|
|
 |
This document has been archived. For current NSF funding opportunities, see
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/browse_all_funding.jsp
Directorate
for Education and Human Resources
Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education
Science, mathematics, and technology
(SMT) education—pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (preK-12)—lays
the foundation of knowledge and skills needed by future researchers, educators,
and technologists; students pursuing postsecondary education in other disciplines;
and individuals directly entering the technological workforce. The Division
of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education (ESIE) supports the National
Science Foundation’s mission of providing leadership and promoting
development of the infrastructure and resources needed to strengthen preK-12
SMT education throughout the United States.
ESIE’s comprehensive and coherent research-based program portfolio
strengthens the Nation’s capacity to support high-quality SMT education.
Innovative instructional materials and student assessments, as well as new
models for teacher education, contribute to SMT classroom environments that
enable all students to achieve their full potential. Moreover, ESIE’s
informal learning opportunities via media, exhibit, and community-based
projects increase scientific and technological literacy, as well as develop
lifelong learning skills that benefit students of all ages. All ESIE programs
work together, adding to a knowledge base that informs practice and forging
partnerships that leverage the expertise and resources of other major education
stakeholders, including higher education, state and local education agencies,
school districts, informal science education institutions, professional
societies, and industry.
1. Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLT)
The Centers for Learning and Teaching Program is a comprehensive, research-based
effort that addresses critical issues and national needs of the science,
mathematics, and technology (SMT) instructional workforce across the entire
spectrum of formal and informal education. Each center has a specific research
focus, but all offer rich environments that meld education research, high-quality
teacher education, and innovations in instructional practices. Centers consist
of a doctoral degree-awarding university and one or more school districts,
plus partnering organizations.
CLT program goals are:
- to renew and diversify the cadre of national leaders in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education through doctoral,
postdoctoral, and internship programs for the broad array of professionals
who educate and support the instructional workforce;
- to increase significantly
the numbers of K-12 STEM educators in schools and informal settings; and
- to
provide substantive opportunities for research into the nature of learning,
strategies of teaching, policies of educational reform, and
outcomes of standards-based reform.
Eligibility Requirements for CLT
The CLT program has special eligibility requirements beyond the standard
NSF requirements. For more information, see program solicitation NSF
03-522.
2. Teacher Professional Continuum (TPC)
The TPC program is managed jointly by ESIE and the Division of Undergraduate
Education. TPC addresses the full continuum of teacher education (grades
K-12) from recruitment and preparation, through enhancement, retention,
and life-long learning of science, mathematics, and technology (SMT) teachers.
TPC supports four categories of projects: (1) Research Studies to identify
effective strategies for educating teachers; developing supportive structures
and environments that sustain SMT educators; and impacting teaching practice
through teacher learning; (2) Research and Development of Educational
Models and Systems to evaluate overall effectiveness of models and systems to be
studied, as well as how relationships among various components influence
effectiveness; (3) Professional Resources Development that are grounded
in recent advances in research on teaching and learning; and (4) Conferences
and Symposia that focus on planning and dissemination of research findings,
issues, innovations, and action plans.
The goals of the TPC Program are:
- to improve the quality and coherence of the learning experiences
that prepare and enhance SMT teachers;
- to develop innovative curriculums,
materials, tools, ideas, and information resources for the professional
development of SMT teachers and
administrators;
- to research, develop, and identify models, organizational
structures, and systems that support the teacher professional continuum;
- to
use scientifically based studies to research teacher learning throughout
the teacher professional continuum and its impact on teaching
practice;
- to advance the knowledge base on the preparation, enhancement,
and retention of SMT teachers, and on the strategies that strengthen and
diversify the SMT teaching profession; and
- to disseminate this knowledge
and research, as well as innovative models and resources, to a national
audience.
Eligibility Requirements for TPC
The TPC Program has special eligibility requirements beyond the standard
NSF requirements. For more information, see program solicitation NSF
03-534.
3. Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
(PAEMST)
Administered on behalf of the White House, the PAEMST Program recognizes
teachers who incorporate creativity into their classroom teaching and demonstrate
leadership in the education community. Beginning in 2003, the competition
will alternate each year between teachers of grades 7-12 and teachers of
grades K-6. In 2003, teachers of grades 7-12 mathematics and science in
each State and the four U.S. jurisdictions are eligible for nomination.
Teachers of grades K-6 will be eligible for Presidential Awards in 2004.
Awardees receive a $10,000 cash award and a special citation from the President,
and are honored in Recognition Week ceremonies in Washington, D.C.
Eligibility Requirements for PAEMST
The PAEMST Program has special eligibility requirements beyond the standard
NSF requirements. For complete information, visit the PAEMST Web site, http://www.nsf.gov/awards/presidential.jsp.
4. Instructional Materials Development (IMD)
The IMD Program supports development of rigorous single- and multiyear
curriculums in science, mathematics, and technology (SMT); supplementary
instructional materials; and assessments to guide instruction and evaluate
student learning. IMD’s student-based materials are generally accompanied
by materials for teachers, administrators, and parents/caregivers. The three
categories of IMD projects include: (1) Instructional Materials for Students
that include embedded assessments, enhance classroom instruction, and reflect
SMT education standards developed by national professional organizations;
(2) Assessments (including creation of tools for assessing student learning)
that are tied to nationally developed standards and assist in the implementation
of new assessments; and (3) Applied Research that provides evidence of the
effectiveness of instructional materials and feedback for future program
development. IMD projects are national in scope and significance; are grounded
in recent research in teaching and learning; and have the potential to make
a noticeable impact on the nationwide market for instructional materials.
