NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
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Deadline
Dates:
CCLI - ND Track Preliminary: April 24, 2000
CCLI - A&I Track: June 5, 2000
CCLI - EMD Track: June 6, 2000
CCLI - ND Track: June 6, 2000
Division
of Undergraduate Education
Directorate
for Education and Human Resources
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download copies
of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the NSF
Web site.
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Educational Materials Development
(CCLI-EMD)
2. Adaptation and Implementation
(CCLI-A&I)
3. National Dissemination (CCLI-ND)
Undergraduate education is central to the National Science
Foundation's mission in human resource development. Whether preparing students
to participate as citizens in a technological society, to enter the workforce
with two- or four-year degrees, to continue their formal education in graduate
school, or to further their education in response to new career goals or
workplace expectations, undergraduate education provides the critical link
between the Nation's secondary schools and a society increasingly dependent
upon science and technology.
The Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) serves as
the focal point for NSF's agency-wide effort in undergraduate education.
Programs administered by DUE with continuations in FY 2001 include:
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High quality undergraduate SMET education for all students
calls for more effective linkages between preK-12 schools and institutions
of higher education, between two- and four-year institutions, between undergraduate
and graduate education, and between higher education and business/industry
to better prepare students for entry and growth in the technological workplace.
Faculty members who creatively combine teaching with research
are essential to the improvement of undergraduate SMET education. NSF seeks
to stimulate and motivate faculty members so that creative teaching and
pedagogical scholarship become a part of the "faculty culture" at all institutions.
The opportunity for faculty and their institutions to
have a major impact on undergraduate education is greater than ever. Increased
national recognition of the importance of SMET education, coupled with
rapid growth in new teaching and learning technologies, innovations in
preK-12 education, increased understanding of how students learn, and successful
interdisciplinary approaches, creates new opportunities for improving undergraduate
education. These developments provide the foundation for systemic reform,
i.e., the totality of effort required of institutions to achieve excellence
in SMET undergraduate education for all students.
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In CCLI, the word "laboratory" includes experiences ranging
from those fully integrated within a course to those forming separate components
in the curriculum. The setting may involve, for example, a field site,
an observatory, a computer room, or an integrated laboratory/classroom,
as well as the traditional laboratory.
Track 1: Educational
Materials Development (CCLI-EMD)
The CCLI-EMD track invites two types of proposals that
aim to achieve these goals: a) those that intend to establish a "proof
of concept" or a prototype that would be responsive to a national need,
and b) those that intend to fully develop a product or practice for national
dissemination.
A. Proof of Concept
The outcomes expected of a CCLI-EMD Proof-of-Concept project
shall include all of the following:
If in your judgement the completed proof-of-concept proves
successful, an outline of a plan for the following should be included in
the final report:
The outcomes expected of the funded projects include all
of the following:
The proposal may include a request for funds to conduct
workshops or other forms of faculty development to enhance the impact of
materials and products developed by the project. Alternatively, when a
project is at a stage where materials are ready for use and their effectiveness
has been demonstrated, the project PI may submit a request for a supplement
to the grant to fund such activities. The request for the supplement must
be justified on the basis of the quality of materials developed and the
potential value of the proposed activities. Projects interested in supplemental
funds should contact the NSF Program Director assigned to the project.
If the purchase of instrumentation can be justified for
the development of materials, a 1:1 match of funds is required from non-federal
sources, except for those minority serving institutions exempted from this
requirement. (For more information on this exemption, see the DUE
Minority Serving Institutions web site.)
Track 2: Adaptation
& Implementation (CCLI-A&I)
Note: Projects for adaptation and implementation
of materials relating to advanced technological education should be submitted
to the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program.
Projects to adapt and implement high quality SMET curricula,
materials, and/or techniques might include, for example:
Proposers of CCLI-A&I projects are expected to adapt
and implement high-quality educational materials and effective educational
practices developed elsewhere by individuals supported by NSF or by others.
Adaptations that integrate significant advances from the research field
into the undergraduate curriculum are also appropriate. Materials for adaptation
may be drawn from more than one source. Proposals must specifically
identify the materials and practices being adapted including references
to the literature or to other institutions using the materials and practices,
as appropriate, and must describe the modifications to be effected.
Information about the results of projects funded through
DUE programs can be obtained via the DUE
Project Information Resource System. Many of these previously funded
projects are in progress, and proposers may wish to contact the project
PIs for further information. For example, Systemic Changes in the Undergraduate
Chemistry Curriculum, and Mathematical Sciences and Their Applications
Throughout the Curriculum are two NSF Initiatives that have funded large-scale,
multi-year projects which are still underway. Information on these projects
also can be obtained through the DUE Web site.
