NSF 24-503: Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science

Program Solicitation NSF 24-503

U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering      Engineering Education and Centers Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering      Division of Computer and Network Systems

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

     January 29, 2024

     October 09, 2024

     Second Wednesday in October, Annually Thereafter

for RET Site Proposals

Important Information and Revision Notes

The teacher stipend amount for RET Sites and Supplements has been increased from a maximum of $10,000 to $15,000 including up to $2,000 for the cost of materials, equipment, software, and other supplies for developing classroom instructions and experiments.

The required number of participants for RET Sites has been changed to 8-10 teachers. NSF's Education & Training Application (ETAP) is described and encouraged as a means of managing teacher applications and collecting teacher demographic information. Additional detail is included on RET teacher participant reporting requirements. A description of a new partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), which offers the possibility of DOE co-funding for relevant RET Site proposals, has been added to the "Other Opportunities" section.

Proposals must be prepared in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Use the version of the guide that is in effect on the proposal's due date.

Summary of Program Requirements

General Information

Program Title:

Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science
Sites and Supplements

Synopsis of Program:

The Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science program supports authentic summer research experiences for K-14 educators to foster long-term collaborations between universities, community colleges, school districts, and industry partners. With this solicitation, the Directorates for Engineering (ENG) and Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) focus on a reciprocal exchange of expertise between K-14 educators and research faculty and (when applicable) industry mentors. K-14 educators will enhance their scientific disciplinary knowledge in engineering or computer science and translate their research experiences into classroom activities and curricula to broaden their students' awareness of and participation in computing and engineering pathways. At the same time, the hosting research faculty will deepen their understanding of classroom practices, current curricula, pedagogy, and K-14 educational environments.

NSF Priorities

NSF welcomes submissions from all researchers, particularly those earlier in their careers and those working in research areas aligned with agency and administration priorities. NSF also expects the highest standards of scientific rigor, integrity, and adherence to tenets of Gold Standard Science in proposals, as appropriate for the field of science and research modality.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

• Amelia S. Greer, ENG/EEC, telephone: (703) 292-2552, email: agreer@nsf.gov
• Matthew A. Verleger, telephone: (703) 292-2961, email: mverlege@nsf.gov

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):

• 47.041 --- Engineering
• 47.070 --- Computer and Information Science and Engineering

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 9

Anticipated Funding Amount: $5,800,000

The total anticipated annual funding for both RET Sites and Supplements is approximately $5,800,000 per year, subject to the availability of funds. It is anticipated that approximately 9 Site awards will be made per year. The maximum total request for a Site is $600,000 for a duration of up to three years. Supplements are limited to a maximum of $15,000 per teacher and/or community college faculty for a duration of one year, subject to the availability of funds.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

• Letters of Intent: Not required
• Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required
• Full Proposals:
  • For proposals submitted via Research.gov, PAPPG guidelines apply.
  • For proposals submitted via Grants.gov, NSF Grants.gov Application Guide guidelines apply.

B. Budgetary Information

• Cost Sharing Requirements:

  Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

• Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:

  Not Applicable

• Other Budgetary Limitations:

  Other budgetary limitations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

C. Due Dates

• Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization's local time):

       January 29, 2024

       October 09, 2024

       Second Wednesday in October, Annually Thereafter

  for RET Site Proposals

Proposal Review Information Criteria

Merit Review Criteria:

National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review criteria apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions:

Standard NSF award conditions apply.

Reporting Requirements:

Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

I. Introduction

The Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program supports active participation in science, engineering, and education research by K-14 STEM educators. RET proposals are welcome in any of the research areas supported by the CISE and ENG directorates.

The RET program seeks to support authentic summer research experiences for K-14 STEM educators to foster long-term collaborations between universities, community colleges, school districts, and industry partners. With this solicitation, the National Science Foundation focuses on a reciprocal exchange of expertise between K-14 STEM educators and research faculty, and (when applicable) industry mentors. Through high-quality mentorship, K-14 STEM educators will enhance their scientific disciplinary knowledge in engineering or computer science and translate their research experiences into classroom activities and curricula. At the same time, the hosting research faculty will deepen their understanding of classroom practices, current curricula, pedagogy, and K-14 educational environments.

