DIRECTORATE FOR EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES
NATIONAL
SCIENCE FOUNDATION
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Location: |
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230 |
For General Information (NSF Information Center): | (703) 306-1234 |
TDD (for the hearing-impaired): | (703) 306-0090 |
To Order Publications or Forms:
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(301) 947-2722 |
To Locate NSF Employees: | (703) 306-1234 |
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Program Name: NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K–12 Education (GK-12)
Short Description/Synopsis of Program: This program supports fellowships and associated training that will enable graduate students and advanced undergraduates in the sciences, mathematics, engineering, and technology to serve in K–12 schools as resources knowledgeable about both the content and applications of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Academic institutions apply for awards to support fellowship activities. Institutions are responsible for: 1) selecting Fellows; 2) partnering with school districts for placement of Fellows in schools; and 3) providing appropriate training for Fellows. The Fellows will serve as resources for teachers in science and mathematics instruction. Expected outcomes include improved communication and teaching skills for the Fellows, enriched learning by K–12 students, professional development opportunities for K–12 teachers, and strengthened partnerships between institutions of higher education and local school districts. Cognizant Program Officer: Dr. Sonia Ortega, Division of Graduate Education, Room 907, telephone (703) 306-1697, e-mail sortega@nsf.gov Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Nos.: 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, and 47.078 ELIGIBILITY
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recognizes that graduates of higher education programs in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) can contribute to the national effort to address the challenging issues in K-12 education across a broad spectrum of schools and educational levels. In particular, with appropriate training, SMET graduate students can serve K-12 teachers and schools as valuable resources for SMET content and applications. While the focus of this initiative is on graduate students serving as resources for K-12 education, benefits may accrue to involving undergraduate students. Consequently, advanced undergraduate SMET majors may be included as appropriate to further the goals of individual projects. NSF anticipates that, in the future, these Fellows will continue to contribute toward the improvement of the nation’s educational enterprise. Education will benefit from the contributions of professionals who will have classroom experience and an understanding of topics in SMET education such as how scientific knowledge and the process of inquiry can be communicated to diverse novice learners in a variety of settings, how teaching and learning can be assessed, how new disciplinary knowledge can be incorporated in curriculum development, and how technology can be used to advance the teaching of SMET. The higher education community will benefit from the improved preparation of pre-college students in SMET.
To support these opportunities, the Foundation will offer the program NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K–12 Education (GK-12). Approximately $25 million is expected to be available to support approximately 30 awards for this competition and continuing grants. Awards are expected to be in the range of $200,000 to $500,000 per year for two to three years. The GK-12 program is managed by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and supports the training of students in SMET disciplines covered by NSF’s Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO), Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), Engineering (ENG), Geosciences (GEO), Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), and Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE); and the Office of Polar Programs (OPP).The primary objective of the program is to provide fellowships to highly qualified graduate and advanced undergraduate students in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SMET) disciplines to serve directly as SMET resources in the Nation’s K-12 schools.
GK-12 Fellows, selected by awardee institutions, will work directly with teachers to, for example:The number and size of awards will vary depending upon the scope of projects and availability of funds; however, it is anticipated that approximately 30 institutional awards in the range of $200,000 to $500,000 per year for a period of two to three years will be made as a result of this competition.
The stipend for a graduate student will be $18,000 for a 12-month tenure. In addition, the grantee institution will be allowed a cost-of-education allowance of $10,500 per tenure year per graduate student in lieu of tuition and fees normally charged to students of similar academic standing, unless such charges are optional or refundable. The stipend for an undergraduate student will be $5,000 per academic year and $5,000 per summer. All Fellows will spend a minimum of ten hours per week providing direct assistance to K-12 teachers and five hours of preparation outside of the classroom.
A. Institutions 1
Academic institutions in the United States and its territories that grant masters or doctoral degrees in SMET disciplines are eligible to apply. An institution may submit up to two single-institution proposals, and as lead institution, one multi-institution proposal, per round of competition. When multiple institutions are involved, a single institution must accept overall management responsibility. Collaborating institutions may include two- and four-year colleges or non-academic institutions, industry, non-profit organizations, museums, etc. NSF does not anticipate making more than one GK-12 award to a single institution as a result of any single competition. Projects involving any of the SMET fields normally supported by NSF are eligible. Projects may draw participants from two or more departments within one institution or from more than one institution.
B. Principal InvestigatorThe PI must be a faculty member in a SMET discipline and should serve as the director of the GK-12 project.
C. FellowsGK-12 Fellows will be selected by awardee institutions, but must be:
2The term "national of the United States" designates a citizen of the United States or a native resident of a US possession such as American Samoa. Foreign students who hold student visas are not eligible to apply.
