Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO). Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity.
The purpose of the National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program is to elevate the profession of STEM teaching by establishing a National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program to recognize outstanding STEM teachers in our Nation’s classrooms, reward them for their accomplishments, elevate their public profile, and create rewarding career paths to which all STEM teachers can aspire, both to prepare future STEM researchers and to create a scientifically literate public.
With this solicitation, NSF is inviting proposals to establish an initial set of Regional Alliances responsible for (a) recruiting eligible applicants to become members of the National STEM Teacher Corps (see definitions in section II.A.); (b) screening, interviewing, and selecting members; and (c) supporting other activities detailed in the Program Description and the law (136 STAT. 1515).
Each Alliance will be awarded as a cooperative agreement that represents the breadth of activities important to National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program and serves to elevate the public profile of STEM teachers within the region. Collectively these Alliances are expected to have a national impact.
The National STEM Teacher Corps also welcomes planning proposals submitted at any time during the year. See Section II.E for additional information about the preparation and submission of planning proposals.
Planning Projects - The National STEM Teacher Corps welcomes planning proposals submitted at any time during the year. This type of proposal must be submitted by an IHE eligible to submit to this solicitation. A consultation with a program officer is required prior to proposal submission. If the program director approves submission of a planning proposal, the proposal must be prepared in accordance with the instructions for the planning type of proposal contained in Chapter II.F of the PAPPG and must be submitted through Research.gov. Proposers should select the current PAPPG as the funding opportunity in Research.gov and direct the proposal to the National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot program in the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) in the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU).
See the NSF for full details.
Deadlines
ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST July 22, 2024
Sponsor Letter of Intent Deadline (optional, but recommended): 5:00pm MT August 20, 2024
Sponsor Application Deadline: 5:00pm MT October 1, 2024
Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)
- Type of Project: Planning or Regional Alliance
- Project Description (3 pages maximum): Please include: 1) a description of the project objectives and activities, broader impacts and evaluation plan; 2) participating organizations and anticipated partner organizations; and 3) a brief synopsis (not to exceed one-page) of the proposed plan to fulfill the goals of the National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program including relevance to Merit Review and Solicitation-Specific Review Criteria.
- Lead PI Curriculum Vitae Ìý
- Budget Overview (1 page maximum): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.
To access the online application, visit:
Eligibility
The Principal Investigator must hold a terminal degree in a STEM discipline, Education, STEM Education, or a related field. An individual may serve as PI or Co-PI of one proposal submitted in response to this solicitation.
Regional Alliances must include a State Educational Agency (SEA) and/or a Local Education Agency (LEA) from each of the Regional Alliance states (definitions of an SEA and LEA provided in CHIPS Act of 2022 Sec.10311(c)(2)(B)(ii)). Alliances may also include education nonprofit associations, a cross sector STEM organization, and/or another type of entity, including a for-profit STEM-related business.
National STEM Teacher Corps members must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent resident aliens.
Limited Submission Guidelines
An eligible institution may submit no more than one proposal in response to this solicitation. An institution may have only one active National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program award at any given time.
Award Information
Estimated Number of Awards:
- Up to 15 planning grants, subject to relevance and availability of funds.
- 8-10 Regional Alliance Awards
Anticipated Funding Amount:
- $1,000,000 to $5,000,000
Review Criteria
In addition to NSF’s standard criteria of intellectual merit and broader impacts, note the solicitation specific criteria below. The internal review process will evaluate submissions following these criteria.
- How will the Regional Alliance work to elevate National STEM Teacher Corp members while providing support to other teachers in the region? How will the Alliance support teachers that have entered STEM teaching in non-traditional methods?
- How will the Regional Alliance retain STEM educators focused on enhancing inclusive environments and advancing equity of access to high-quality STEM learning?
- How will the Regional Alliance create opportunities for the professional growth of National STEM Teacher Corps members, with a focus on increasing STEM student achievement and STEM participation rates for all students, particularly those from rural and high-need schools?