Participation of K-14 STEM educators in active research is an excellent way to reach broadly into the teacher talent pool of the U.S., facilitating the ability of educators to teach engineering and computer science concepts in a compelling way. Through an RET experience, educators can better encourage, stimulate, and guide their students to seek engineering and/or computer science careers. Projects that aim to create more opportunities for more people in every region of the country to participate in science and technology remain an important part of NSF's mission.

This solicitation features two mechanisms for support of K-14 educator research: RET Sites and RET Supplements.

The RET in Engineering and Computer Science program is led by ENG in collaboration with CISE.

II. Program Description

The RET program encourages the active participation of K-14 educators in ongoing engineering and/or computer science research activities through Site awards and Supplements. RET Sites and Supplements can include pre- and/or in-service K-12 teachers and/or community college faculty as participants.

A RET Site proposal must be submitted by a College, School, or Department of Engineering, Engineering Technology, or Computer and/or Information Science. NSF's Directorates for Engineering (ENG) and Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) strongly encourage all grantees to make special efforts to identify talented K-14 educators for participation in this RET opportunity. RET projects offer an opportunity to tap the nation's teacher talent pool and expand participation in engineering and computer science.

RET Sites and Supplements should focus on a reciprocal exchange of expertise between K-14 STEM educators and research faculty and/or industry mentors. K-14 STEM educators will enhance their scientific disciplinary knowledge in engineering or computer science. At the same time, the hosting research faculty will deepen their understanding of classroom practices, current curricula, pedagogy, and K-14 educational environments.

RET Sites

RET Sites are based on independent proposals, submitted for an annual deadline date to provide authentic summer research experiences for K-14 STEM educators and foster long-term collaborations between universities, community colleges, school districts, and industry partners. As part of the long-term partnership arrangements, involvement of undergraduate/graduate students with the integration of the RET curricular materials into classroom activities in the follow up academic year is particularly encouraged.

RET Sites must involve 8-10 or more K-14 educators in an engineering and/or computer and/or information science research project for a duration of at least six weeks during the summer. RET Sites must have a well-defined research focus, with clearly articulated projects and activities, that enables a cohort experience for participants. Sites may be based in a single discipline or academic department or may offer interdisciplinary or multi-department research opportunities with a coherent intellectual theme. A proposal should reflect the unique combination of the proposing organization's interests and capabilities and those of any partnering organizations.

RET Sites must include high-quality mentoring strategies to ensure participants receive consistent and effective support during their research experience. Sites are encouraged to include Co-PIs or senior personnel who have expertise in education research and/or curriculum development. RET Sites are also encouraged to include partnerships with industry mentors, particularly those with a regional presence.

Projects should include academic-year activities to facilitate dissemination of classroom modules to other K-14 educators and a broader audience.

RET Supplements

An RET Supplement typically provides support for one or two K-14 STEM Educators to participate in research as part of a new or ongoing ENG or CISE-funded research project. However, centers or large research efforts may request support for a larger number of participants commensurate with the size and nature of the project.

As with RET Sites, high-quality mentoring is important in RET Supplements and investigators should give serious attention to developing participants' research skills, involving them in the culture of research in the discipline, and connecting their research experience with classroom activities and curricula. RET Supplement descriptions must also indicate what type of sustained follow-up will be provided during the academic year to help in translating the teacher's research experience and new understanding of engineering and/or computer science concepts into classroom practice.

Other Opportunities

ENG and CISE strongly encourage the use of RET supplements to enable K-14 STEM educators to participate in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs. See https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/reu-research-experiences-undergraduates for a list of current, active REU Sites.

The RET in Engineering and Computer Science program will allow PIs to involve participating K-14 educators in international research experiences in their proposals. PIs may contact NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) staff, with expertise in the country or region of interest, for information about institutions and counterpart agencies. (Contacts for cognizant program managers(s) are available from the OISE webpage (https://www.nsf.gov/od/oise/country-list.jsp).

NSF engages in a partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) to expand research opportunities in DOE mission-relevant areas through the ENG RET Sites program. Proposals that are selected for the DOE funding will involve DOE mission-relevant topics and may come from any of the NSF directorates or offices that handle ENG RET Site proposals. These topics include but are not limited to electric power sector research; innovative energy technology research; risk science, decision science, social science, and data science using electric power sector data sets. A proposer to the NSF ENG RET Sites program does not need to take any additional steps to be considered for funding through DOE. Proposals that are considered for co-funding by DOE will be shared with DOE staff to assess alignment with DOE's research interests, and the unattributed reviews and panel summaries for those proposals will also be shared with DOE.

III. Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Continuing Grant or Standard Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 9

Anticipated Funding Amount: $5,800,000

The total anticipated annual funding for both RET Sites and Supplements is approximately $5,800,000 per year, subject to the availability of funds. It is anticipated that approximately 9 Site awards will be made per year. The maximum total request for a Site is $600,000 for a duration of up to three years. Supplements are limited to a maximum of $15,000 per teacher and/or community college faculty for a duration of one year, subject to the availability of funds.

IV. Eligibility Information

Who May Submit Proposals:

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

• RET Sites
  • Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the U.S., acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of U.S. IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the U.S. campus.
• RET Supplements
  • RET Supplement to an existing award: Active ENG or CISE awardees.
  • RET Supplemental funding request submitted as part of a proposal to ENG or CISE for a new or renewal grant or cooperative agreement: Eligibility requirements of the specific funding opportunity apply.

Who May Serve as PI:

The principal investigator of a RET in Engineering and Computer Science Site proposal must have a full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty appointment within a College/Department of Engineering or Engineering Technology or a College/Department of Computer and/or Information Science broadly defined [including e.g., Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Software Engineering, Networking Science, Informatics] within the submitting U.S. IHE. The PI must be a full-time Engineering and/or Computer Science faculty member whose primary job responsibilities are research and teaching and not a faculty member who is involved in an administrative capacity such as a dean or outreach coordinator.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1

An individual may be listed as a PI or co-PI on no more than one RET site proposal per annual deadline.

V. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Research.gov or Grants.gov.

You must prepare your proposal according to Chapter II.D.2 of the PAPPG, unless this solicitation specifies different instructions. Always use the version of the PAPPG in effect on your proposal's due date.

• For proposals submitted via Research.gov, PAPPG guidelines apply.
• For proposals submitted via Grants.gov, NSF Grants.gov Application Guide guidelines apply.

In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:

Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via Research.gov. PAPPG Chapter II.E.3 provides additional information on collaborative proposals.

PROPOSAL FOR A RET SITE

The following instructions supplement those found in the PAPPG or NSF Grants.gov Application Guide.

Proposal Set-Up.

Select "Prepare New Full Proposal" in Research.gov unless the proposal is requesting continued funding for a previously funded RET Site.; In that case, select the "Prepare New Renewal Proposal" option. Please note that, if the proposal is a continuation but has a different PI, Research.gov will not allow this selection. The proposer should select "Prepare New Full Proposal" and the renewal information should be indicated in the Project Summary.

The NSF organizational unit to which proposals should be directed is either ENG/EEC or CISE/CNS. In the title of the project, start with the label "RET Site:".

Senior Personnel. A single individual should be designated as the Principal Investigator (PI); this individual will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the award. Up to three additional people may be designated as Co-PIs if developing and operating the RET Site would involve such shared responsibility. Other anticipated research supervisors or mentors should be designated as Other Senior Personnel.

Project Summary. The Project Summary consists of an overview, a statement on the intellectual merit of the proposed activity, and a statement on the broader impacts of the proposed activity.

The "Overview" section of the Project Summary must include the following list of "Project Elements":

PROJECT ELEMENTS:

• New RET Site, or Renewal of previously funded RET Site (provide previous NSF Award Number; see Note below)
• Site submitted for ENG or CISE consideration
• Project title (as shown on Cover Sheet): "RET Site: ..."
• Principal Investigator
• Submitting organization
• Location(s) (universities, national labs, field stations, etc.) at which the proposed research will occur
• Main field(s) and sub-field(s) of the research
• School districts and other institutions involved in the project
• Grade levels taught by intended participants (e.g., K-5, 8-12, high school, 2-year college, pre-service)
• No. of RET participants per year
• No. of weeks per year that the K-14 educators will participate
• International or REU component, if applicable
• URL for RET Site, if renewal

In the remainder of the Project Summary, briefly describe the project's objectives, activities, educators to be recruited, and intended impact. Provide separate statements on the intellectual merit and broader impacts of the proposed activity, as required by the PAPPG.