VI. PROPOSAL PREPARATION & SUBMISSION
INSTRUCTIONS
A. Letter of Intent
A letter of intent is required before submitting a full proposal and is
intended to enhance the efficiency of the review process. The letter of intent
is not a preliminary proposal. It is a brief statement that must address the
following: 1) essential features of the project design; 2) principal investigator
and list of faculty participants including their disciplines and institutional
affiliation; 3) K-12 school district participants and their affiliation; and
4) disciplines to be covered by K-12 teachers and GK-12 Fellows. Letters of
intent must be sent by electronic mail to gk-12@nsf.gov
by April 3, 2000. A letter of intent is required for all potential applicants
including those who were declined in FY 1999 and are interested in re-applying
to the program. Proposals MUST be submitted electronically by 5:00 PM local time, May 1,
2000. Copies of the signed proposal cover sheet must be submitted in accordance
with the instruction identified below. The PI is responsible for the completeness
and accuracy of the proposal as submitted. Unless requested by the NSF, additional
information may not be sent following proposal submission. Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation should be prepared
and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the Grant
Proposal Guide (GPG), NSF 00-2. The complete text of the GPG (including
electronic forms) is available electronically on the NSF Web site
www.nsf.gov/pubs/2000/nsf002/start.htm. Paper copies of the GPG may be
obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722,
or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov. GK-12 proposals must be submitted electronically using the NSF FastLane
system available through the World Wide Web at www.fastlane.nsf.gov.
In order to use NSF FastLane to prepare and submit a proposal, the following
are required:
Browser (must support multiple buttons and file upload) PDF Reader (needed to view/print forms) PDF Generator (needed to create project description) To access the FastLane "Proposal Preparation" application, an
institution must be registered. A list of registered institutions and the
FastLane registration form are located on the FastLane Web page. The Sponsored
Research Office (SRO) or equivalent must provide a FastLane Personal Identification
Number (PIN) to each Principal Investigator (PI) to gain access to the FastLane
"Proposal Preparation" application. PIs who have not submitted a
proposal to NSF in the past must contact their SRO to be added to the NSF
PI database. This should be done as soon as the decision to prepare a proposal
is made.
Submission of Signed Cover Sheets: The signed copy of the proposal
Cover Sheet (NSF Form 1207) must be postmarked (or contain a legible proof
of mailing date assigned by the carrier) by May 8, 2000 and be forwarded to
the following address: A proposal may not be processed until the complete proposal (including the
signed Cover Sheet), has been submitted to NSF. Proposals must contain the following elements in the order indicated. Proposals
that do not strictly adhere to the specified page limitations (given below)
will be ineligible for consideration and will be returned without review.
This section is expected to:
Project participants should be prepared to cooperate in an overall
program evaluation to be conducted by the NSF.
DIS - FastLane Cover Sheet
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
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3The term "underrepresented minorities" includes
only the groups whose representation in SMET is less than their representation
in the population: Blacks, Hispanics and American Indians (from NSF: Women,
Minorities and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 1998).
This category also includes Native Hawaiians and other Native Pacific Islanders.
VIII. PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
A. Merit Review Criteria
Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from peers with expertise
in the substantive area of the proposed research or education project. These
reviewers are selected by program officers charged with the oversight of the
review process. NSF invites the proposer to suggest at the time of submission,
the names of appropriate or inappropriate reviewers. Care is taken to ensure
that reviewers have no conflicts with the proposer. Special efforts are made
to recruit reviewers from non-academic institutions, minority-serving institutions,
and adjacent disciplines to that principally addressed in the proposal, etc. Proposals will be reviewed against the following general merit review criteria,
established by the National Science Board. Following each criterion are potential
considerations that the reviewer may employ in the evaluation. These are suggestions
and not all will apply to any given proposal. Each reviewer will be asked
to address only those relevant to the proposal and for which he/she is qualified
to make judgments. Integration of Research and Education Most of the proposals submitted to NSF are reviewed by mail review, panel
review, or some combination of mail and panel review. Proposals submitted
in response to this solicitation will be reviewed by panel review; the panel
reviews may be supplemented by ad hoc reviews and site visits as appropriate.
How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding
within its own field or across different fields? How well qualified is the proposer
(individual or team) to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will
comment on the quality of prior work.) To what extent does the proposed activity
suggest and explore creative and original concepts? How well conceived and organized
is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?
What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while promoting
teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed activity broaden
the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability,
geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it enhance the infrastructure for research
and education, such as facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships?
Will the results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological
understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to society?
In light of the GK-12 program’s objectives, reviewers will be asked to consider
the above two merit review criteria with emphasis placed on:
A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and signed by
each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents.
Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, are mailed
to the PI/PD by the Program Director. In addition, the proposer will receive
an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.
