Resources for 2 year college faculty seeking NSF support

Helpful links:

• The National Science Foundation Website is the starting point where you can find a wide variety of resources including solicitations, and the Grant Proposal Guide.
• At NSF Award Search you can read abstracts and other information about proposals that have received funding. This is also a good way to find someone who has received funding to see if they would be willing to share their proposal.
• On the Cutting Edge has many resources that can help you get started including Funding Your Research which has information on funding sources, grant writing and other useful tips, including some from Steve Semkens specifically for 2-year college faculty and a collection of proposals that several PIs have volunteered to have (usually without the budget) included on the Cutting Edge website.
• MentorLinks is part of the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program. It provides technical assistance and networking opportunities to improve community college programs that prepare technicians in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The website and newsletter offers summaries and contact information from nine institutions with ATE funding who are willing to mentor and help others.
• A powerpoint presentation from the from the Broadening Impacts conference in June, 2011 gives interesting and important information on what directorates fund community colleges and which programs provide the most support.
• The Principal Investigators Garnering Useful Instruction on Developing [Project] Effectiveness (PI GUIDE) site supports current and prospective PIs guidance on building skills in the nuts and bolts of project management and change leadership.
• You can request an NSF project director come to your campus or are to do a funding opportunities and proposal writing workshop.

There are several resources specific to the ATE program, the single largest funder of 2yCs at NSF

• EvaluATEis a website and center that helps folks looking for ATE funding have effective evaluation.
• Teaching Technicians has a wide variety of resources for ATE PIs - both before submission and after funding.
• ATE Central is an online portal and collection of materials and services that highlight the work of the http://nsf.gov/ate (ATE) projects and centers.

What are the NSF programs that are funding projects at community colleges?

An analysis of active NSF awards in June 2011 to institutions with "community college" in their name revealed roughly 270 active awards. This is a minimum as it does not include 2yCs without "community college" in their name. Of the 270, almost half are funded wholly or in part by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, 40% are funded through the 'Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program, a few more than 10% are Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (TUES) or its predecessor CCLI projects, 6% are through the various Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) programs, another 6% are Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP) projects. There are several grants that promote diversity including those under the Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) program, 3 under the Historically Black Colleges and Univerities program. There also have been a few (less than 4 in each case) in the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, the ADVANCE program, Geoscience Ed, GEO-ED/OEDG, and MSP-START partnerships. The total number is greater than 270 since many projects are funded by multiple programs. It should be noted that these are the awards to all NSF funded areas, not just the geosciences.

Advanced Technological Education (ATE)

Find the current solicitation by searching for ATE on NSF's find funding portal

With an emphasis on two-year colleges, the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions and employers to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary school levels. The ATE program supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathways to two-year colleges from secondary schools and from two-year colleges to four-year institutions; and other activities. Another goal is articulation between two-year and four-year programs for K-12 prospective teachers that focus on technological education. The program also invites proposals focusing on research to advance the knowledge base related to technician education.

Awards to 2YCs through this program* (scroll down on page that opens.)

Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM)

Find the current solicitation by searching for S-STEM on NSF's find funding portal

This program makes grants to institutions of higher education to support scholarships for academically talented, financially needy students, enabling them to enter the workforce following completion of an associate; baccalaureate; or graduate-level degree in science and engineering disciplines. Grantee institutions are responsible for selecting scholarship recipients, reporting demographic information about student scholars, and managing the S-STEM project at the institution.

Awards to 2YCs through this program* (scroll down on page that opens.)

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP)

Find the current solicitation by searching for STEP on NSF's find funding portal

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP) seeks to increase the number of students (U.S. citizens or permanent residents) receiving associate or baccalaureate degrees in established or emerging fields within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Type 1 proposals are solicited that provide for full implementation efforts at academic institutions. Type 2 proposals are solicited that support educational research projects on associate or baccalaureate degree attainment in STEM.

Awards to 2YCs through this program* (scroll down on page that opens.)

Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (TUES) - formerly CCLI

Find the current solicitation by searching for TUES on NSF's find funding portal

The Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (TUES) program seeks to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for all undergraduate students. This solicitation especially encourages projects that have the potential to transform undergraduate STEM education, for example, by bringing about widespread adoption of classroom practices that embody understanding of how students learn most effectively. Thus transferability and dissemination are critical aspects for projects developing instructional materials and methods and should be considered throughout the project's lifetime. More advanced projects should involve efforts to facilitate adaptation at other sites.

The program supports efforts to create, adapt, and disseminate new learning materials and teaching strategies to reflect advances both in STEM disciplines and in what is known about teaching and learning. It funds projects that develop faculty expertise, implement educational innovations, assess learning and evaluate innovations, prepare K-12 teachers, or conduct research on STEM teaching and learning. It also supports projects that further the work of the program itself, for example, synthesis and dissemination of findings across the program. The program supports projects representing different stages of development, ranging from small, exploratory investigations to large, comprehensive projects.

Awards to 2YCs through this program* (scroll down on page that opens.)

Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP)

Find the current solicitation by searching for TCUP on NSF's find funding portal

This program provides awards to enhance the quality of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) instructional and outreach programs at Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions. Support is available for the implementation of comprehensive institutional approaches to strengthen STEM teaching and learning in ways that improve access to, retention within, and graduation from STEM programs. Through this program, assistance is provided to eligible institutions in their efforts to bridge the digital divide and prepare students for careers in information technology, science, mathematics and engineering fields. Proposed activities should be the result of a careful analysis of institutional needs, address institutional and NSF goals, and have the potential to result in significant and sustainable improvements in STEM program offerings. Proposals are being solicited for Planning Grants, and three Implementation tracks: Initiation projects, STEM Teachers of Education Excellence Projects (STEEP), and TCUP Pre-Engineering Education Collaboratives (PEEC).

Awards to 2YCs through this program* (scroll down on page that opens.)

* The link is to any award by the program to a school with "community college" in its name. As a result, there will be many awards to 2yCs that are not included.

Questions or comments? please email Eric Baer at ebaer@highline.edu