The outcomes expected of funded projects include all
of the following:
The CCLI-A&I track discourages proposals that:
These professional development opportunities are expected
to enable faculty to introduce new content into undergraduate courses and
laboratories, and to explore effective educational practices, thereby improving
the effectiveness of their teaching. The new content may be scientific
and technical knowledge, laboratory practices, or reformatted and synthesized
content that supports new modes of learning. It is expected that the format
will provide interaction with experts at a level deep enough to promote
and achieve significant gains by participating faculty.
Successful proposals must aim to provide faculty professional
development in a variety of disciplines or broadly within one of the following
disciplines (behavioral sciences; biological sciences; chemistry; computer
and information sciences; engineering; earth sciences; mathematical sciences;
physics and astronomy; social sciences).
Scientific societies may submit proposals to the national
dissemination track. Proposals from scientific societies should clearly
identify the value that would be added to the current set of activities
sponsored by their organization(s) in support of faculty professional development.
Scientific societies in the same discipline are urged to work together
rather than separately in developing proposals.
It is recommended that organizations considering submission
of a proposal to this track contact a DUE Program Director at (703) 306-1668
and prepare a preliminary project description for comment no later then
April 24, 2000. It is recommended that you begin by speaking with a program
director first, then follow-up with a preliminary project description.
This description should not be longer then three pages and should indicate
the scope of the project (number and types of workshops, disciplines and
sub-disciplines covered, and expected locations where these will be conducted).
It should also include a project outline, list the key personnel involved,
and indicate an approximate budget.
The outcomes expected of funded CCLI-ND projects include
all of the following:
Preparation of Future Teachers
Projects within this theme are expected to provide prospective
teachers with in-depth knowledge of subject matter and with knowledge of
instructional practices necessary to meet the challenges posed by standards-based
education, changing technology, and an increasingly diverse student body.
Diversity
Institutions with significant enrollments of underrepresented
persons that have not been previous participants in DUE programs are particularly
encouraged to submit proposals. DUE seeks ideas from individuals and institutions
with experience in this arena to meet the challenge of increasing the diversity
of the SMET workforce and improving the SMET preparation of underrepresented
groups.
Faculty Development
Through all its programs DUE provides support to supplement
course, curriculum, and laboratory improvement efforts with faculty development
and faculty preparation activities appropriate to those efforts.
Integration of Technology
DUE encourages proposals that apply developments in information
and other technologies to improve learning and teaching. These proposals
should integrate innovative educational strategies, appropriate content,
and sound evaluation with current technology to produce more effective
learning environments. Projects may also develop or adapt materials and
strategies to improve distance learning, incorporating effective uses of
technology.
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Eligible Fields and Disciplines
Specifically excluded are projects that address clinical
fields such as medicine, nursing, clinical psychology, and physical education,
and those that primarily involve social work, home economics, the arts,
and the humanities.
Eligible Institutions and Individuals
Projects may involve a single institution, collaboration
with business and industrial partners, or collaboration among several institutions.
For example, projects may include collaborative efforts that improve the
transition of students between the collaborating institutions, such as
transfer between two- and four-year institutions.
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The number and size of awards will depend on the quality
of the proposals received and the availability of funds. Grant duration
is typically 2-3 years but support may be requested for up to five years.
The table below indicates an expected range of total NSF/DUE support over
the lifetime of a project for CCLI projects. The minimum budget request
is $5,000.
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Proposal Preparation Instructions
Except as modified by the guidelines set forth in this
announcement (in particular, the maximum page limits and guidelines for
appendices), standard NSF guidelines contained in the GPG are applicable.
Advice to Proposal Writers
Formal Proposal Preparation
1. Information about Principal
Investigators
2. Cover Sheet
3. Project Summary
DUE will not accept proposals in which the Project Description
(including Results from Prior NSF Support) exceeds these page limits.
This section of the proposal presents most of the information
that determines whether or not the proposal will be recommended for an
award. Write the proposal to respond to the criteria that will be used
by reviewers in judging the merit of the proposal. [See the Merit Review
Criteria and Additional Criteria later in this program announcement.]
Results from Prior NSF
Support
Project Description
Eligible Items
Scientific and computing instrumentation, to be used in
any phase of undergraduate SMET education, may be requested. The instrumentation
must be for use in specific curricular improvements discussed in the Project
Description. Purchase of software essential to the scientific, technical,
and educational objectives of the project is permitted. Software that costs
more than $500 should be considered instrumentation. Each software package
must be itemized, justified, and the cost indicated. Software ordered in
conjunction with new computing instrumentation should be regarded as part
of a functional unit.
Construction of instrumentation, including material and
labor costs, is allowed. Sufficient justification must accompany requests
for instrumentation construction funds, such as a detailed explanation
of the advantages of the proposed units over commercially available items.
Requests for instrumentation fabrication must be supported by drawings,
diagrams, parts lists, and estimates for labor charges, as appropriate.
Instrumentation assembly costs for on-site assembly of
multi-component instruments, as distinct from instrumentation installation
or building or laboratory modification, are allowable. Specialized safety
instrumentation may be purchased where necessary for the safe utilization
of the instrumentation requested.
