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NSF’s Division of Undergraduate Education: Funding Opportunities for Community

Colleges and Partnerships

Focus on ATEiGETT Summer Institute, 2009

Elaine L. Craft, DirectorSC ATE Center of Excellence andPresident, SCATE Inc.Florence-Darlington Technical CollegeFlorence, SC

Elaine.Craft@fdtc.edu ph. 843-676-8545

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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

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.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

DIVISION OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION (DUE)

www.nsf.gov

“EHR’s Mission is to promote the development of a diverseand 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 MillionFY 2008 (Estimate) $211.05 MillionFY 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 $51.62CCLI $37.78 $37.50 $39.21STEP $28.90 $29.70 $29.70S-STEM ~ $75 /year from H1B visa feeNOYCE $10.30 $10.80 (55) $11.60 (115)

* (in Million)

NSF support for two-year college projects FY 2006-2008

FY2006 FY2007 FY2008Program 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)

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Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering,

and Mathematics 

(S-STEM)

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 ?, 2009Full Proposal: August ?, 2009

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- Eligible disciplines extended to include biology, physical and mathematical sciences, computer and information sciences, geosciences, and engineering - Maximum scholarships $10,000

(based on financial need)- Grant size: up to $600,000- One proposal per constituent school or college - About $50-$70 million available

S-STEM

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Special Program FeaturesHas 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.

S-STEM

Advanced Technological

Education

(ATE)

ATE is in its 16ATE is in its 16thth year of funding year of funding community colleges, having started with community colleges, having started with the Science and Advanced Technology the Science and Advanced Technology Act of 1992 (SATA).Act of 1992 (SATA).

FY2008FY2008Preliminary Proposals April 23, 2009Preliminary Proposals April 23, 2009Formal ProposalsFormal Proposals Oct. 15, 2009 Oct. 15, 2009

ATE

ATE Goal: Educate technicians for the high-

tech fields that drive our nation’s economy

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 studentsto the program?

Before you call me or start

writing

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 Tracks3 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

DML DML

Program ImprovementActivities 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 two-

year colleges and secondary schools or four-year institutions

Improving recruitment or retention of students

Best Practices for Involving Industry and Writing a Good ATE

Proposal

Get the PI to write it 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, high-quality 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

Go to Go to www.TeachingTechnicians.org

Now over 100 professional development Now over 100 professional development opportunitiesopportunities

Number of Awards per State in ATE’s 15 Year HistoryTotal number of Awards (865)

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15COLORADO

3MONTANA

2WYOMING

2UTAH

2IDAHO

3NEVADA

25OREGON

3ALASKA

HAWAII

99CALIFORNIA

30WASHINGTO

N

21ARIZONA

5NORTH DAKOTA

4SOUTH DAKOTA

7NEBRASKA

16NEW MEXICO

53TEXAS

3KANSAS

7OKLAHOMA

18MINNESOTA

19WISCONSIN

23IOWA

6MISSOURI

4ARKANSAS

3 LOUISIANA

28ILLINOIS

8 INDIANA

18KENTUCKY

42OHIO

16 MICHIGAN

18TENNESSEE

12 MISS.

15ALABAMA

9 GEORGIA

32 FLA.

22S.C.

18NORTH CAROLINA

22 VIRGINIA

2 W.V.

16PENNSYLVANIA

47NEW YORK

6 MAINE

2 VT. 7

N.H. 62 MA.

14 CT.

1 R.I.

2 DEL. 26 MD.

20 D.C.

16 N.J.

3 PUERTO RICO

ATE Program Budget

$51 M

$0

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

$40

$45

$50

$55

FY94FY95

FY96FY97

FY98FY99

FY00FY01

FY02FY03

FY04FY05

FY06FY07

FY08FY09

Mill

ions

of D

olla

rs

FY FY FY96-06 2007 2008

Biotechnology 47 5 8Chemical Technology/Pulp & Paper/Environmental 58 3 1Multidisciplinary/Institution Reform 43 4 2Electronics/Microelectronics/Nanotech/Mechatronics/Lasers 23 7 8Other Engineering Technology 75 7 10Geospatial (GIS/GPS/Surveying) 28 3 4Manufacturing 92 4 5Math/Physics/Computational Science/Core 40 1 1Computer/Information Systems/Cybersecurity/Telecommunications 139 8 8

Marine/Agriculture/Aquaculture/Natural Resources/Viticulture 20 2 2

Teacher Preparation 34 1 4Multimedia 7 1 4Energy Technology 6 3 9Research/Evaluation 5 2 2Recruitment/Retention 7 3 1

Totals 614 54 69

Foci of ATE Awards

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?

DML DML

NSF Proposal Review and Decision Process

Investigator/Institution

Central Processing

ProgramManager

DivisionDirector

Declination

Award(Via DGA)

Withdrawal

Mail Reviews

PanelInap-

propriate

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

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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

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

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

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

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

Tips for Success

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

10 Helpful Hints

(What do you think they are?)

Making the Project Better based on Review Criteria

Helpful Hints:1. Read the Program Announcement

Helpful Hints:

2. Care About the Project

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

Helpful Hints:6. Think Teamwork

Helpful Hints:

7. Use Good Management Skills

Helpful Hints:

8. Evaluation Includes Impact and Effectiveness

Helpful Hints:

9. Spread the Word

Helpful Hints:

10. Pay It Back

Top Ten Ways To Write a Good Proposal…

That Won’t Get Funded

10. Inflate the budget to allow for negotiations.

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

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!

4. Don’t check your speeling, nor you’re grammer.

Flaws

3. Substitute flowery rhetoric for good examples.

Flaws

2. Assume page limits and font size restrictions are not enforced.

Flaws

1. Assume deadlines are not enforced.

Flaws

WAYS TO PARTICIPATE ON A GRANT

Grant Holder 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!