*Note: For renewals with a new PI, the relevant "Project Element" in the Project Summary (above) should indicate that the proposal is a "renewal," and the outcomes of the previous Site should be described in the "Results from Prior NSF Support" section of the Project Description.

In addition, at the end of the Overview Box, please provide a list of keywords or phrases following the text "Keywords:" that identify the areas of technical expertise and education-related activities that are involved in the proposed project(s).

Project Description. ;Address items "a" through "l" below as subsections in the Project Description narrative. The Project Description must not exceed 15 pages and must contain a separate section labeled "Broader Impacts" within the narrative.

1. Overview. Provide a brief description of the goals and objectives of the proposed RET Site, targeted educator participants, intellectual research focus, broader impact of the proposed activity, organizational structure, timetable, and institutional commitment to the RET activity.
2. Nature of Participant Research Activities. A RET Site must have a well-defined research focus related to engineering and/or computer science which helps unify the site and build a cohort experience. Proposals must provide detailed descriptions of example research projects that connect to the site research focus. Each project described must have a section labeled "Participant Component" that highlights the participant's contribution to the project. Participant contributions must be a part of authentic research with clear research objectives and questions. There should be minimal expectations for involvement or study by the participants on the research topic prior to the beginning of the on-site experience. Sites cannot involve registration in courses either online or on-site.
3. Site logistics. Proposals should have a timeline of participant activities during the duration of the summer experience and the academic year follow-up. In cases where limited availability of specialized facilities, such as clean rooms, electron microscopes, etc., make it possible to offer an extraordinary experience in less than the minimum six-week duration, a shorter research component may be proposed with appropriate justification.
4. RET Site Team Experience and Training. Proposals must describe the experience of the principal investigator and the research mentors (including faculty, graduate students, industry mentors and/or master teachers). This should include information on the record of faculty/mentors in publishing research results and providing professional development opportunities for K-14 educators. It must clearly discuss any prior engagement with the PI and participating faculty with K-14 educators and demonstrate their capacity to lead an entire site of RET participants. It should also describe the institution and any related involvement by industry in the RET project.

   Proposals must include plans that will ensure sufficient RET participant-faculty interaction and communication. The RET participants must work closely in teams with university faculty and their students, and industry mentors, when applicable. Mentor training for graduate students and faculty mentors must be included to ensure participants receive consistent and effective support during their research experience. Sites are also expected to adhere to NSF's Policy on Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment, or Sexual Assault (See section e. for more details).

