NSF Funding Opportunities
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
DIVISION OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION (DUE)
Dave Brown and Celeste Carter
Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE)
National Science Foundation
drbrown@nsf.gov
vccarter@nsf.gov
July 22, 2013
Take Homes
(your homework)
 Become familiar with the NSF website (nsf.gov)
 Read the program solicitation and the Grant
Proposal Guide (GPG)
 Register early on FastLane and practice; connect
with your faculty
 Contact a Program Officer with questions
 Solicit colleague’s opinion on your proposal
 Explore the Various STEM Education Resources
 Ask Questions at any time today!
CoSTEM Report 2013
DUE FY 2014 Budget Request
DRL FY 2014 Budget Request
Fiscal Year 2012 Funding Rates
Where to Look for Programs
 Education and Human Resources (EHR)
 Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE)
 Division Specific Programs
 Cross Discipline Programs
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
SBIR/STTR Phase IICC
EHR Core Research (ECR)
 Programs in Other EHR Divisions:
 Human Resource Development (HRD)
 Division on Research and Learning (DRL)
NSF Home Page
www.nsf.gov
Navigating to the EHR Directorate
The EHR Home Page
The DUE Home Page
More Programs
The DUE Home Page (cont.)
DUE Programs
Advanced Technological Education (ATE)
Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM (TUES)
Math and Science Partnership (MSP) [STEM-C Partnership]
NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (S-STEM)
Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Talent
Expansion Program (STEP)
Widening Implementation & Demonstration of Evidencebased Reforms (WIDER)
ATE Program
 Focus: education of science and engineering technicians for
high-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy.
 Grades 7-12, 2yr- and 4-yr
 Community and technical colleges
 Proposals due Oct. 17, 2013
ATE Program Tracks
 Projects (up to $900,000 for 3 yrs)
 Program Development, Implementation and Improvement
 Professional Development for Educators
 Curriculum and Educational Materials Development
 Teacher Preparation
 Small Grants for Institutions New to the ATE Program ($200K, 3 yrs)
 Business and Entrepreneurial skills for students in technician
education programs
 Centers National, Regional, Resource ($1.6-5M, 4 yrs)
 Targeted Research on Technician Education ($1.2M, 4yrs)
ATE Resources
ATE Centers: http://www.atecenters.org
Evalua|t|e Center: http://www.evalu-ate.org
ATE Central: http://atecentral.net/
SCATE Center: www.teachingtechnicians.org
 Mentor Connect project
 ATE PI Guide: http://govpiguide.org/
 “Educating Biotechnicians”:
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http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/aaccprograms/ate/Documents
/biotech_report.pdf
 “Preparing Energy Technicians for the 21st
Century Workforce”:
http://www.ateec.org/store/catalog/Energy-General---PreparingEnergy-Technicians-for-the-21st-Century-Workforce-400.html
1003564 Project W.A.T.E.R.S.: Ways to Amplify
Teaching and Education in Regard to Science
PI: Tracy Holbrook
Cape Fear Community College
WATER QUALITY
Working in conjunction with the Chemical Technology Program, the
project is enhancing student learning by reinforcing difficult theoretical
concepts in the laboratory environment through the use of state-of-theart equipment commonly found in an industrial job environment.
Students are learning how to: follow standardized methods enforced by
regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
carry out multifaceted and advanced experiments, interpret
chromatograms and mass spectra data, and operate computer-based
instrumentation.
NSF Scholarships in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (S-STEM)
 Goal: Provide scholarships to
academically talented, financially needy
students pursuing associate,
baccalaureate, or graduate degrees,
uses FAFSA Federal Student Aid
 Full Proposal: August 13, 2013
S-STEM
MAJOR FEATURES
Eligible disciplines include almost all NSF supported areas
(see solicitation for guidance)
Maximum scholarships increased to $10,000 (but still
based on financial need and cost of attendance)
Grant size increased to $600,000 with 5% allowed for
administration and 10% for student support
Maximum of $225,000 in any one year, but can ramp up
One proposal per constituent school or college that
awards degrees (also schools within institutions)
 NSF and EHR
 DUE Programs :Questions?
