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NSF 23-021

Dear Colleague Letter: Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship (Noyce) Program Responsiveness to the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-167)

October 31, 2022

Draws attention to the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 concerning the waiving of the mandatory cost-sharing requirement for future Noyce proposals and awards for five years.

Dear Colleagues:

This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) seeks to inform the community that the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship (Noyce) program will be releasing a new solicitation in calendar year 2023 to align with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (Public Law. 117-167). Section 10320 of this Act waives the mandatory cost-sharing requirements for the Noyce program for 5 years.

The current Noyce solicitation, NSF 21-578, supports STEM undergraduate majors and professionals in becoming effective K-12 STEM teachers in local educational agencies (a.k.a. school districts). It also supports experienced, exemplary K-12 (teachers of STEM subjects to become STEM master teachers in high-need school and under-resourced school districts. Fundamental, applied, and translational research on the effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in urban, suburban, and rural high-need school districts is also supported. Broadly speaking, Noyce is a major investment of the National Science Foundation in helping to cultivate STEM K-12 talent and making sure that the country can reach individuals of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in every setting of the nation, including some of the most distressed and under-resourced K-12 contexts.

Eligible institutions are encouraged to consider the implications of the waiver of cost-sharing for future Noyce proposals submitted to Track 2 (NSF Teaching Fellowships [TF] Track), and Track 3 (NSF Master Teaching Fellowships [MTF] Track). The TF Track supports STEM professionals becoming certified or licensed elementary, middle, or high school teachers through the completion of a master's degree, as well as receiving a salary supplement every year for four years while teaching in a high-need school district. The MTF track supports experienced and exemplary STEM teachers (elementary, middle, and high school) with only a bachelor's degree to obtain a master's degree, as well as those with a master's degree, to receive a salary supplement for up to five years as they continue to teach in a high-need school district.

The waiver of the statutory cost-sharing requirement will be effective for future Noyce awards in Track 2 and Track 3 under the new solicitation. Current Noyce awardees must adhere to the terms and conditions of their award, including the mandatory cost-sharing in Tracks 2 and 3, consistent with the solicitation under which the award was made.

All questions related to this DCL should be directed to the cognizant program directors listed below.

Sincerely,

James L. Moore III
Assistant Director
Directorate for STEM Education