Title : NSF91122-FUNDING FOR SUPPORT OF WOMEN, MINORITY, AND DISABLED HIGH SCHOOL AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AS ENGINEERING RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Type : Program Guideline NSF Org : ENG Date : November 2, 1991 File : nsf91122 FUNDING FOR SUPPORT OF WOMEN, MINORITY, AND DISABLED HIGH SCHOOL AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AS ENGINEERING RESEARCH ASSISTANTS _________________________________________ Program Announcement NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Washington, D.C. 20550 INTRODUCTION The National Science Foundation is committed to promoting the full participation of women, minorities*, and persons with disabilities in engineering to strengthen the United States' human resource base. One important way of encouraging these individuals to select careers in engineering is to provide opportunities in which talented and promising students at the high school and undergraduate levels can experience the rewards in research through participation in NSF-sponsored research grants. This participation will expose students to an engineering research environment and help stimulate interest in an engineering research career. OBJECTIVES This program encourages principal investigators, funded by Directorate for Engineering programs, to include in their research projects high school and/or undergraduate engineering research assistants who are members of groups underrepresented in the advanced levels of U.S. science and engineering. *NSF minority definition: Ethnic groups that are significantly underrepresented at advanced levels of engineering and science, i.e., Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Native Pacific Islanders. This supplemental funding will support students who contribute meaningful research work to a NSF research project, under the supervision of the principal investigator. The students are expected to be involved in an interesting and challenging aspect of the research, and the principal investigator should be available to participate in the research experience with the student. ELIGIBILITY Students must be United States Citizens or permanent residents at the time of proposal submission. Funding under this announcement will only be available to students who are members of underrepresented groups in the advanced levels of U.S. science and engineering. These include: (1) women; (2) minority groups, (3) persons with disabilities. Individuals of any racial, sex, ethnic, or national group will continue to be supported as research assistants on grants made through the regular NSF research programs. The purpose of this funding is to encourage more participation of students from these underrepresented groups. Funding of up to $5,000, including indirect costs, may be requested for each student. Funds provided by this program are limited to two students per grant per year. Up to ten percent of this amount may be used for supplies and services. The support may be used for a summer, quarter, or an academic year. Additional funds in excess of $5,000 may be requested, if necessary, to provide special equipment, modify equipment, or provide other services required specifically for participation of persons with disabilities. The equipment must be specifically related to the research work (e.g., prosthetic devices to manipulate a specific piece of equipment) and not for general assistance (e.g., wheelchairs or ramps). Additional information regarding the types of equipment and assistance eligible for support is included in the brochure "Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities, (FASED)" (NSF 91-54) or may be obtained by contacting the Program Coordinator in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources at (202) 357-7461. PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING SUPPORT Support may be requested in two ways: (1) Requests for funding may be included in the initial research proposal submission. Guidelines for proposal preparation and general information on proposal evaluation and grant administration are contained in "Grants for Research and Education in Science and Engineering," GRESE, (NSF 90-77). In preparing a request for funding for women, minority, and disabled high school and undergraduate students as engineering research assistants, the following information must be included in the proposal: o Name and brief biographical sketch of each student, including information that indicates their eligibility for these funds. (Up to two such students per grant may be supported.) o Description of each student's proposed participation in the project and the availability of the principal investigator to work with the student. o A separate schedule of funds requested for students who are women, minorities, and/or persons with disabilities as well as any equipment needs for disabled students should be part of the budget explanation page. (2) Current grantees may request additional funding for existing grants to add up to two students to the grant. The original and five copies of the request for additional funding should be submitted directly to the cognizant Engineering program director by the principal investigator. The request must include the following: o Standard NSF Cover Page countersigned by the authorized institutional official. The current grant title and number must be referenced. o Budget for the amount of requested funds on NSF Form 1030 (Refer to GRESE, NSF 90-77). o Name and biographical sketch for each student which indicates their eligibility for these funds. o Description of each student's participation in the research and the availability of the principal investigator to work with the student. Investigators who are currently funded by continuing grants and want to include women, minorities, and/or persons with disabilities as students on their projects are encouraged to request additional funds for this purpose as part of the next request for incremental funding. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS Requests for support as part of regular proposal submissions will be evaluated using the Foundation's normal merit review process. (Refer to GRESE, NSF 90-77, Section II, "Proposal Processing and Review"). If recommended for award, the request for funding for students will be considered in competition with other requests. Processing of proposals generally takes five months. Requests for add-on funding to existing grants will be evaluated by the Engineering Program Director and other senior staff, and will also compete for funding with other requests for this purpose. Action on these requests usually takes six weeks. The decision for support will be made primarily on the basis of the quality of the student's participation in the project and the availability of the principal investigator to work with the student. Consideration will be given to requests involving support of students from a variety of underrepresented groups. INQUIRIES Investigators should contact the cognizant Engineering Program Director for information on the types of research supported. For additional program inquiries, contact the Division of Engineering Infrastructure Development: (202) 786-9634. The following brochures, GRESE, NSF 90-77 and FASED, NSF 91- 54, along with other publications, are available without charge from Forms and Publications, Room 232, National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C. 20550 or by telephone (202) 357- 7861, or e-mail (Bitnet: pubs@nsf or Internet: pubs@note.nsf.gov). You can also get information fast through the STIS (Science and Technology Information System), NSF's online publishing system, described in NSF 91-10, the "STIS flyer." To get a copy of the flyer, call the Publications Unit at (202) 357-7861. For an electronic copy, send an E-mail message to stisfly@nsf.gov (Internet) or stisfly@nsf (BITNET). The National Science Foundation (NSF) provides awards for research in engineering and the sciences. The awardee is wholly responsible for the conduct of such research and preparation of the results for publication. The Foundation, therefore, does not assume responsibility for such findings or their interpretation. The Foundation welcomes proposals on behalf of all qualified engineers and scientists, and strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in any of the research and research-related programs described in this document. In accordance with Federal Statues and regulations and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from the National Science Foundation. Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators or other staff, including student research assistants) to work on an NSF project. See the program announcement (NSF 91-54), or contact the Program Coordinator in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources. The telephone number is (202) 357-7461. The Foundation has TDD (Telephonic Device for the Deaf) capability, which enables individuals with hearing impairment to communicate with the Division of Personnel and Management for information relating to NSF programs, employment, or general information. This number is (202) 357-7492. This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under category 47.041, Engineering Grants. PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS The information requested on the application materials is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. It will be used and disclosed in connection with the selection of qualified proposals. See NSF-50 System of Records, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 55 Fed. Reg. 12073 (March 30, 1990). Submission of the requested information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of your 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, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: Herman G. Fleming Reports Clearance Officer Division of Personnel and Management National Science Foundation Washington, D.C. 20550 (Bitnet: hfleming@nsf Internet: hfleming@nsf.gov) and to: Office of Management and Budget Paperwork Reduction Project (3145-0058) Washington, D.C. 20503 OMB no. 3145-0058 NSF 91-122 Keyword Codes: (replaces NSF 87-70) P.T.:34,40,DD,FF,II 0600000