NSF s Division of Undergraduate Education: Funding Opportunities for Community Colleges and Partnerships Focus on ATE igett Summer Institute, 2009 Elaine L. Craft, Director SC ATE Center of Excellence and President, SCATE Inc. Florence-Darlington Technical College Florence, SC Elaine.Craft@fdtc.edu ph. 843-676-8545 1
Purpose of this session To share information about the NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) and S-STEM programs from which you may wish to seek funding 2
Caution Most of the information presented in this talk represents the opinions of the individual program officers who prepared the material or the presenter and is not an official NSF position.
www.nsf.gov
EHR s Mission is to promote the development of a diverse and well-prepared workforce of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, educators, and technicians and a well informed citizenry who have access to the ideas and tools of science and engineering.
The Role of Community Colleges in the Education of Recent Science and Engineering Graduates 44% of all S & E 1999 and 2000 graduates with a bachelor s or master s degree attended a community college (more than 50% of the bachelors and 35% of the masters) 51% of Hispanic bachelor s and masters graduates and 18% of the Hispanic Ph.D.s attended a community college
The Role of Community Colleges in the Education of Recent Science and Engineering Graduates 62% of female graduates and 51% of male graduates who had children attended a community college 42% of the graduates who had a GPA between 3.75 and 4.00 attended a community college
NSF Budget Education and Human Resources (EHR): FY 2009 (Requested) $709 Million Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE): FY 2007 (Actual) $204.96 Million FY 2008 (Estimate) $211.05 Million FY 2009 (Requested) $219.83 Million *Note: Extra $75 million from H-1B visa fees employers pay to obtain a visa for a foreign high-tech worker to fund the S-STEM program.
NSF Budget Stimulus Plan 2009 for DUE - NOYCE Scholarship Program: 60 M - Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Program: 25 M
Selected Programs in DUE FY2007 FY2008 FY2009 (Actual) (Estimate) (Requested) ATE $50.58 $51.62 $51.62 CCLI $37.78 $37.50 $39.21 STEP $28.90 $29.70 $29.70 S-STEM ~ $75 /year from H1B visa fee NOYCE $10.30 $10.80 (55) $11.60 (115) * (in Million)
NSF support for two-year college projects FY 2006-2008 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 Program Award # ($) Award # ($) Award # ($) ATE 128 (44M) 119 (50M) 151 (50M) CCLI 5 (0.6M) 9 (1.5M) 19 (2.0M) S-STEM 34 (17.8M) 25 (19M) 35 (16M) STEP 4 (2.8M) 7 (5M) 4 (2.1M) MSP - - 2 (0.58M) Noyce 1 (0.24M) 0 (0) 1 (0.24M) Total DUE 172 (66M) 160 (75M) 212 (71M) Total NSF 218 (82M) 212 (91M) 278(101M)
Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) 15
S-STEM Goal: Provides institutions funds to provide scholarships to academically talented, but financial needy, students. Students can be pursuing associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degrees. Letter of Intent: July?, 2009 Full Proposal: August?, 2009
S-STEM - Eligible disciplines extended to include biology, physical and mathematical sciences, computer and information sciences, geosciences, and engineering - Maximum scholarships $10,000 - Grant size: up to $600,000 (based on financial need) - One proposal per constituent school or college - About $50-$70 million available 17
S-STEM Special Program Features Has a faculty member in a STEM discipline as the PI. Involves cohorts of students. Provides student support structures. Includes optional enhancements such as research opportunities, tutoring, internships, etc. Enrolls students full time. 18
Advanced Technological Education (ATE)
ATE
ATE Goal: Educate technicians for the hightech fields that drive our nation s economy Before you call me or start writing Is this project industry-driven? Are students interested in working In this industry? What needs to be done to meet the needs of industry and attract students to the program?
