NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
4201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230
NSF 99-76
February 4, 1999
Dear Colleague:
This letter is to call your attention to a new program recently announced by
Dr. Rita Colwell, Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF): NSF
Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12). NSF recognizes that
graduate students and advanced undergraduates in the Sciences, Mathematics,
Engineering, and Technology (SMET) can, with sufficient training, serve as
resources in K-12 schools to assist in providing quality science and
mathematics education. Academic institutions offering graduate degrees in SMET
fields are eligible to apply for awards to support fellowship activities and
will be responsible for selecting teaching fellows. 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.
The program announcement (NSF 99-75) is only available electronically via the
NSF home page . Letters of intent (optional) are
requested by April 1, and proposals are due May 5. The anticipated award size
is $200,000 to $500,000 per year for two to three years.
In FY1999 the GK-12 program is being managed by the Directorate for Education
and Human Resources in cooperation with the 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).
Since GK-12 fellowships are primarily intended for graduate students, academic
institutions in the United States and its territories that grant master's or
doctoral degrees in SMET disciplines are invited to submit proposals. Projects
involving more than one U.S. institution are eligible, but a single
institution must accept overall management responsibility. Collaborating
institutions need not be academic and may include, for example, industry,
non-profit institutions, and museums. The Principal Investigator must be an
institutional leader within the discipline-based SMET faculty. The GK-12
fellows selected by awardee institutions must be citizens, nationals, or
permanent residents of the United States at the time of application, and must
be graduate students enrolled in SMET programs or advanced undergraduate SMET
majors who have demonstrated a strong proficiency in mathematics and science.
Inquiries regarding the GK-12 program should be directed to one of the
following staff contacts:
Dorothy Stout (Chair of the GK-12 Committee) Directorate for Education and
Human Resources (703-306-1670; )
Carter Kimsey Directorate for Biological Sciences (703-306-1469;
)
Anthony Maddox Directorate for Computer and Information Science and
Engineering (703-306-1981; )
Wyn Jennings Directorate for Education and Human Resources (703-306-1696;
)
Mary Poats Directorate for Engineering (703-306-1380; )
Michael Mayhew Directorate for Geosciences (703-306-1557; )
Henry Blount Directorate for Mathematics and Physical Sciences (703-306-1946;
)
Steven Breckler Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
(703-306-1728; )
Fae Korsmo Office of Polar Programs (703-306-1029; )
The National Science Foundation encourages you to consider this opportunity to
both enhance the professional development of your students and benefit K-12
science and mathematics education.
Sincerely,
Luther S. Williams
Assistant Director
NSF 99-76
OMB No. 3145-0023
CFDA Nos. 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, and 47.078