NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)
Please distribute this information to your faculty to determine if they have an interest in submitting a proposal to this program.
WHAT: Limited Submission Proposal for the National Science Foundation (NSF 09-549) NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)
WHO: Texas A&M University faculty, including TAES, TEES and TTI personnel.
WHY: Only new awards, with a maximum duration of five years and a maximum of $600,000 per year, will be funded.
WHEN: Internal proposal deadline of April 15, 2009.
HOW: Faculty should submit internal proposal via email for review by the internal selection committee.
THE FINE PRINT:
The funding agency below has limited the number of proposals to one per institution. If the number of faculty wishing to submit a proposal exceeds the number allowed by the agency, we will conduct an internal selection process. Below are due dates for the program, including the due date of the internal proposal for review by the internal selection committee, the date for announcement of the internal selection and the due date for submission to the agency.
AGENCY: National Science Foundation (NSF)
AGENCY PROGRAM TITLE: NSF 09-549 NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)
BRIEF PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The GK-12 Program supports fellowships and associated training that enable graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to serve in K-12 schools. Three main objectives of the program are: to support highly qualified graduate students in STEM disciplines through fellowships to provide them with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their own research, its societal and global contexts, and acquire valuable skills (such as communicating STEM subjects to technical and non-technical audiences, leadership, team building and teaching) that normally are not emphasized in a more traditional STEM graduate program, and to broaden their options for STEM careers in a competitive global marketplace; to enrich STEM learning and instruction in K-12 settings through strong partnerships with institutions of higher education to bring the excitement and the results of leading STEM research practice and findings to K-12 settings; and to provide institutions of higher education with an opportunity to make a permanent change in their graduate programs by incorporating GK-12 like activities in the training of their STEM graduate students.
Expected project outcomes include: for graduate fellows, enhanced understanding of their own research subject area, and its societal and global contexts; improved communication skills of STEM subjects with technical and non-technical audiences, leadership, team building and teaching capabilities; for K-12 education, professional development opportunities for teachers in both STEM content and pedagogy; and enhanced learning and STEM career interest for students; and for institutions of higher education, transformation of graduate programs; strengthened and sustained partnerships with local school districts, industry, non-profit sector, etc.; and enhanced institutional impact of graduate education to society.
GK-12 Fellows will work directly with GK-12 Teachers in and out of the classroom to: integrate scientific methods in the teaching and learning of STEM disciplines; provide role models for future STEM professionals; enhance K-12 teachers’ content knowledge and understanding of principles of mathematics and the sciences; and jointly design and deliver K-12 science and mathematics instruction. Essentially GK-12 fellows will bring their scientific research experience to the schools, so that teachers and K-12 students are more broadly exposed to what science is all about, how science is done, how discoveries happen and what scientists do.
In addition, PIs may incorporate their fellows’ cyberinfrastructure research activities and tools, such as those involving high performance computing, digital data collection and observation tools, advanced data curation and visualization technologies, and virtual interaction and collaboration, to support learning, discovery and broadening participation in K-12 schools.
Principal Investigators (PIs), school representatives, GK-12 Teachers and STEM faculty must work together in the development of the GK-12 proposal. Further, it is imperative that a partnership among all potential parties involved in the proposed activity be developed early. It is expected the preponderance of GK-12 Fellows’ activities with teachers and students will occur in K-12 schools. Each project should include an external evaluator to develop an evaluation plan.
The lead Principal Investigator (PI) must be a STEM discipline faculty member actively conducting STEM research at the lead institution. Faculty members whose primary research is on science education (e.g., physics education, technology education, mathematics education, science education, etc.) are not eligible to serve as the lead PI.
More information can be found here.
AGENCIES ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT: The GK-12 Program is open to academic institutions in the United States and its territories that grant masters or doctoral degrees in STEM disciplines. Graduate students pursuing degrees and conducting research in science education (e.g., physics education, technology education, engineering education and mathematics education) are not eligible.
AWARD INFORMATION: Only new awards, with a maximum duration of five years and a maximum of $600,000 per year, which includes both direct and indirect costs, will be funded.
ELIGIBLE PROJECT COSTS: Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: The indirect cost rate is 8% of total direct costs. No indirect costs can be applied to participant support costs, which include the stipends, travel, costs of workshops and cost of education for fellows and GK-12 teachers. Up to 30% of the total budget may be designated for direct costs other than fellows’ stipends, GK-12 Teacher stipends and cost-of-education allowances. The budget should plan for adequate funds to conduct the project evaluation (up to 2.5% of the total amount requested per year).
In addition, the total amount of funds requested for software and special-purpose materials may not exceed $10,000. For projects that include an international component, a total of $100,000 for the duration of the project may be additionally requested for international activities and administrative support for participants from the United States (e.g., STEM graduate fellows and K-12 teachers).
COST SHARING: NONE.
Internal Selection Procedures and Deadlines
April 13, 2009: Deadline for an email of intent, including the names of the PI and co-PIs, title of internal proposal and a 1-3 sentence description of the project. Send email of intent.
April 15, 2009: Deadline to obtain signatures of approval from your department head and college dean to submit an internal proposal to the Research Policy and Development Support Office for review by the internal selection committee. The internal proposal should include:
(1) An executive summary, up to three pages, based on the proposal description as outlined in the NSF program announcement;
(2) Summary budget;
(3) Project and Management Plans (including team members);
The form for completing the internal proposal is here.
This completed form should be submitted electronically for review by the internal selection committee.
*Once your internal proposal has been received with all of the necessary signatures, you will receive an email indicating it will be reviewed by the internal selection committee. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please call 5-1812.*
Please read the RFP carefully for specific requirements of the program at here.
Selection of a proposal will be based on NSF guidelines. The needs of the university’s reinvestment plan will also be taken into account.
During the selection process, the internal selection committee may contact departments and colleges for their opinions and commitments. They may also request additional information from PIs.
April 24, 2009: The Internal Selection Committee will notify PIs of the result of the internal competition.
May 19, 2009: Deadline for required letter of intent.
June 29, 2009: Deadline for full proposal (due by 5 p.m. proposer’s local time).