ATE Institution Requirements Focus is on two-year colleges All proposals are expected to include one or more two-year colleges in leadership roles A consortium of institutions may also apply
ATE Tracks 3 Tracks 1. Projects including small projects 2. Centers 3. Targeted Educational Research
Projects www.ateprojectimpact.org Projects can focus on one or more aspects of: Program Improvement; Professional Development for Educators; Curriculum and Educational Materials Development; Teacher Preparation (http://www.aacc.nche.edu/ Resources/aaccprograms/ate/Documents/ teacherprep_stem.pdf) Research on Technician Education; or Institution-Level Reform of Technician Education
Program Improvement Activities might include: Integrating industry standards and workplace competencies into the curriculum Adapting educational materials or courses developed elsewhere Adding rigorous STEM content to programs and courses Providing professional development to educators Developing articulation agreements between twoyear colleges and secondary schools or four-year institutions Improving recruitment or retention of students DML DML
Best Practices for Involving Industry and Writing a Good ATE Get the PI to write it Proposal Focus on needs for the workplace Get decision makers involved Link company research and colleges in training of technicians Provide flexible pathways for students
Small Grants for Institutions New to ATE Purpose Simulates implementation, adaptation, and innovation in all areas supported by ATE. Available only to community college campuses that have not an an ATE award within the last 10 years Broaden the base of participation of community colleges in ATE. Strengthen the role of community colleges in meeting needs of business and industry Proposers are encouraged to include resources of ATE and other NSF awardees and to include those people as consultants and subawardees. Limited to $150,000 with a maximum of 10% indirect
Centers Centers of Excellence National, Regional, Resource http://www.atecenters.org
Regional Centers Former -- Manufacturing Technology or Information Technology Regional focus serves the needs of industry in a region Collaboration among colleges and secondary schools Collaboration with industry in the region Activities include curriculum adaptation, faculty and teacher development, establishment of partnerships, and recruitment and retention strategies, all directed toward regional workforce needs Clear, measurable impacts on quantity and quality of students for the workforce
ATE Resource Centers Constitute a highly visible source of educational materials, ideas, contacts, and mentoring in a particular field of technological education Led by those who have already made substantial, highquality contributions in an area of technological education. Serve as clearinghouses for, and broadly distribute, the exemplary materials, curricula, and pedagogical practices adapted or designed by previously funded ATE centers and projects Provide support and mentoring for institutions that wish to start or improve educational programs in a particular field of technology.
ATE Centers of Excellence (36) National Center Regional Center Resource Center
ATE awards (FY2008) Typical award sizes: Projects: $200K/year for 3 years (45 new awards) Small Grants: $75K/year for 2 years (15 new awards) National Centers: $1.2M/year for 4 years (2 new awards)
ATE Professional Development Opportunities
Number of Awards per State in ATE s 15 Year History Total number of Awards (865) 30 WASHINGTON 25 OREGON 99 CALIFORNIA 3 NEVADA 2 IDAHO 2 UTAH 21 ARIZONA 3 MONTANA 2 WYOMING 15 COLORADO 16 NEW MEXICO 5 NORTH DAKOTA 4 SOUTH DAKOTA 7 NEBRASKA 3 KANSAS 7 OKLAHOMA 18 MINNESOTA 23 IOWA 6 MISSOURI 19 WISCONSIN 4 ARKANSAS 28 ILLINOIS 12 MISS. 16 MICHIGAN 8 INDIANA 42 OHIO 18 KENTUCKY 18 TENNESSEE 15 ALABAMA 2 W.V. 22 S.C. 9 GEORGIA 47 NEW YORK 16 PENNSYLVANIA 22 VIRGINIA 18 NORTH CAROLINA 6 MAINE 2 VT. 7 N.H. 62 MA. 14 CT. 1 R.I. 16 N.J. 2 DEL. 26 MD. 20 D.C. 53 TEXAS 3 LOUISIANA 3 ALASKA 32 FLA. 9 3 PUERTO RICO HAWAII
Foci of ATE Awards FY FY FY 96-06 2007 2008 Biotechnology 47 5 8 Chemical Technology/Pulp & Paper/Environmental 58 3 1 Multidisciplinary/Institution Reform 43 4 2 Electronics/Microelectronics/Nanotech/Mechatronics/Lasers 23 7 8 Other Engineering Technology 75 7 10 Geospatial (GIS/GPS/Surveying) 28 3 4 Manufacturing 92 4 5 Math/Physics/Computational Science/Core 40 1 1 Computer/Information Systems/Cybersecurity/Telecommunications 139 8 8 Marine/Agriculture/Aquaculture/Natural Resources/Viticulture 20 2 2 Teacher Preparation 34 1 4 Multimedia 7 1 4 Energy Technology 6 3 9 Research/Evaluation 5 2 2 Recruitment/Retention 7 3 1 Totals 614 54 69
Information about funded proposals Go to the DUE Home website on NSF Find the Program of interest to you Go to the bottom of that page and click on Abstracts of Recent Awards Made Through This Program Write to the PI requesting a copy of her/ his proposal.
