: NSF 09-567 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring PAESMEM: NSF 11-xxx

3. National Science Foundation “NSF invests in the best ideas generated by scientists, engineers and educators working at the frontiers of knowledge, and across all fields of research and education. Our mission, vision and goals are designed to maintain and strengthen the vitality of the U.S. science and engineering.” National Science Foundation Investing in America’s Future Strategic Plan FY 2006-2011

4. The NSF Structure

5. Organization of EHR Directorate Directorate of Education & Human Resources (EHR) Division of Research on Learning in Formal & Informal Settings (DRL) Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) Division of Graduate Education (DGE) Division of Human Resource Development (HRD)

6. TUESTransforming Undergraduate Ed in STEMTranslating Learning Theory into Practice Our broadest, most innovative program Vision Excellent STEM education for all undergraduate students. Goal Stimulate, disseminate, and institutionalize innovative developments in STEM education through the production of knowledgeand the improvement of practice.

7. Program Mirrors Learning Theory • Learner-Centered-learning begins with experience, knowledge, interest and motivation that learner brings to the setting. • Knowledge-Centered-problems can only be solved if students have a solid knowledge base from which they can draw • Community-Centered- Learning is usually more effective when it occurs within a community, where people can exchange ideas and receive feedback from other interest participants. • Assessment to support Learning- For quality of Learning to improve, there must be mechanisms in place to determine just how effective the teaching strategies are. New Challenges, New Strategies: Building Excellence in Undergraduate STEM education, AAAS 2010

8. TUES: Four Project TypesMaximum Award Sizes • Type 1 $200,000 duration: 1 to 3 years (+ $50,000 with community college partner) • Type 2 $600,000duration: 2 to 4 years • Type 3 $5,000,000duration: 3 to 5 yrs (5 if max reqst) • Central Resource Projects: 3 - 5 yrs leadership & implementation work to increase impact of TUES

9. TUES Choice of Type Reflects • Scale of the Project • Number of institutions, students and faculty • Maturity of the Project (Stage) • Phase 1 may lead to Phase 2, etc. • But prior CCLI or TUES funding is not required • Scope of the Project • Defined by number of components, based on our view of the cyclic nature of educational innovation

10. TUES For Example, Type 1 reflects • Scope and Scale: • One or two program components • Limited number of students & faculty at one institution • Expected Results: • Contribute to understanding of effective STEM education, typically by exploring new ideas • Can serve as basis for Type 2 project • Often motivated by an interest to apply for Type 2 later

11. TUES: Types of projects • Integrate new instrumentation or equipment into under-graduate laboratories or field work • Develop materials that use a new instructional approach embodying current understanding of how students learn • Introduce content from new research into existing course • Explore the practical aspects of using remote laboratories • Develop an instrument to assess students’ knowledge • Provide courses needed for efficient, seamless transfer from 2-yr to 4-yr colleges in partnership with other instn • Explore or pilot internet-based approaches for faculty professional development • Develop interdisciplinary courses on public issues

12. TUES Types Reflect • Scale of the Project • Number of institutions, students and faculty • Maturity of the Project (Stage) • Type 1 may lead to Phase 2, etc. • But prior CCLI funding is not required • Scope of the Project • Defined by number of components, based on our view of the cyclic nature of educational innovation

13. New Materials and Strategies Increase Faculty Expertise Research on Teaching and Learning Assess And Evaluate Implement Innovations Cyclic Model for Creating Knowledge andImproving Practices in STEM Education

14. Materials Expertise Research Implement Assess Five Components from the Cyclic Model Include one or more of these components Create learning materials and teaching strategies Develop faculty expertise Implement educational innovations (not adoption) Assess learning and evaluate innovation Conduct research on STEM teaching and learning

15. Materials Expertise Research Implement Assess Component 1 Create Learning Materials and Teaching Strategies New materials and tools New methods and strategies Revised materials and strategies Adapt and implement

16. TUES: Over time, we have increased our emphasis on • Building on and contributing to the literature on effective STEM education • Building a community of scholars in STEM education reform • Identifying project-specific measurable outcomes • Project management and evaluation

17. TUESDeadlines • Deadline For Type 1 • May 26, 27, 2011 (check website for days) • Deadline For Type 2 and 3, and Central Resource Projects •  January 13, 2012

18. Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering MentoringA White House Initiative on behalf ofPresident of the United States • Identify outstanding mentoring efforts that enhance participation of groups (women, minorities, disabled) that are underrepresented in STEM • Awardees serve as leaders in national effort to develop fully nation’s human resources in STEM • Must have demonstrated outstanding and sustained mentoring and effective guidance to a significant number underrepresented students at K-12, undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral levels for minimum of five years.

19. Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring • Awardee may be • an individual or organization • From academia, industry, government • Awardee • $10,000.00 Honorarium • Invited to Washington for • Awards Ceremony with the President of USA • Recognition Events • Meetings with Leaders in Federal Sector education and research • Focused workshops addressing effective mentoring

20. STEP STEM Talent Expansion Program [STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics]

21. STEP Basic Goals • Increase the number of students • (U.S. citizens or permanent residents) in STEM • Increase associate’s / bachelor’s degs • (established or emerging STEM fields) • Community colleges get credit for transfers to 4-year STEM programs • NSF 08-569, Letter of Intent due August 17, 2010 • Full Proposal September 28, 2010

22. STEP • Maximum Support Levels – Enrollment based • $500 K for 5 years for 1- 5,000 FTE undergrads • $1.0 M for 5 years for 5,001-15,000 undergrads • $2.0 M for 5 years for >15,000 undergrads • One proposal per institution (can be a partner on only one proposal) STEP Budget • $28 million expected in FY 2010 • 20-24 awards expected

23. STEP Some features of good proposals • Focus on Recruitment and Retention • Set up numerical targets for each; pipeline model • Usually more than one STEM discipline included • avoid reducing majors in other STEM majors • STEM Faculty are PIs • Strong administrative support plus buy-in from key departments.

24. STEP Successful projects might provide: • Bridge programs that enable additional preparation for students from HS or community colleges • Programs to improve the quality of student learning • Peer tutoring, learning communities • new pedagogical approaches (e.g. mastery learning, active learning, SENCER courses) • Programs to encourage undergraduate research • Student support mechanisms

25. STEP • Outcomes expected: • Description of activities that will be institutionalized from the project • Plan for continuing efforts to increase number of STEM students & graduates • Formative assessment of progress towards goals • Dissemination of project results to broader community

26. S-STEM NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math • Goal: Provides funds to institutions to provide scholarships to academically talented, but financially needy, students • Students can be pursuing associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degrees • Scholarships can be up to $10,000/yr - up to 4 yrs within the limits of students official level of need. (They can be less than $10K and less than 4 yrs)

27. S-STEMDeadlines • Optional Letter of Intent: July 13, 2011 • Proposal Deadline: Aug 11, 2011

28. S-STEM Major Features of Program • Most STEM disciplines are eligible - except Social & Behavioral sciences • Grant size - max $600,000 (4 s-ship yrs), (up to 7% can be spent for admin costs and up to 8% for student support services) • One proposal per constituent school or college that awards STEM degrees (e.g. school of eng, college of arts & sciences) • Est: $50 to $70 million available in FY’09

29. S-STEM Special program features • PI must be member of STEM faculty • S-ships to “natural” cohorts of students • S-STEM students are full time & are US Citizens, Residents, Nationals, or refugees • Institution must provide some student support structures • Optional enhancements: research opportunities, tutoring, internships, etc.

30. INSPIRE • • Support potentially transformative interdisciplinary research that spans NSF’s programmatic boundaries. • • Create new, robust, and long–term funding opportunities for novel ideas from the scientific community. • • Catalyze a change of NSF culture: supporting cross-cutting collaborations throughout the agency.

31. INSPIRE • Proposals on any NSF-supported topic will be accepted. • Proposals may be submitted at any time. GPG compliance is required. • Awards will generally be made to an individual PI or a small team. • An INSPIRE 1 award will be co-funded by at least two intellectually diverse divisions or programs. • Centralized co-funding, approved by an OIA-coordinated NSF-wide group, will support up to 50% of each INSPIRE 1 award. There will be $12.35 million in the FY 2012 OIA budget for this purpose. If a directorate or office provides internal front-office funds, that contribution will be matched by OIA in the same manner as divisional or program funds.