Chemical Education Today
Report
Teacher Preparation and Enhancement Programs at the NSF Web Site by Donald J. Wink
The NSF's Directorate for Education and Human Resources includes many different programs designed to support the preparation and enhancement of teachers at the K–12 level. Many of these programs have deadlines that come up in the late winter and early spring, so this is a good time to review them. Both the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) and the Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education (ESIE) are involved. Several of these programs have preliminary proposal deadlines. These are intended to start the exchange of ideas between grant applicants and the NSF, and they are a required part of the proposal process. Submissions of formal (or “final”) proposals that do not have a prior preliminary proposal may be rejected outright by the NSF. Undergraduate Preparation of Teachers The ways in which teachers learn science are critical to how they will later teach science. That is the core need underlying the large Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation Program in DUE. This program now has two “tracks”. The first track has an institutional focus, and the second track is for system-wide collaboratives. They both have deadlines on May 1, 1999 (preliminary) and September 1, 1999 (formal). Information about this program is available at http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/DUE/programs/cetp/cetp.htm. Supporting Science Education and Educators in Schools Most of the programs supported by ESIE are described in a single program announcement, NSF 98-4 (http:// www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf984/). There are programs in informal science education (for activities outside of formal classrooms, March 1 or August 1 deadlines for preliminary proposals) and in advanced technological education (for activities in technician training at two-year institutions, April 15 deadline for preliminary proposals). Three other ESIE programs are connected to K–12 teachers. The actual descriptions of these are given in a single HTML document at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf984/ program.htm.
When someone has an idea for the development of new materials for schools, including whole new curricula, then the appropriate NSF program is Instructional Materials Development. Of course, many different materials have already been developed, and comprehensive new standards for math and science education have been issued. Therefore, NSF also supports Implementation and Dissemination Projects. Professional development, adaptation of new teaching methods and curricula, and acquiring national models of teaching practice are covered. A parallel effort in the design and use of new Assessment Projects, directed at student outcomes, is also going on to support new materials. These programs all have May 1, 1999 deadlines for their preliminary proposals. Those who are working with teachers are directed to the Teacher Enhancement Program. The major categories include direct teacher professional development, local systemic change (where school systems are targeted), educational leadership in more extended enhancement experiences, and the implementation of activities to connect teachers and students to research. The preliminary deadline is April 1, 1999. Finally, the ESIE sponsors a program for Local Systemic Change Through Teacher Enhancement in Science Grades 6–12 (http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf9853/nsf9853.htm). This is aimed at school systems in partnership with other organizations. All of the schools in a system would be involved, with goals of implementing components of the National Science Education Standards. This year’s deadline for preliminary proposals will be approximately April 1, 1999. Special Notice There is a new Forms kit, starting from October 1998, at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf993/start.htm. Also, three education-related NSF programs have recently announced early 1999 deadlines. These are given in the table, along with the relevant URLs. Donald Wink teaches in the Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607;
[email protected].
JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 76 No. 1 January 1999 • Journal of Chemical Education
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Chemical Education Today
Report Table 1. Informational Sites Web Page Title
URL
Deadlines and Notes
Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (CETP)
http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/DUE/programs/cetp/cetp.htm
Preproposals May 1, 1999; formal proposals September 1, 1999.
Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education (ESIE)
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf984/
Deadlines for specific programs are provided in the Program Announcement and Guidelines.
ESIE Program Area Descriptions
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf984/program.htm
Preliminary proposals due March 1 – May 1, depending on program.
Local Systemic Change Through Teacher Enhancement in Science Grades 6– 12
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf9853/nsf9853.htm
Preliminary proposals March 16, 1998; full proposals May 4, 1998.
Proposal Forms Kit
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf993/start.htm
Available as MS Word documents, PostScript files, and either PDF or HTML files.
NSF Postdoctoral Fellowships In Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology Education (PFSMETE)
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf9917/nsf9917.txt
February 1, 1999 as indicated in the FY 1999 announcement. Specific details about the program and the application process are here.
http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/DGE/pfse1.htm
Offers electronic submission of applications via FastLane; competition schedule; 1997 and 1998 PFSMETE awards and awardee descriptions; and other postdoctoral fellowships from NSF.
Program for Gender Equity in SME&T
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf9925/nsf9925.txt
Deadlines vary from February 1 to May 1, depending on the size of the project.
Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf9929/nsf9929.htm
Preproposals February 1, 1999; full proposals May 17, 1999.
Note from the Feature Editor I have taken this column through its initial goals of introducing the NSF Web site, both for basic information about science and about NSF granting programs. I am interested in reader reactions and suggestions, which I ask you to send to my email address. DW
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Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 76 No. 1 January 1999 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