Information about funded proposals
How to Write Good Proposals?
NSF Proposal Review and Decision Process Mail Reviews Award (Via DGA) Investigator/ Institution Central Processing Program Manager Division Director Declination Withdrawal Panel Inappropriate DML DML
The Proposal: Criteria for Evaluation What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity? What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
Intellectual Merit Addresses a major challenge Supported by capable faculty and others Improved student learning Rationale and vision clearly articulated Informed by other projects Effective evaluation and dissemination Adequate facilities, resources, and commitment Institutional and departmental commitment
Broader Impacts Integrated into the institution s academic programs Contributes to knowledge base and useful to other institutions Widely used products which can be disseminated through commercial and other channels Improved content and pedagogy for faculty and teachers Increased participation by women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities Ensures high quality STEM education for people pursuing careers in STEM fields or as teachers or technicians
General tips At the DUE Web Site http://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=due Create a personalized alert service Get copies of previously funded proposals Directly from the PI From Leslie Jensen (ljensen@nsf.gov) Contact a program officer (PO) and offer to review proposals 45
What Makes a Proposal Competitive? Original ideas Succinct, focused project plan Realistic amount of work Sufficient detail provided Cost effective High impact
What Makes a Proposal Competitive? Knowledge and experience of PIs Contribution to the field Rationale and evidence of potential effectiveness Likelihood the project will be sustained Solid evaluation plan
Tips for Success Consult the program solicitation and NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 09-1) Test drive FastLane Alert the Sponsored Research Office Follow page and font size limits Be aware of other projects and advances in the field
Tips for Success Cite the literature Provide details Discuss prior results Include evaluation plan with timelines and benchmarks Put yourself in the reviewers place Consider reviewers comments if resubmitting proposal
Tips for Success Have someone else read the proposal Spell check; grammar check Meet deadlines Follow NSF requirements for proposals involving Human Subjects Call or email NSF Program Officers
Return Without Review Submitted after deadline Fail to separately and explicitly address intellectual merit and broader impacts in the Project Summary Fail to follow formatting (e. g. page limitation, font size, and margin limits) requirements
Making the Project Better based on Review Criteria 10 Helpful Hints (What do you think they are?)
Helpful Hints: 1. Read the Program Announcement
2. Care About the Project Helpful Hints:
Helpful Hints: 3. Build on What Others Have Done
Helpful Hints: 4. Think Global, Act Local and Global
Helpful Hints: 5. Have Measurable Goals and Objectives
6. Think Teamwork Helpful Hints:
Helpful Hints: 7. Use Good Management Skills
Helpful Hints: 8. Evaluation Includes Impact and Effectiveness
9. Spread the Word Helpful Hints:
10. Pay It Back Helpful Hints:
Top Ten Ways To Write a Good Proposal That Won t Get Funded
10. Inflate the budget to allow for negotiations. Flaws
Flaws 9. Provide a template letter of commitment for your (genuine) supporters to use. (They will!)
Flaws 8. Assume your past accomplishments are well known.
Flaws 7. Assume a project website is sufficient for dissemination.
Flaws 6. Assert: Evaluation will be ongoing and consist of a variety of methods.
Flaws 5. Assume the program guidelines have not changed; or better yet, ignore them!
Flaws 4. Don t check your speeling, nor you re grammer.
Flaws 3. Substitute flowery rhetoric for good examples.
2. Assume page limits and font size restrictions are not enforced. Flaws
Flaws 1. Assume deadlines are not enforced.
WAYS TO PARTICIPATE ON Grant Holder A GRANT Principal Investigator Member of Project Team Member of a coalition Member of an Advisory Board Test Site User of Products Participant in Workshops and Symposium Reviewer of Proposals
But Most Important! Have fun!
Thank you!