Eligibility Requirements for IMD
The IMD Program has special eligibility requirements beyond the standard
NSF requirements. For more information, see program solicitation NSF
03-524.
5. Informal Science Education (ISE)
The Informal Science Education (ISE) Program is designed to increase public
interest in, understanding of, and engagement with science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM). All ISE projects have the informal
learner (from young child to senior citizen) as their primary audience,
presume voluntary participation, and are not related to formal school activities
or curricula. The outcome of ISE projects is an informed citizenry that
has access to the ideas of science and engineering, and an understanding
of their role in enhancing quality of life and the health, prosperity, welfare,
and security of the Nation. Categories of projects include media (television,
radio, film); exhibits (museums, science centers, aquariums, zoos, libraries,
other informal learning institutions); and community and youth-based programs.
ISE Program goals are:
- to engage the interest of children and adults in STEM disciplines
so they will develop scientific and technological literacy, mathematical
competence, problem-solving skills, and the desire to learn;
- to bring together
individuals and organizations from the informal and formal education communities,
as well as from the private and public
sectors, with the objective of strengthening STEM education in all settings;
and
- to develop and implement innovative strategies that support development
of a socially responsible and informed public, and demonstrate promise
of increasing participation of all citizens in continued learning and careers
in STEM disciplines.
Eligibility Requirements for ISE
The ISE Program has special eligibility requirements beyond the standard
NSF requirements. For more information, see program solicitation and guidelines
NSF
03-511.
6. Communicating Research to Public Audiences (CRPA)
CRPA grants are a special category of projects supported under the Informal
Science Education (ISE) Program. These grants, with funding levels up to
$75,000, provide an opportunity for principal investigators (PIs) of awards
from any NSF directorate or the Office of Polar Programs to communicate,
in nontechnical terms, research results, research in progress, or research
methods to a broad and diverse audience. Grants can be used for any activity
that falls within the definition of an informal science education activity
(e.g., media presentations, exhibits, youth-based activities) in order to
disseminate research results, research in progress, or research methods.
Eligibility Requirements for CRPA
The CRPA Program has special eligibility requirements beyond the standard
NSF requirements. For more information, see program solicitation and guidelines
NSF
03-509.
7. Information Technology Experiences for Students and
Teachers (ITEST)
The ITEST Program seeks to increase opportunities for students (grades
7-12) and teachers to learn about, experience, and use information technologies
within the context of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) disciplines, including information technology courses. Two categories
of projects are (1) Youth-Based projects, which create innovative models
for engaging students in meaningful, intensive learning experiences, building
the skills and knowledge needed to advance their studies so they can function
and contribute in a technologically rich society and (2) Comprehensive
Projects for Students and Teachers, which are designed to infuse information technologies
into STEM courses, giving teachers opportunities to put into practice what
they have learned via summer laboratory experiences with students in grades
7-12.
Eligibility Requirements for ITEST
The ITEST Program has special eligibility requirements beyond the standard
NSF requirements. For more information, see program solicitation and guidelines
NSF 02-147.
8. Advanced Technological Education (ATE)
The ATE Program is managed jointly by DUE and the Division of Elementary,
Secondary, and Informal Education. The program promotes improvement in the
education of technicians in science- and engineering-related fields at the
undergraduate and secondary school levels. It particularly targets two-year
colleges and encourages collaboration among 2-year colleges, 4-year colleges,
universities, secondary schools, business, industry, and Government. Proposals
are solicited in the following three tracks:
- Projects—Activities may include the adaptation
of exemplary educational materials, courses, and curriculums in new educational
settings;
preparation and professional development of college faculty and secondary
school teachers; development of educational materials, courses, curriculums,
and laboratories; internships and field experiences for students and educators;
evaluation and broad dissemination of exemplary educational materials,
curricula, and pedagogical practices designed by previously funded ATE
centers and
projects; and research on effective practices in technician education.
- Centers—Centers
are comprehensive national or regional resources that provide models and
leadership for other projects and act
as clearinghouses for educational materials and methods. National Centers
of Excellence engage in the full range of activities described above for
projects. Regional centers for manufacturing or information technology education
pursue comprehensive approaches that focus on reforming academic programs,
departments, and systems to produce a highly qualified workforce to meet
industry's needs within a particular geographic region. Resource centers
constitute a highly visible source of materials, ideas, contacts, and mentoring
in particular fields of technological education.
- Articulation Partnerships—Focus on enhancing either of
two important educational pathways for students between 2-year colleges
and 4-year colleges and universities. One type of Articulation Partnership
focuses on strengthening science, technology, and mathematics preparation
of prospective K–12 teachers enrolled in preprofessional programs
at 2-year colleges. The other type of partnership targets 2-year college
programs for students to continue their education in 4-year science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics programs, especially programs that have a strong
technological basis.
Proposals in all three tracks must show evidence of a coherent vision
of technological education—a vision that recognizes the needs of the
modern workplace, the needs of students as lifelong learners, and the need
for articulation of educational programs at different levels. Whenever feasible,
projects are expected to utilize and innovatively build from successful
educational materials, courses, curriculums, and methods that have been
developed through other ATE grants, as well as other exemplary resources
that can be adapted to technological education.
|
|