Additional Factors
One of the principal strategies in support of NSF’s goals is to foster integration
of research and education through the programs, projects and activities it
supports at academic and research institutions. These institutions provide
abundant opportunities where individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities
as researchers, educators, and students and where all can engage in joint
efforts that infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich
research through the diversity of learner perspectives. PIs should address
this issue in their proposal to provide reviewers with the information necessary
to respond fully to both NSF merit review criteria. NSF staff will give it
careful consideration in making funding decisions.
Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens—women
and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities—are essential
to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF is committed to this
principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects, and activities
it considers and supports. PIs should address this issue in their proposal to
provide reviewers with the information necessary to respond fully to both NSF
merit review criteria. NSF staff will give it careful consideration in making
funding decisions.
B. Merit Review Process
An NSF grant consists of (1) the award letter, which includes any special provisions applicable to the grant and any numbered amendments thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories of expense, on which NSF has based its support (or otherwise communicates any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced in the award letter; (4) the applicable grant conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (NSF GC-1) or Federal Demonstration Partnership Phase III (FDP) Terms and Conditions,4 and (5) any NSF brochure, program guide, solicitation or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Electronic mail notification is the preferred way to transmit NSF grants to organizations that have electronic mail capabilities and have requested such notification from the Division of Grants and Agreements.
C. Reporting RequirementsFor all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants), the PI must submit an annual project report to the cognizant program officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period.
Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also is required to submit a final project report. Approximately 30 days before expiration, NSF will send a notice to remind the PI of the requirement to file the final project report. Failure to provide final technical reports delays NSF review and processing of pending proposals for that PI. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure availability of required data. NSF has implemented a new electronic project reporting system, available through FastLane, which permits electronic submission and updating of project reports, including information on project participants (individual and organizational), activities and findings, publications, and other specific products and contributions. Reports will continue to be required annually and after the expiration of the grant, but PIs will not need to re-enter information previously provided, either with the proposal or in earlier updates using the electronic system. Effective October 1, 1999, PIs are required to use the new reporting format for annual and final project reports. D. New Awardee InformationIf the submitting organization has never received an NSF award, it is recommended that the organization’s appropriate administrative officials become familiar with the policies and procedures in the NSF Grant Policy Manual which are applicable to most NSF awards. The Prospective New Awardee Guide (NSF 99-78) includes Administration and Management Information; Accounting System Requirements and Auditing Information; and information on Payments to Organizations with Awards. This information will assist an organization in preparing documents that NSF requires to conduct administrative and financial reviews of an organization. The guide also serves as a means of highlighting the accountability requirements associated with Federal awards. This document is available electronically on NSF’s Web site www.nsf.gov/.
IX. PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS INDICATORS
PIs, school district representatives and GK-12 Fellow representatives are expected to attend a meeting in Washington, D.C. convened by NSF to exchange ideas, to establish and strengthen communication networks, to learn about the activities of GK-12 Fellows, and to discuss ways of measuring progress. This group will also discuss the effectiveness of GK-12 activities in preparing the Fellows for careers in SMET fields and enhancing K-12 instruction.
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X. ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
If warranted, NSF may assemble a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
relating to this solicitation. Any FAQ prepared will be accessible through
the GK-12 program’s home
page.
XI. CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
General inquiries regarding the GK-12 program may be addressed to GK-12 Program, Division of Graduate Education, suite 907N, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22230. The telephone number is (703) 306-1697, fax number (703) 306-0468. Requests for information via the INTERNET may be addressed to gk-12@nsf.gov.
XII. OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST
The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding opportunities for research and education in science, mathematics, and engineering. General descriptions of NSF programs, research areas, and eligibility information for proposal submission are provided in each chapter. Beginning in fiscal year 1999, the Guide will only be available electronically. It is accessible at the NSF Web site. The direct URL for the Guide is www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp. Many NSF programs offer solicitations concerning specific proposal requirements. To obtain additional information about these requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program offices listed in Appendix A of the GPG.
Any changes in NSF’s fiscal year programs occurring after press time for the Guide to Programs will be announced in the NSF E-Bulletin, which is also available electronically at the NSF Web site. The direct URL for the most recent issue of the E-Bulletin is www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin/. Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's Custom News Service to find out what funding opportunities are available.ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. Grantees are wholly responsible for conducting their project activities and preparing the results for publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for such findings or their interpretation.
NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from NSF (unless otherwise specified in the eligibility requirements for a particular program). Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the program solicitation or contact the program coordinator at (703) 306-1636. The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation regarding NSF programs, employment, or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 306-0090 or through FIRS on 1 (800) 877-8339. PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTSThe information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals; project reports submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the review process; to applicant institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies needing information as part of the review process or in order to coordinate programs; and to another Federal agency, court or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Reports Clearance Officer; Information Dissemination Branch, DAS; National Science Foundation; Arlington, VA 22230. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is 47.076, Education and Human Resources.OMB No. 3145-0023
NSF 00-46 (Replaces NSF 99-75)
Electronic Dissemination Only