Presentation at CLASP Conference

1. Presentation at CLASP Conference Duncan McBride National Science Foundation dmcbride@nsf.gov 703-292-4630 November 11, 2010

2. Who and what is NSF? • Independent Federal agency that makes grants for research and education in the sciences, math, engineering, except the biomedical sciences • Supported by congressional appropriation; budget about $7 billion per year • Receives about 45,000 proposals a year and makes about 10,000 grants a year • Scientific staff of about 600, including 200 rotators, and 800 other staff. • Almost all scientific staff are current or former faculty • Organized much like a university

3. NSF Organizational Structure

4. Divisions within EHR • Four Divisions by level of education • Graduate Education (DGE) (Grad Fellowships) • Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) (Mostly K-12) • Undergraduate Education (DUE)* • Human Resource Development (HRD) (Minority programs) • Other parts of NSF have similar (disciplinary) division structure

5. Selected Programs in DUEand current publication number Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM (TUES): NSF 10-544 [was Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI)] • STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP): NSF 08-569 • Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM): NSF 09-567 • Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce): NSF 10-514 • *Research in Undergraduate Institutions: (RUI) • *Research Experiences for Undergraduates: (REU)

6. TUES: Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM • Our broadest, most innovative program • Vision • Excellent STEM education for all undergraduate students. • Goal • Stimulate, disseminate, and institutionalize innovative developments in STEM education through the production of knowledge and the improvement of practice.

7. TUES: Project Types • Type 1 (small) • Up to $200,000 duration: 2 to 3 years + $50,000 with community college partner) • Type 2 (medium) • Up to $600,000 duration: 2 to 4 years • Type 3 (large) • up to $5,000,000 duration: 3 to 5 yrs • Central Resource Projects • up to $3,000,000 duration: negotiable

8. TUES: Choice of Type Reflects • Scale of the Project • Number of institutions, students and faculty • Maturity of the Project (Stage) • Type 1 may lead to Type 2, etc. • But prior CCLI/TUES funding is not required • Scope of the Project • Defined by the number of components, based on our view of the nature of educational innovation

9. TUES projects focus on one or more of the following project components. • - Creating Learning Materials and Strategies • - Implementing New Instructional Strategies • - Developing Faculty Expertise • - Assessing and Evaluating Student Achievement • - Conducting Research on Undergraduate STEM Education

10. TUES: For Example, Type 1 reflects • Scope and Scale: • One or two program components • Limited number of students & faculty at one institution • Expected Results: • Contribute to understanding of effective STEM education, typically by exploring new ideas • Can serve as basis for Type 2 project • Transforms a lecture or laboratory course, a curriculum, or a department

11. TUES: Types of projectsthat transform a course, a curriculum or a department • Integrate new instrumentation or equipment into undergraduate laboratories or field work • Creatively adapt best teaching materials and techniques from elsewhere into a new setting • Develop materials that use a new instructional approach embodying current understanding of how students learn • Introduce content from new research into an existing course • Explore the practical aspects of using remote laboratories • Develop an assessment of students’ knowledge that can be used widely • Provide courses needed for efficient, seamless transfer from 2-yr to 4-yr colleges in partnership with other institutions • Explore or pilot internet-based approaches for faculty professional development

12. TUES: Over time, the program has increased emphasis on • Building on and contributing to the literature on effective STEM education • Building a community of scholars in STEM education reform • Identifying project-specific measurable outcomes • Project management and evaluation

13. TUES: Deadlines • Deadline For Type 1 • May 26 & 27, 2011 • Deadline For Type 2/3 and Central Resource Projects •  January 14, 2011

14. S-STEM: NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math • Goal: Enable students to pursue a degree in a STEM field; increase number of graduates in STEM • Provides funds to institutions to award scholarships to academically talented, but financially needy, students • Students can be pursuing associate, bachelor’s, or graduate degrees • Scholarships can be up to $10,000/yr - up to 4 yrs within the limits of students’ official level of need. (They can be less than $10K and fewer than 4 yrs)

15. S-STEM: Major features of program • Natural science, math, engineering, CS disciplines are eligible • Grant size: max $600,000 (mostly scholarships; up to 5% can be spent for administrative costs and up to 10% for student support services) • One proposal per constituent school or college that awards STEM degrees (e.g., school of engineering, college of arts & sciences) • Estimated $50 million available in FY 2011

16. S-STEM: Program features • PI must be member of STEM faculty; other faculty involved; perhaps other staff • Scholarships to “natural” cohorts of students • S-STEM students are full-time and are US citizens or permanent residents • Project must describe clear plans for recruitment, retention, and graduation of students • Institution must provide some student support structures; grant can pay for others • Optional enhancements: research opportunities, tutoring, internships, etc. • Students become science professionals or go on to further education