5. NSF Policy on Sexual Harassment, Other Forms of Harassment, or Sexual Assault. NSF does not tolerate sexual harassment, or any kind of harassment, where NSF-funded activities take place. Proposers are required to have a policy or code of conduct that addresses sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, and sexual assault. Proposers should provide an orientation for all participants in the RET Site (K-14 educator participants, university faculty, postdocs, graduate students, other research mentors, etc.) to cover expectations of behavior to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all participants, and to review the organization's policy or code of conduct addressing sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, and sexual assault, including reporting and complaint procedures. For additional information, see the NSF policies at https://www.nsf.gov/od/odi/harassment.jsp and the "Promising Practices" at https://www.nsf.gov/od/odi/promising_practices/index.jsp.
6. Participant Recruitment and Selection. Since a major goal of the RET Site program is to build a sustainable bond between school districts/community colleges and a college or university in the surrounding community, proposals should provide a recruitment plan with as much specificity as possible. The types and/or names of schools, school districts, or 2-year colleges from which participants will be recruited and the rationale for this selection should be identified. RET Site participants must be currently teaching a STEM subject or interested in strengthening computer science and/or engineering at their institution. It is encouraged, but not required, that at least two participants be recruited for the site from the same K-12 school/community college to strengthen support for teachers and the likelihood of impact when returning to their home institutions. Sites that plan to include a mixture of teachers at different grade levels or a combination of pre- and in-service teachers, need to carefully discuss how the group will be managed to be appropriate and relevant to all, and to allow for all the participants to be fully engaged. Participants should be able to commute to a given site easily each day and not need funds for housing and meals. However, in-residence sites with a strong justification that the Site will maintain regional impact and for which residency is necessary to reach teachers, particularly teachers in under-served communities, will be considered. Virtual/hybrid sites will also be considered.
7. Development of Curricular Modules. During the summer of the RET Site, participants must develop modules and curricular materials to bring their research back into the classroom. This activity is an integral part of the summer Site activities and should be woven into the timeline. The modules should be directly related to the research and the intellectual focus of the RET Site. At the same time, the modules must be firmly connected to the K-12 and/or community college curricula that the educators follow as well as state and/or national teaching standards. Proposals should also describe any educational experts (e.g., curriculum specialists, education researchers, master teachers) who will support this process. RET Sites must disseminate curricular modules or other classroom activities developed through the site. It is encouraged for participants to submit to the Teach Engineering digital library (http://teachengineering.org/) or other repositories that reach a national audience. They may also be posted to the individual RET web site or portal to ensure free access to educators.
8. Participant Professional Development. Proposals must describe plans for participant professional development relevant to the responsible and ethical conduct of research, laboratory methods and safety procedures as appropriate to the proposal. Professional development plans could also include opportunities that deepen participants' knowledge about current research areas, career paths, and/or related industry opportunities. RET participants should have multiple opportunities to present their research plans, progress, and results to audiences of other RET participants, university faculty and students, and any industry mentors who might be involved.
9. Academic Year Follow-up Plan. The proposal must provide a plan for realistic and sustained academic-year follow-up with RET Site participants to support translation of their research experience into classroom practice. Research faculty and/or graduate students should visit the classrooms of their K-14 educator participants. Plans must be included for academic-year conferences or other outreach activities such that the RET participants can disseminate their curricular materials and modules as well as details of their RET participation to a broader audience of teachers/community college faculty in their own communities.
10. Project Evaluation and Reporting. Proposals should provide a detailed plan for formative and summative evaluation of the RET Site aimed at determining the impact of the experience on participants' content knowledge, confidence, self-efficacy, etc. An external evaluator and a brief description of their qualifications must be identified (normally budgeted between $3,000 and $5,000 per year). The PI, Co-PI, and main project personnel cannot be the evaluator. Additionally, it is encouraged to incorporate a structured means of identifying longer-term impacts of the RET site experience on participant careers and practice, as well as the impact on the relationship between the Site institution and partner school districts.
11. Dissemination. Proposals must include a strategy for reaching a broad audience with the findings of the project including, where appropriate, researchers in other fields, practitioners, policy makers, and public audiences. Dissemination plans should include strategies to share research projects, curriculum, and best practices about RET Sites. RET participants should also be encouraged to participate in future scientific meetings related to their research to share their projects and strengthen their disciplinary knowledge.
12. RET Site Renewal proposals: Results from Prior NSF Support. If the proposal is requesting renewal of an existing RET Site or if the department or center (or similar organizational subunit) that will host the proposed Site has hosted another RET Site during the past five years, proposals must describe the earlier RET project(s) and outcomes(s) in sufficient detail to permit reviewers to reach an informed conclusion regarding the value of the results achieved. Valuable information typically includes results from the project evaluation, summary information on recruiting efforts and number of applicants, follow-up and dissemination activities, lessons learned, modifications and changes to the proposed Site, and a list of publications or reports (if to be submitted for publication) resulting from the original NSF award.

In addition to the required documents outlined in the PAPPG, proposals must also include the following:

Biographical Sketches. The basic guidelines as outlined in the PAPPG for biographical material apply; however, senior personnel are encouraged to include appointments, synergistic activities, or products relevant to a successful RET Site. Senior personnel are the principal investigator; the co-principal investigator if one has been designated; the external evaluator; and other faculty/professionals who are anticipated to serve as research mentors. The number of biographical sketches is limited to 12.

Letters of Collaboration. Signed letters of collaboration from participating schools, school districts, 2-year colleges, and/or other partnering organizations are required and must document collaborative arrangements of significance to the proposal. The letters must come from someone in a leadership position in the school districts and/or community colleges involved, normally from someone in the main administrative office. Letters of endorsement from individual teachers/community college faculty are not permitted.

REQUEST FOR A RET SUPPLEMENT

The disciplinary research programs within the ENG and CISE directorates support RET activities that are requested either (1) as a component of a new (or renewed) research proposal or (2) as a post-award supplement to an existing grant or cooperative agreement. Guidance for use of either mechanism is given below.