Shipping costs, if not included in the purchase price,
should be separately itemized. Reasonable estimates should be used, as
opposed to a percentage of instrumentation costs.
Required taxes may be included if the institution cannot
be exempted from paying them.
Ineligible Items
Be sure to include the following;
6. Biographical Sketches
7. Budget and Budget Justification
For multi-institutional submissions, the budget justification
should include the contributions of each institution and the amount each
will receive from the grant. For multi-year projects, the results of the
project are expected to be integrated into the academic programs of the
institutions within the period of the award, and therefore it is expected
that the budgets will reflect the assumption of responsibility by the participating
institution(s) as the educational innovations are fully implemented.
NSF funds may not be used to support expenditures that
would have been undertaken in the absence of an award, such as the cost
of activities that are considered part of a faculty member’s normal duties.
Institutional Matching
Requirements
Except for the special conditions of the above Executive
Orders, requests for instrumentation must be matched by funds or instrumentation
from non-Federal sources equal to or greater in value than the funds requested
from NSF. To qualify as matching, these resources must be used specifically
for the instrumentation (or its equivalent) listed in the budget approved
for the project. For CCLI Adaptation & Implementation proposals only,
the entire budget request must be matched by non-Federal resources equal
to in value than the funds requested for instrumentation from NSF. The
non-instrumentation portions of the budget may be matched in the form of
instrumentation, personnel time, etc., and may be provided from the institution(s),
industry, foundations, or other non-Federal sources (see OMB
Circular A-110, Section 23). It should be noted that contributions
counted as cost sharing toward projects of another Federal agency may not
be counted towards meeting the specific cost-sharing requirements of the
NSF grant. Only items that would be allowable under the applicable cost
principles, if charged to the project, may be included in the grantees
contribution to cost sharing.
For the instrumentation match only, an institution may
obligate its matching funds or receive gifts of instrumentation to be counted
toward matching at any time following the program deadline date under which
the awarded proposal was submitted, but before the grant expiration date
specified in the grant document. This normally provides a lengthy period
during which the institution must fulfill the requirement to match NSF
instrumentation funds. For all other categories of matching (e.g., personnel
time) an institution may obligate its matching funds at any time following
the award effective date but before the grant expiration date specified
in the grant document.
The cost-sharing amount must be entered on Line M of NSF
Budget Form 1030. Any cost-sharing commitments must be listed and described
in the budget justification. Please include a four column table that lists:
a) in the first column all items for which support is requested; b) in
the second column the amount that NSF is being asked to contribute; c)
in the third column the amount that will come from non-federal sources
as matching; and d) in the fourth column the total cost of the item. These
cost-sharing commitments will be referenced and included as a condition
of an award. All cost sharing amounts are subject to audit. Failure to
provide the level of cost sharing reflected in the approved grant budget
may result in termination of the NSF grant, disallowance of grant costs
and/or refund of grant funds to NSF.
Preparation of Instrumentation
Budget Items and Justification
Budget items may be either single items meeting the minimum
cost required ($500), or part(s) of a functional unit where the sum of
the components meets the minimum cost requirement. A functional unit is
an assemblage of instruments, modules, and components that together perform
a specific task or that will normally be used together. Each component
of a functional unit must be itemized and the cost indicated; the subtotal
for the entire unit should be entered as the unit cost.
Many manufacturers routinely offer educational or
institutional discounts. In preparing the budget, contact manufacturers
or distributors to obtain discounted prices. On the detailed instrumentation
budget page show both the list price and the discounted price used to compute
the total cost of the project. If it is possible to negotiate on an individual
basis a special discount not routinely available to educational institutions,
list the usual discounted price in the project's budget. The amount by
which the special discount exceeds the standard educational discount may
be counted as matching funds.
Workshops
In all DUE programs, the NSF grant may include participant
support costs for subsistence (lodging and meals) during the workshop.
In addition, funds may be requested for a stipend of up to $60 per day
of the workshop for participants. Requests for such stipends must be specific
to the target audience and fully justified; for example, to assure participation
by faculty with few professional development opportunities or from resource-poor
institutions. No tuition or other fees may be charged to the participants.
Note that indirect costs may not be charged on participant support costs.
The host institution is expected to provide the facilities and instrumentation
necessary to operate the project, and therefore NSF will ordinarily support
no permanent instrumentation or facilities. The host institution is also
expected to cover the expenses incurred by their own faculty participants.
With the exceptions noted above, the NSF grant may provide
for planning and provision of the workshop, follow-through activities,
participant support, and indirect costs. The total cost per participant-day
varies considerably depending on the proposed activity.
8. Current and Pending
Support
All current external support to the PI(s), including the
proposed project, must be noted under Current and Pending Support. This
information is needed to ensure that project leaders will have time to
conduct the project and there is no duplication of support.
9. Facilities, Equipment,
and Other Resources
Provide the information as is required by FastLane.
