The National Science Foundation is offering grants of up to $300,000 each for projects that would help teacher-leaders get more exposure and improve STEM education systemwide.
It’s seeking ideas now. The submission process ends July 22. Details are laid out here.
Proposals may include “novel STEM research opportunities,” avenues for teachers to get involved in advisory and mentoring capacities, or international travel for research and education.
NSF asks that the ideas be able to be piloted for up to two years. The goals are to find successful models for long-term programs that support teacher-leaders and to help those teachers serve as national resources to improve STEM education.
“It is NSF’s expectation that teacher leaders would leverage this increased capacity in order to augment and promote systemwide STEM education improvements, as well as advance research and dissemination of work supported by the NSF,” the foundation wrote in a letter to colleagues. “The foundation also anticipates these teacher-leaders will serve as ambassadors for both their profession and the National Science Foundation—making substantial contributions in professional spheres at the national, state, and local levels.”
This is among several programs by the Arlington-based foundation that aim to improve STEM education. The NSF was created by Congress in 1950 to promote science. It offers a STEM Education Resource website that lets users connect to the data, trends, and analyses from NSF’s Science and Engineering Indicators report. It also offers scholarships for low-income students pursuing degrees in STEM fields.
According to its website, the $7.3 million agency is also the funding source for nearly a quarter of all federally supported basic research conducted by U.S. colleges and universities.