17. STEP: STEM Talent Expansion Program Basic Goals: • Increase the number of students (US Citizens or permanent residents) in STEM • Increase associate’s / bachelor’s degrees in established or emerging STEM fields

18. STEP: Successful projects might provide • Bridge programs that enable additional preparation for students from HS or community colleges • Programs to improve the quality of student learning • Peer tutoring, learning communities • new pedagogical approaches (e.g. mastery learning, active learning, SENCER courses) • Programs to encourage undergraduate research • Student support mechanisms to encourage retention and graduation

19. STEP: Outcomes expected • Activities that will be institutionalized from the project • Plan for continuing efforts to increase number of STEM students & graduates • Formative assessment of progress towards goals • Dissemination of project results to broader community

20. STEP • Maximum Support Levels – Enrollment based • $500 K for 5 years for 1- 5,000 undergrads • $1.0 M for 5 years for 5,001-15,000 undergrads • $2.0 M for 5 years for >15,000 undergrads • One proposal per institution (can be a partner on only one proposal) • STEP Budget • $28-30 million expected for FY 2011 • 20-24 awards expected

21. 4. NOYCE: Program tracks • Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Track • Scholarships for undergraduate STEM majors preparing to become K-12 Teachers • Internships for freshmen and sophomores • Stipends for STEM professionals seeking to become K-12 teachers • NSF Teaching Fellowships & Master Teaching Fellowships (TF/MTF) Track • Fellowships for STEM professionals receiving teacher certification through a master’s degree program • Fellowships for science and math teachers preparing to become Master Teachers

22. NOYCE: Scholarship Track At least $10K per student per year (but not to exceed the cost of education) Max period: 2-3 years for UGs; 1 year for Post-bacc students Phase 1 awards: up to $1.2M up to 5 years. (addtl $250K possible for collaborating with a community college) Grants may ask up to 20% for program support costs Noyce scholars have up to 6 years to serve their two years/year of scholarship in a high need district. Noyce scholars must serve 2 years in high-need school for each 1 year of support.

23. NOYCE: TF/MTF Track support features Teaching Fellows receive at least $10K (not to exceed cost of attendance) while enrolled in Master’s program While teaching in a high-need school district the TF and MTF recipients receive an annual $10K salary supplement (4 years for TF and 5 years for MTF) Grants may ask up to 20% for program costs TF/MTF projects may request up to $3M for 5 to 6 years. (addtl $250K possible for collaborating with a community college)

24. Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) • NSF Activity (no separate budget) • Research proposals from undergrad institutions • Proposals compete in regular research programs • 2010: 109 awards for $25.6 million • Mostly bio (28%), physical & math sci (55%), geo (10%) • Many institutions, few awards to each (mostly 1-4 in 3 years)

25. Research Opportunity Awards • Part of RUI • Supplement to existing NSF award • For faculty at less research-active institutions • 2005: 52 awards for $3.5 million • Under-utilized

26. Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) • Program of sites and supplements for undergrad research • Supplements to NSF research grants • Sites are free-standing grants • 2010: 241 awards for $50.9 m. (includes some conferences, special studies, non-traditional activities) • Most costs are for students

27. Summary: some suggestions. 1. Faculty may become a reviewer. 2. Obtain copies of successful proposals. Public record • Go to NSF homepage (nsf.gov) • Select “Education Directorate” or another directorate. • Select “Division of Undergraduate Education” or another • Select a program • Link to “recent awards in this program” • Contact the PI. PIs are usually eager to discuss a project and willing to provide a copy of the proposal

28. NSF web site

29. Who in DUE? *=> rotator • Biology • Terry Woodin • Celeste Carter • Deborah Allen* • Mary Lee Ledbetter* • Chemistry • Susan Hixson • Bert Holmes* • Eun-Woo Chang* • Hal Richtol • Computer Science • Victor Piotrowski • Scott Grissom* • Sue Fitzgerald* • Social Sci/Ed Research: • Engineering • Russ Pimmel • Don Millard • Ning Fang* • Janis Terpenny* • Susan Finger* • Geosciences • Dave Matty* • Mathematics • Lee Zia • Dennis Davenport* • Richard Alo* • Physics/Astronomy • Duncan McBride • Richard Peterson* Myles Boylan, Connie Della-Piana

30. Contacts • NSF home page: nsf.gov • DUE web site : nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=DUE • Other research and education programs similarly from NSF home page. • NSF staff directory available from home page or on individual program pages • Publications about NSF and about submitting proposals available from NSF web site. • All proposals and reviews done through the electronic NSF Fastlane system fastlane.nsf.gov

31. NSF: the place

32. Duncan McBride contacts • Feel free to contact me with questions about NSF, who else to contact, or questions about programs. If I don’t know, I can probably refer you to another person. • Best contact is by e-mail, with a followup telephone conversation if necessary by appointment. Duncan McBride Division of Undergraduate Education National Science Foundation dmcbride@nsf.gov 703-292-4630