10. Project Data Form
The information on the Project Data Form (NSF 1295) is
used to direct the proposal to appropriate reviewers and to announce and
advertise the nature of NSF-supported projects.
11. Appendices
Appendices should be relevant and concise. For materials
development proposals, a sample of prior work or work in progress is recommended.
This information should be entered in the "Supplementary Docs" section.
Proposal Due Dates
For electronic submission of A&I proposals, the proposal
MUST be submitted no later then June 5, 2000 by 5:00 PM, local time of
the proposing institution and for EMD and ND submissions the proposal MUST
be submitted no later then June 6, 2000 by 5:00 PM, local time of the proposing
institution. Copies of the signed proposal cover sheet must be submitted
in accordance with the instruction identified below.
Submission of Signed Cover Sheets
FastLane Requirements
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Merit Review Criteria
Proposals will be reviewed against the following general
merit review criteria established by the National Science Board. These
are general guidelines that apply to all NSF programs, both in research
and education. Following each criterion are potential considerations that
the reviewer may employ in the evaluation. These are suggestions and not
all will apply to any given proposal. Each reviewer will be asked to address
only those that are relevant to the proposal and for which he/she is qualified
to make judgments.
What are the broader
impacts of the proposed activity?
In addition, the integration of research and education
and diversifying NSF's programs, projects and activities should be taken
into account in proposal review as explained below.
Integration of Research
and Education
Integrating Diversity into
NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities
Review Considerations Specific to DUE
Programs
With regard to DUE's programs, NSF's two general merit
review criteria lead to questions such as the following, which are often
raised in the review process.
Intellectual merit:
Merit Review Process
In all cases, after final programmatic approval has been
obtained, award recommendations are then forwarded to the Division of Grants
and Agreements (DGA) for review of business, financial, and policy implications
and the processing and issuance of a grant or other agreement. Proposers
are cautioned that only a grants officer may make commitments, obligations,
or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of funds. No commitment
on the part of NSF should be inferred from technical or budgetary discussions
with an NSF program officer. A PI or organization that makes financial
or personnel commitments in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreement
signed by the NSF grants officer does so at its own risk.
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Notification of the Award
Grant Award Conditions
* These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF’s
Web site . Paper copies may be obtained
from the
NSF Publications Clearinghouse,
by email or by telephone (301) 947-2722.
More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions
is contained in the NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, (NSF95-26)
available electronically on the NSF web site. The GPM is also available
in paper copy by subscription from the Superintendent of Documents, Government
Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The GPM maybe ordered
through the GPO web
site. The telephone number at GPO for subscription is (202) 512-1800.
Reporting Requirements
Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also
is required to submit a final project report. Approximately 30 days before
expiration, NSF will send a notice to remind the PI of the requirement
to file the final project report. Failure to provide final technical reports
delays NSF review and processing of pending proposals for that PI. PIs
should examine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure
availability of required data.
NSF has implemented a new electronic project reporting
system, available through FastLane, which permits electronic submission
and updating of project reports, including information on project participants
(individual and organizational), activities and findings, publications,
and other specific products and contributions. Reports will continue to
be required annually and after the expiration of the grant, but PIs will
not need to re-enter information previously provided, either with the proposal
or in earlier updates using the electronic system.
Effective October 1, 1999, PIs are required to use the
new reporting system for submission of annual and final project reports.
The Division of Undergraduate Education maintains the Project
Information Resource System (PIRS) to provide the community at large
current information about funded projects. Some of the information provided
by PIs in the interim, annual, and final report will be available through
PIRS. Applicants are encouraged to review the information now available
through PIRS about projects NSF has funded in undergraduate education.
New Awardee Information
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The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding
for research and education in science, mathematics, and engineering. General
descriptions of NSF programs, research areas, and eligibility information
for proposal submission are provided in each chapter. The Guide to Programs
is available only in electronic format. Many NSF programs offer announcements
concerning specific proposal requirements. To obtain additional information
about these requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program offices listed
in Appendix A of the GPG. Any changes in NSF's fiscal year programs occurring
after press time for the Guide to Programs will be announced in the NSF
Bulletin, available monthly (except July and August), and in individual
program announcements. The Bulletin is available in electronic format only.
Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's
Custom News Service to find out what funding opportunities are available.
The following programs might also be of interest.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and
education in most fields of science and engineering. Grantees are wholly
responsible for conducting their project activities and preparing the results
for publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for
such findings or their interpretation.
NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists,
engineers and educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities,
and persons with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance
with federal statutes, regulations, and NSF policies, no person on grounds
of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded
from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from NSF (unless
otherwise specified in the eligibility requirements for a particular program).
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with
Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment
to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including
student research assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the
program announcement or contact the program coordinator at (703) 306-1636.
The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device
for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities
that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the
Foundation regarding NSF programs, employment, or general information.