For either mechanism, the description of the RET activity should discuss the following: (1) the form and nature of the prospective participant's involvement in the principal investigator's ongoing or proposed research; (2) what type of sustained follow-up will be provided to translate the participant's research experience into classroom practice; (3) the nature of the mentoring that the participant(s) will receive; (4) the experience of the principal investigator (or other possible research mentors) in involving K-12 teachers and/or community college faculty in research; (5) any previous RET Supplemental support and the outcomes from that support; (6) the process and criteria for selection of participants; and (7) a brief biographical sketch of the participant, if available.

The duration of the RET Supplement will be one year and the project may be carried out during summer months, the academic year, or both. The total cost of the supplement is limited to $15,000 per participant. The budget includes participant stipend and up to $2,000 for the cost of materials, equipment, software and other supplies for developing classroom instructions and experiments. These costs must be listed as Participant Support costs in the NSF proposal budget. The participant may not be charged an application fee.

Normally, funds may be available for one to two participants, but exceptions will be considered. Center or large research efforts may request support for a number of participants commensurate with the size and nature of the project. For guidance concerning RET Supplement requests, please consult with the cognizant ENG or CISE program director of the particular research program of the proposal or award.

A RET Supplemental funding request to an existing award must be submitted via Research.gov in accordance with the guidelines found in the PAPPG. The following instructions supplement those found in the PAPPG. After logging into Research.gov, choose "Supplemental Funding Requests" (under "Awards & Reporting") and then "Prepare New Supplement." Next, select the award to be supplemented. In the form entitled "Summary of Proposed Work," state that this is a request for an RET Supplement. In the form entitled "Justification for Supplemental Funding," include the information described above in the fourth paragraph under the subheading "B. REQUEST FOR RET SUPPLEMENT"; limit your response to three pages. If an RET teacher has been pre-selected, you may upload a Biographical Sketch for the teacher (up to two pages, in any format) in the Other Supplementary Documents section. Prepare a budget, including a justification of the funds requested for teacher support and their proposed use. All teacher costs should be entered as Participant Support Costs (Line F) in the proposal budget. (Indirect costs [F&A] are not allowed on Participant Support Costs.)

An award decision will be based on internal review by the cognizant ENG or CISE program director and availability of funds in a particular program.

A request for a RET Supplement submitted as part of a proposal for a new or renewal award is embedded in the proposal as follows. The description of the RET activity, as specified above and limited to three pages, is included as supplementary documentation. The budget for the RET Supplement is included in the yearly project budget. All participant costs must be listed as Participant Support costs in the NSF proposal budget. The budget justification for the proposal must contain a separate explanation of the RET Supplement request, with the proposed participant costs itemized and justified, and a total given for all proposed costs. All funding in a RET Supplement must be to fund participant support.

B. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:

Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

Other Budgetary Limitations:

The focus of RET Sites and Supplements is the participant experience, and the budget must reflect this principle. The total budget amount for an RET Site may not exceed $600,000 for up to three years, for up to $200,000 per year. The total cost per participant is limited to $15,000 per year, which includes funds for participant stipend and up to $2,000 for the cost of materials, equipment, software, and other supplies for developing classroom instructions and experiments. In-residency proposals may submit a request for increased per teacher budget to account for housing expenses based on local housing costs but may not exceed a total maximum budget of $200,000 per year. The salary for the external evaluator should be between $3,000 and $5,000 per year.

The total cost of an RET Supplement is limited to $15,000 per participant per year.

Funds awarded to participants for stipends, fees, lodging, travel and other miscellaneous expenses must be listed as Participant Support Costs in the NSF proposal budget.

Projects are required to attend annual PI Meetings and should include associated travel costs in the NSF proposal budget.

C. Research.gov/Grants.gov Requirements

You can submit proposals in response to this solicitation through Research.gov or Grants.gov, unless otherwise noted.

Information on how to prepare and submit proposals is available on the Submitting Your Proposal page on NSF.gov.

VI. NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures

Information on NSF's proposal processing and review procedures is available on the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page on NSF.gov.

A. Merit Review Principles and Criteria

All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board-approved merit review criteria:

• Intellectual Merit, which encompasses the potential to advance knowledge.
• Broader Impacts, which encompass the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.

Information on NSF's merit review principles and process can be found on the How We Make Funding Decisions page on NSF.gov.

Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria

RET Site proposals and Supplemental funding requests will be reviewed based on the two basic NSF review criteria in the context of the RET program. In addition, emphasis will be placed on the following considerations:

1. Appropriateness and value of the research experience for participants, particularly the nature of the educators' involvement and contributions to the research project(s).
2. Quality of the research environment, including the facilities, the preparedness of the research mentor(s) to guide educators in research, and the professional development opportunities for participants.
3. Appropriateness of the participant recruitment and selection plans.
4. Quality of strategy to support the development of curricular modules and/or activities that can be appropriately aligned with participants' classrooms and state/national standards.
5. Quality of plans for academic year follow-up activities.
6. Appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of the budget, effectiveness of the plans for managing the project and evaluating the outcomes, and commitment of participating schools, school districts, and/or 2-year colleges and/or other partnering organizations.
7. For renewals of previously funded RET Sites: effectiveness of the previous Site.

B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review, or Internal NSF Review.

RET Site proposals will be reviewed by panel and ad hoc review with external reviewers selected by the ENG and CISE directorates.

RET Supplement proposals will be reviewed internally and managed by the cognizant Program Directors for any award being supplemented.

After a proposal passes an initial compliance check, it will be reviewed by an NSF Program Officer. In most cases, three or more external experts will also review it (either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists or both).

Visit the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page for more information on the proposal review and selection process.

In alignment with Executive Order 14332 (Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking), all else being equal after merit review, NSF may give preference to institutions with lower indirect cost rates.

VII. Award Administration Information

A. Notification of the Award

Notification of an award is made to the submitting organization by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer.

B. Award Conditions

Information on NSF award conditions can be found on the Award Terms and Conditions page on NSF.gov and Chapter VII of the PAPPG.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements:
Information on administrative and national policy requirements can be found on the National Policy Requirements for Recipients of NSF Awards page on NSF.gov.

Consistent with the requirements specified in 2 CFR § 200.332, recipients of NSF awards must adhere to the requirements for pass-through entities in establishing and managing subawards issued ensuring alignment with Administration and NSF policies and priorities.

In alignment with Executive Order 14332 (Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking), proposers should be aware that NSF awards offered under this funding opportunity may include termination for convenience provisions.

C. Reporting Requirements

Unless your award notice says otherwise, NSF requires the principal investigator of every grant to submit annual project reports and a project outcomes report for the general public. For complete reporting requirements, see Chapter VII of the PAPPG.

The NSF Education & Training Application (ETAP) is a customizable common application system that connects individuals (such as students and teachers) with NSF-funded education and training opportunities and collects high-quality data from both applicants and participants in NSF-funded opportunities. It was initially developed to serve the REU Sites program but now serves multiple programs, and its use is growing. All investigators with RET Site awards or RET Supplement awards are welcome to use ETAP, which offers benefits to the PIs, the teacher participants, and NSF. Some NSF units require their RET Sites to use ETAP to manage teacher applications and collect teacher demographic information. When use of ETAP is required, it will be indicated in the award notice for the RET Site.

PIs are required to provide the names and other basic information about RET participants as part of annual and final project reports. In particular, in the report, each RET teacher who is supported with NSF RET funds must be identified as an "RET Participant," and the PI must provide the teacher's home institution and grade levels taught. The RET teachers (like all participants listed in project reports) will receive an automated request from Research.gov to self-report their demographic information. PIs of RET Sites may also be required to provide additional information that enables NSF to track teachers beyond the period of their participation in the Site. For PIs who use NSF's ETAP to receive RET applications, that system collects, and provides reports on, the demographic information and other characteristics of both applicants and participants, and it will support efforts in longitudinal tracking.

VIII. Agency Contacts

For questions related to the use of NSF systems contact:

• Research.gov: NSF IT Service Desk at rgov@nsf.gov or 1-800-381-1532. The Service Desk is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except for federal holidays).

For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:

• Grants.gov: The Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726. (Contact if the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from Grants.gov within 48 hours of submitting an application.)

IX. Other Information

For information on NSF directorates, programs and funding opportunities, go to NSF.gov.

About the National Science Foundation

The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency created by the "National Science Foundation Act of 1950." More information about NSF can be found on NSF.gov.

Location: Randolph Building, 401 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 General Information (703) 292-5111 TDD (for the hearing-impaired): (703) 292-5090

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. More information can be found on the Privacy Act and Public Burden Statements page on NSF.gov.