Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program  (HBCU-UP)

PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Solicitation  10-518

Please be advised that the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) includes revised guidelines to implement the mentoring provisions of the America COMPETES Act (ACA) (Pub. L. No. 110-69, Aug. 9, 2007.) As specified in the ACA, each proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. Proposals that do not comply with this requirement will be returned without review (see the PAPP Guide Part I: Grant Proposal Guide Chapter II for further information about the implementation of this new requirement).

DUE DATES

Full Proposal Deadline Date:  March 18, 2010

Implementation Projects, Education Research Projects, and Targeted Infusion Projects; Planning Grants

Preliminary Proposal Deadline Date:  March 22, 2010

ACE Implementation Projects

Full Proposal Deadline Date:  April 7, 2010

Innovation through Institutional Integration

Full Proposal Deadline Date:  May 24, 2010

ACE Implementation Projects

SYNOPSIS

This program provides awards to enhance the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as a means to broaden participation in the Nation's STEM workforce. Support is available for Implementation Projects (including Achieving Competitive Excellence), Education Research Projects, Targeted Infusion Projects, and Planning Grants.

Implementation Projects provide support to implement a comprehensive institutional project to strengthen STEM education and research. Proposed activities and strategies should: be the result of an institutional STEM self-analysis; address institutional and NSF goals; and have the potential to result in significant and sustainable improvements in STEM program offerings. Typical project implementation strategies include: curriculum enhancement, faculty professional development, undergraduate research, academic enrichment, student support services, infusion of technology to enhance STEM instruction, collaborations with research institutions and industry, and other activities that enhance the quality of the undergraduate STEM education and STEM teacher preparation programs. Proposers are encouraged to analyze the strengths of the institution and design innovative educational strategies, based on proven best practices, to place the institution at the forefront of undergraduate STEM education. The Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) or ACE Implementation Projects track is intended for HBCUs pursuing additional rounds of funding, and it seeks ambitious, transformative, far-reaching proposals that promise paradigm-shifting advances in STEM undergraduate education at the institution.

Education Research Projects (ERP) provide support to undertake a three-year education research project that has the potential to strengthen the STEM education and research programs at HBCUs. Education Research Projects must be based on sound education research methodologies and theories. Potential education research topics include: retention, diffusion of innovations, curricular enhancements, technology in education, STEM teacher education, and the identification of successful models. HBCUs do not need to have an Implementation Project in order to submit ERP proposals.

Targeted Infusion Projects (TIP) provide support to achieve a short-term, well-defined goal to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM education. Typically, projects are focused on one activity within a single STEM department however interdisciplinary and cross disciplinary projects are encouraged. Potential goals include: specialized accreditation or certifications, establishing new programs or concentrations, establishing collaborations between STEM disciplines and teacher education programs, and updating programs to reflect advances in the field and workforce requirements. HBCUs do not need to have an Implementation Project in order to submit a TIP proposal.

Planning Grants provide support to undertake self-analysis of the institution's undergraduate STEM programs to identify components that need improvement or enhancement in order to provide a high quality undergraduate STEM education. Planning grants should also research existing activities and strategies that could be implemented in a proposed project to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM education at the institution. Typical activities include: data collection and analysis, stakeholder consultation, research of potential activities and strategies, site visits to model programs, and writing a proposal for Implementation Projects (including ACE).

Innovation through Institutional Integration (I³) projects enable faculty, administrators and others in institutions to think and act strategically about the creative integration of NSF-funded awards, with particular emphasis on awards managed through programs in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), but not limited to those awards. For Fiscal Year 2009, proposals are being solicited in nine EHR programs that advance I³ goals: CREST, GSE, HBCU-UP, ITEST, LSAMP, MSP, Noyce, RDE, and TCUP.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

This program provides educational opportunities for  Undergraduate Students . This program provides indirect funding for students at this level or focuses on educational developments for this group such as curricula development, training or retention. To inquire about possible funding opportunities not directly from NSF, please look at the active awards for this program.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) (NSF 09-512)

RELATED URLS

Advanced Technological Education (ATE)

Computational Science Training for Undergraduates in the Mathematical Sciences (CSUMS)

Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement

Education and Interdisciplinary Research (EIR) - Physics Education

Engineering Education Programs (EEP)

Instructional Materials Development (IMD)

Interdisciplinary Training for Undergraduates in Biological and Mathematical Sciences (UBM)

Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE)

NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM)

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP)

Teacher Professional Continuum (TPC)

Undergraduate Research Collaboratives (URC)

What Has Been Funded (Recent Awards Made Through This Program, with Abstracts)

Events