TDD may be accessed at (703) 306-0090 or through FIRS on 1 (800) 877-8339.
The National Science committed to making all of the information
we publish easy to understand. If you have a suggestion about how
to improve the clarity of his document or other NSF-published materials,
please contact us at Plain Language.
PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS
The information requested on proposal forms and project
reports is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation
Act of 1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used
in connection with the selection of qualified proposals; project reports
submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting
within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested
may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of
the review process; to applicant institutions/grantees to provide or obtain
data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the administration
of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers
and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government
agencies needing information as part of the review process or in order
to coordinate programs; and to another Federal agency, court or party in
a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party.
Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer
file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers
or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, "Principal
Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal Register
267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated
Records," 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). Submission of the
information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information,
however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.
Pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.5(b), an agency may not conduct
or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to an information collection
unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB control number
for this collection is 3145-0058. Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response,
including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding
this burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Reports Clearance Officer;
Information Dissemination Branch, DAS; National Science Foundation; Arlington,
VA 22230.
OMB No. 3145-0058
NSF 00-63
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
(703) 306-1234
(703) 306-0090
Send an email to: pubs@nsf.gov
or telephone: (301) 947-2722
(703) 306-1234
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The Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement
(CCLI) program seeks to improve the quality of Science, Mathematics,
Engineering, and Technological (SMET) education for all students and targets
activities affecting learning environments, course content, curricula,
and educational practices. The program has three tracks:
Projects are expected to produce innovative materials
that incorporate effective educational practices to improve student learning
of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Projects to develop
textbooks, software, or laboratory materials for commercial distribution
are appropriate. Two types of EMD projects will be supported: a) those
that intend to demonstrate the scientific and educational feasibility of
an idea, a "proof of concept" or prototype, and b) those based on prior
experience with a prototype that intend to fully develop the product or
practice. Such materials are expected to be disseminated nationally for
adoption and adaptation.
Projects are expected to result in improved education
in science, mathematics, engineering and technology at academic institutions
through adaptation and implementation of exemplary materials, laboratory
experiences, and/or educational practices that have been developed and
tested at other institutions. Proposals may request funds in any
category normally supported by NSF, or may request funds to purchase only
instrumentation.
Projects are expected to provide faculty with professional
development opportunities to enable them to introduce new content into
undergraduate courses and laboratories, and to explore effective educational
practices to improve their teaching effectiveness. Projects should
be designed to offer workshops, short courses, or similar activities on
a national scale in single or multiple disciplines.
CCLI-EMD – (703) 306-1681
CCLI-A&I – (703) 306-1671
CCLI-ND – (703) 306-1668
ELIGIBILITY
PROPOSAL PREPARARTION & SUBMISSION
INSTRUCTIONS
PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
CCLI Adaptation and Implementation: June 5, 2000, 5:00 PM submitter’s local
time
CCLI Educational Materials Development: June 6, 2000, 5:00 PM submitter’s
local time
CCLI National Dissemination: June 6, 2000, 5:00 PM submitter’s local time
AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
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INTRODUCTION
Other programs are described in separate program announcements.
Updates may be issued, as needed, to announce relevant changes or additions.
To stay current with the DUE program offerings, periodically visit the
DUE
Web site. All NSF publications referenced in this document are available
via the NSF
Online Document System.
RATIONALE
FOR DUE PROGRAMS
DUE's programs and leadership efforts reflect the recommendations
made in Shaping
the Future: New Expectations for Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics,
Engineering, and Technology (NSF 96-139), in the National Research
Council report From Analysis to Action: Undergraduate Education in Science,
Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology (NRC, 1996), and in the National
Research Council Report Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science,
Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (NRC, 1999). These reports
and follow-on activities have had broad-based input involving faculty from
SMET disciplines, presidents and other administrators at academic institutions,
representatives from business and industry, students, and parents. These
activities highlight the importance of undergraduate SMET education for
all students, including:
The percentages of underrepresented minorities, persons with
disabilities, and women who pursue careers in SMET fields need to increase
if this nation is to realize its full potential. The "non-traditional"
student (e.g., part-time student, working parent, career-changing adult)
is also an important constituent.
PROGRAM
DESCRIPTION
The CCLI program has three tracks that emphasize, respectively,
the development of new educational materials and practices for a national
audience, the adaptation and implementation into an institution of previously
developed exemplary materials and practices, and the national dissemination
of exemplary materials and/or practices. Projects may address the needs
of a single discipline or cut across disciplinary bounds. Applicants must
identify on the Cover Sheet and on the Project Data Form (Form 1295) the
track in which they wish their project to be reviewed.
The objective of the CCLI-EMD track is to support the
development of educational materials that incorporate practices that are
effective in improving learning of science, mathematics, engineering, or
technology by undergraduates with diverse backgrounds and career aspirations.
Projects are expected to address national needs or opportunities in undergraduate
SMET education and to produce innovative materials of a quality and significance
appropriate for national distribution, adoption, adaptation, and implementation.