 Cross Discipline Programs
 REU, SBIR Phase IICC, ECR
 HRD Programs and DRL Programs
 STEM Education Resources
Research Experiences for
Undergraduates (REU)
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Supports active research participation by
undergraduate students in any of the areas of
research funded by NSF
 REU Sites (half students must come from institutions

where research opportunities are limited)
http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search.cfm

REU supplements
(typically supports 1-2 students)
Students must be US citizens, nationals or permanent
residents
Students apply directly to REU sites or to PIs who
receive REU supplements
SBIR/STTR Phase IICC
EHR Core Research (ECR)
Focus: projects that will help synthesize, build
and/or expand research foundations in the
following core areas: STEM learning, STEM learning
environments, workforce development, and
broadening participation in STEM.
Proposals due: July 12, 2013
Anticipate: 28 awards
23
• NSF and EHR
• DUE Programs
• Cross Discipline Programs: Questions?
REU, SBIR Phase IICC, ECR
• HRD Programs & DRL Programs
• STEM Education Resources
Human Resource Development
(HRD)
Programs that Target Minorities and Minority
Serving Institutions
 The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation
Program (LSAMP) (community college track)
 Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Undergraduate Programs (HBCU-UP)
 Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP)
Division on Research and Learning in
Formal and Informal Settings (DRL)
Innovative Technology Experiences for
Students and Teachers (ITEST)
 Program seeks solutions to help ensure the breadth and
depth of the STEM workforce.
 Projects must include students and can include teachers
 ITEST is emphasizing the design and implementation of
robotics competitions to study their effectiveness as a
means of engaging students in learning STEM content and
21st Century skills.
 New solicitation is due to be released soon
• NSF and EHR
• DUE Programs
• Cross Discipline Programs
– REU, SBIR Phase IICC, ECR
• HRD Programs & DRL Programs:
Questions?
• STEM Education Resources
27
PCAST Report: “Engage to Excel”
2012
Five overarching recommendations to reach goal:
(1) catalyze widespread adoption of empirically
validated teaching practices;
(2) advocate and provide support for replacing standard
laboratory courses with discovery-based courses;
(3) launch a national experiment in postsecondary
mathematics education to address the math
preparation gap;
(4) encourage partnerships among stakeholders to
diversify pathways to STEM careers; and
(5) create a Presidential Council on STEM Education to
provide strategic leadership for transformative and
sustainable change in STEM undergraduate education.
DBER Report
2012
Student-centered learning strategies can enhance learning
more than traditional lectures. Examples of effective,
research-based approaches are making lectures more
interactive, having students work in groups, and incorporating
authentic problems and activities
Students have incorrect understandings about fundamental
concepts -- particularly phenomena that are not directly
observable, such as those that involve very large or very small
scales of time and space. DBER has identified instructional
techniques that may help, like using “bridging analogies” that
link students’ correct understandings and the situation about
which they harbor a misconception.
Students are challenged by important aspects of the
domain that can seem easy or obvious to experts. For
instance, in problem solving students tend to focus on the
superficial aspects of a problem rather than its deep
structure. These challenges pose serious impediments to
learning in science and engineering, especially if instructors
are not aware of them. Several strategies appear to improve
problem-solving skills, such as providing support and
prompts -- known as “scaffolding” -- as students work their
way through problems.
Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University
cew.georgetown.edu
2012
2011
More on STEM Workforce
2012
31
A Focus on Community Colleges
32
• NSF and EHR
• DUE Programs
• Cross Discipline Programs
– RUI, REU, NUE, SBIR Phase IICC
• HRD Programs & DRL Programs
• STEM Education Resources: Questions?
33
Questions?
Your Participation
 Grant Holder
 PI
 Project Team Member, or Coalition, or
Advisory Board
 Test Site
 User of Products
 Workshop and Symposium Participant
 Review Proposals
 Email and attach your CV
Key Questions for the
Prospective PI
•
•
•
•
Why is the work important? AND
What has already been done?
What do you intend to do?
How are you going to do the work?
– Do you have a qualified team?
– Do you have the necessary infrastructure?
• How will you assess the goals and
outcomes and tell others the results?
Read the Solicitation, Read the
Grant Proposal Guide, Do your
homework.
Thank you!