NSF > EHR > ESIE > Informal Science Education

Informal Science Education (ISE)

The Informal Science Education (ISE) program seeks to support activities at the frontiers of informal science learning that will advance the state-of-the-art by furthering a cycle of advancing knowledge and improving practice

ISE supports projects that directly target public audiences for self-directed STEM learning, such as permanent and traveling exhibitions; films; television and radio series; Web-based projects; citizen science programs; and youth and community programs. In addition, ISE supports projects that target professionals to further knowledge and the implementation of practice, such as through research studies, conferences, formation of networks, and professional development.

ISE strongly encourages proposals that demonstrate the following characteristics:

Strategic Impact. By identifying and influencing a leverage point for advancing the field in a meaningful way, a project can extend its impact beyond the lifetime of the grant or the project deliverables.

Collaboration. Organizations should seek to extend project impacts through leveraging the respective competencies of partners having complementary resources and expertise.

Innovation. ISE seeks to fund projects at the frontiers of informal science education that will advance the field.

2004 Deadlines:
For ISE, round 1:
Letter of Intent - June 11, 2004
Full Proposals - August 13, 2004

For ISE, round 2:
Letter of Intent - November 5, 2004
Full Proposals - January 6, 2005

ISE Staff:
David Ucko, Section Head - museum & exhibit projects, ducko@nsf.gov
Sylvia James, Program Officer - youth & community projects, sjames@nsf.gov
Julie Johnson, Program Officer - youth & community projects, jjohnson@nsf.gov
Valentine Kass, Program Officer - media projects, vkass@nsf.gov
Sandra Welch, Program Officer - media projects, swelch@nsf.gov
Dorothea Hanchar, Assistant Program Officer, dhanchar@nsf.gov
Phyliss Minn, Senior Program Assistant, pminn@nsf.gov