A "proof of concept" project is expected to demonstrate
the scientific and the educational feasibility of an idea. If development
of the prototype proves successful, the project would be expected to move
to full-scale development of the materials. Such a proposal for full development
could be submitted to NSF for peer review and possible funding, or to other
sources of potential support.
The Project Description portion of the proposal should describe
the plans to achieve these outcomes.
B. Full Development
A full development project is expected to produce and
evaluate significant new educational materials and pedagogical practices,
and to promote their dissemination and effective implementation nationally.
The Project Description portion of the proposal should describe
the plans to achieve these outcomes.
This track promotes the improvement of SMET education
in the funded institution through adaptation and implementation of specific
exemplary materials, laboratory experiences, or educational practices in
the funded institution which have been developed and tested at other institutions.
CCLI-A&I projects should effect change within or across departments
or other institutional units, by having broad faculty and administrative
support.
Project scope may range from an individual course or laboratory
to a more comprehensive effort that impacts entire curricula or programs.
The funds may be requested in any budget category normally supported by
NSF or may be entirely for instrumentation.
The institutional commitment and plans to build upon the
project are of critical consideration in the review of CCLI-A&I proposals.
In recognition of the institutional commitment required to conduct successful
projects and the particular benefit to the funded institution of A&I
projects, the entire budget request must be matched by non-Federal resources
equal to or greater than the funds requested from NSF. The match on the
entire budget is a requirement for CCLI-A&I projects only. Minority
serving institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities,
Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges (United States Department
of Education Accredited Postsecondary Minority Institutions) that
do not offer SMET degrees beyond the baccalaureate level are exempted from
this requirement. (For more information on this exemption, please see the
DUE
Minority Serving Institutions web site.)
Track 3: National Dissemination
(CCLI-ND)
This track supports the national dissemination of exemplary
materials and practices by providing faculty with professional development
activities. (Eligible activities are not restricted to the dissemination
of results from NSF-funded projects.) Projects are invited from organizations
that propose to provide faculty professional development opportunities
on a national scale. Such organizations should be able to provide efficient
administrative support to manage the logistics of these activities at multiple
sites. Although it is expected that the primary mechanisms will be workshops,
short courses, and distance learning opportunities, other means of dissemination
are also encouraged.
The following outcomes, although not required, would represent
outstanding achievement:
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COMMON THEMES
ACROSS DUE PROGRAMS
The Division has identified four crosscutting themes that
may be integrated, as appropriate, into projects funded through DUE programs.
The preparation of prospective preK-12 teachers in science,
mathematics, engineering and technology is a major emphasis within DUE.
This emphasis is based on the premise that the preparation of prospective
teachers is the responsibility of SMET faculty and departments, as well
as of colleges and schools of education.
All DUE programs encourage proposals that strengthen
undergraduate education in SMET by increasing the participation and success
of women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities. Projects
of particular interest are those that can serve as models for increasing
the number of such students who successfully pursue careers in SMET areas
and in preK-12 teaching of science and mathematics.
Quality undergraduate education derives from faculty
members who are intellectually vigorous, up-to-date in their fields, and
experienced in effective teaching methods. Faculty professional development
is critical to support curricular design and implementation. in preparing
current faculty members to apply newly developed course and laboratory
materials, pedagogical methods, and technologies into the learning environment.
Preparation of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and others intending
to become faculty is critical if these new faculty are to become effective
teachers once they begin their academic careers.
NSF has been designated the lead agency for a six-agency
initiative on Information
Technology Research (ITR). The ITR initiative will cultivate the promise
and the potential that information technologies offer our society. These
activities build upon NSF's previous substantial investments in information
technology-related projects supporting all areas of research and education
to make optimal use of emerging capabilities.
ELIGIBILITY
Proposals may be submitted for support of projects in
any field of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology ordinarily
supported by NSF. Projects involving fundamental scientific, mathematical,
or engineering concepts within technical, professional, or pre-professional
programs are appropriate. Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary proposals
are especially encouraged.
Proposals are invited from organizations in the United
States and its territories: two-year colleges, four-year colleges, universities,
professional societies, consortia of institutions, and nonprofit and for-profit
organizations. Proposals from a formal consortium should be submitted by
the consortium; proposals from an informal consortium or coalition may
be submitted by one of the member institutions. For additional details
see Grant
Proposal Guide (GPG, NSF 00-2). An individual may be the lead Principal
Investigator (PI) on only one proposal submitted to the CCLI program per
deadline and may also be a Co-PI on other proposals. There is no restriction
on the number of proposals for which a person may serve as a Co-PI.
AWARD
INFORMATION
Educational Materials
Development
(up to $75,000)
(up to $500,000)
Adaptation & Implementation
National Dissemination
(up to $1,000,000)
PROPOSAL
PREPARATION & SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement
should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines
contained in the Grant
Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 00-2. The complete text of the GPG (including
electronic forms) is available electronically on the NSF Web Site. Paper
copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF
Publications Clearinghouse via email or telephone (301) 947-2722.
DUE staff often provide informal guidance to proposers
about potential projects. The advice most frequently sought about proposal
writing in general has been collected in A
Guide for Proposal Writing (NSF 98-91).
For examples of DUE-funded projects, refer to the DUE
Project Information Resource System.
As described in FastLane.
The proposal title should include informative key words
that indicate, for example, the discipline, the target audience, and the
nature of the problem or innovative solution. When preparing the proposal
in FastLane please select "Division of Undergraduate Education" from the
list of NSF Organizational Units. This will bring up a list of DUE programs
from which you can select the specific CCLI track - EMD, A&I, or ND.
In addition, please enter the program announcement number in the block
on the cover page sheet. Submitting this information will facilitate processing
at NSF.
The Project Summary is the first statement that reviewers
and NSF staff will read about a proposed project and it sets the context
in which the rest of the proposal will be read. Thus, the summary should
be a clear, concise, self-contained description of the project. It should
be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields,
and insofar as possible, understandable to a scientifically literate reader.
It should not contain extraneous descriptions of the institution, department,
or PIs. In no more than one page the summary should describe:
4. Project Description, including
Results from Prior NSF Support
Text in this section of a formal proposal must be double-spaced
(3 lines per 2.5 cm). The format must be readily legible. Use no less than
2.5-cm margins and a standard font with font size no smaller than 12 point.
The following page limits apply:
Educational
Materials Development:
Proof-of-Concept
15
Full Scale Development
30
Adaptation & Implementation
15
National Dissemination
30
If the prospective PI or Co-PI(s) has received support
from NSF pertaining to undergraduate education in the past five years,
briefly describe the earlier project(s) and outcomes or on-going progress.
Do not include information on research projects unless those projects have
a direct bearing on the new proposal. Provide sufficient detail to permit
a reviewer to reach an informed conclusion regarding the value of the results
achieved. Include the NSF award number, amount and period of support, the
title of the project, a summary of the results of the completed work, and
a list of publications and formal presentations that acknowledged the NSF
award (do not submit copies with the proposal). Note that the PI and all
Co-PIs must submit a Final Project Report for any completed NSF-funded
project before a new grant can be awarded.
This description of the project should contain:
Special
Instructions for Instrumentation Requests
For proposals submitted to DUE programs, items or functional
units of instrumentation (e.g. scientific apparatus and devices, laboratory
and field instrumentation, computers, software, etc.) that have a unit
acquisition cost of $500 or more and an expected service life of more than
one year are considered instrumentation.
In any DUE project, neither NSF funds nor institutional
matching funds may be used to purchase:
Information to Include in the
Project Description
The instrumentation requested must be appropriate for
the project's objectives. The Project Description must show how the proposed
curriculum improvement will incorporate the requested instrumentation,
and how the instrumentation will be used to improve student learning. A
proposal seeking support for instrumentation for several unrelated projects
or for a list of instrumentation to be used in unrelated ways is not appropriate.
5. References Cited
Refer to the Grant
Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 00-2 for guidelines.
Provide a biographical sketch of no more than two pages
for each person listed as Senior Personnel. Refer to the Grant
Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 00-2 for what information must be included
within the two-page limit and for a definition of Senior Personnel.
See the instructions in the Grant
Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 00-2 for more information. Text for budget
justification is limited to a total of no more than 3 pages.
Consistent with the objectives of Executive Orders 12876,
12900, and 13021, NSF will waive matching requirements for minority serving
institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic
Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges (United States Department of
Education Accredited Postsecondary Minority Institutions) that do
not offer SMET degrees beyond the baccalaureate level. Please note this
waiver in your budget justification, if you are eligible to take advantage
of this waiver. (For more information on this exemption, please see the
DUE
Minority Serving Institutions web site.)
Reviewers must be able to recognize the function of the
requested instrumentation. Therefore, on a separate page list all individual
items by a descriptive name and the probable brand, model, and price. Such
selections may be changed after an award.
In proposals that involve professional development workshops,
it is generally expected that the home institutions of the faculty participants
will bear the cost of travel to and from the workshop unless a compelling
reason can be offered to request NSF support for this conference. In CCLI-A&I
proposals travel costs paid by the grantee institution may be counted towards
the institutional match requirement.
Proposers are required to prepare and submit all proposals
for this Program Announcement through the FastLane system. Detailed instructions
for proposal preparation and submission are available at FastLane.
If there are extenuating circumstances, the institution may apply to the
Assistant Director of EHR for a waiver to submit a paper proposal. If such
a waiver is granted, the paper proposal must be postmarked by June 5, 2000
for A&I submittals and June 6, 2000 for EMD and ND submittals.
The signed proposal Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207) must
be postmarked within five working days following the electronic submission
of the proposal and sent to the following address:
A proposal will not be processed until the complete proposal
(including the signed Cover Sheet) has been received by NSF.
FastLane, NSF's System for conducting business over the
Internet, must be used to prepare and submit proposals. Software that generates
PDF files is needed to submit a proposal via FastLane. PIs who have not
used FastLane before are asked to make sure that their institution is a
registered FastLane institution and to contact this institution's Sponsored
Research Office (which might also be known as the Office of Grants Administration,
Office of Sponsored Research, Office of Research, etc.) to be added to
the NSF PI database. (All Co-PIs listed in the proposal must also be in
the NSF PI database.) PIs who intend to use sub-awards in their proposal
(see the GPG,
Section II.D.7.f.v.) are reminded that the subcontract institution(s)
must also have an NSF Institution ID Number before FastLane can be used
to prepare the subaward budget(s). New FastLane users should acquaint
themselves with the system as early as possible--well before the proposal
deadline.
PROPOSAL
REVIEW INFORMATION
Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from
peers with expertise in the substantive area of the proposed research or
education project. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged
with the oversight of the review process. NSF invites the proposer to suggest
at the time of submission, the names of appropriate or inappropriate reviewers.
Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with the proposer.
Special efforts are made to recruit reviewers from non-academic institutions,
minority-serving institutions, or adjacent disciplines to that principally
addressed in the proposal.
How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge
and understanding within its own field or across different fields? How
well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project?
(If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of prior work.)
To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative
and original concepts? How well conceived and organized is the proposed
activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?
How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding
while promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed
activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender,
ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance
the infrastructure for research and education, such as facilities, instrumentation,
networks, and partnerships? Will the results be disseminated broadly to
enhance scientific and technological understanding? What may be the benefits
of the proposed activity to society?
One of the principal strategies in support of NSF’s goals
is to foster integration of research and education through the programs,
projects and activities it supports at academic and research institutions.
These institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may
concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students
and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the
excitement of discovery and enrich research through the diversity of learner
perspectives. PIs should address this issue in their proposal to provide
reviewers with the information necessary to respond fully to both NSF merit
review criteria. NSF staff will give it careful consideration in making
funding decisions.
Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation
of all citizens—women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons
with disabilities—are essential to the health and vitality of science and
engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems
it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports.
PIs should address this issue in their proposal to provide reviewers with
the information necessary to respond fully to both NSF merit review criteria.
NSF staff will give it careful consideration in making funding decisions.
Broader impacts:
A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed
and signed by each reviewer. In all cases reviews are treated as
confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the
names of the reviewers, are mailed to the Principal Investigator/Project
Director by the Program Director. In addition, the proposer will
receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.
All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three
other persons outside NSF who are experts in the particular field represented
by the proposal. Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation
to either support or decline each proposal. A program officer assigned
to manage the proposal’s review will consider the advice of reviewers and
will formulate a recommendation. NSF will be able to tell applicants
whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within
six months for 95 percent of proposals. In those cases where a proposal
is being considered for joint funding by separate divisions, directorates,
or agencies, NSF will be able to inform applicants within nine months in
95 percent of proposals. The time interval begins on the proposal deadline
or target date, or from the date of receipt if deadlines or target dates
are not used by the program. The interval ends when the division director
accepts the program officer’s recommendation.
AWARD
ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization
by a grants officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements (DGA). Organizations
whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by
the NSF office or division administering the program. Verbatim copies of
reviews, not including the identity of the reviewers, will be provided
to the PI.
An NSF grant notification consists of (1) the award letter,
which includes any special provisions applicable to the grant and any numbered
amendments thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories
of expense, on which NSF has based its support (or otherwise communicates
any specific approvals or disapproval's of proposed expenditures); (3)
the applicable grant conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (NSF
GC-1) or Federal Demonstration Partnership Phase III (FDP) Terms and Conditions,*
and (5) any NSF brochure, program guide, announcement or other NSF issuance
that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Electronic mail
notification is the preferred way to transmit NSF grants to organizations
that have electronic mail capabilities and have requested such notification
from the Division of Grants and Agreements.
For all multi-year grants (including both standard and
continuing grants), the PI must submit an annual project report to the
cognizant program officer at least 90 days before the end of the current
budget period.
If the submitting organization has never received an
NSF award, it is recommended that the organization’s appropriate administrative
officials become familiar with the policies and procedures in the NSF Grant
Policy Manual which are applicable to most NSF awards. The Prospective
New Awardee Guide (NSF 99-78) includes Administration and Management
Information; Accounting System Requirements and Auditing Information; and
information on Payments to Organizations with Awards. This information
will assist an organization in preparing documents that NSF requires to
conduct administrative and financial reviews of an organization. The guide
also serves as a means of highlighting the accountability requirements
associated with Federal awards.
OTHER
PROGRAMS OF INTEREST
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