Call for Special Track Proposals: iLRN 2020: 6th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network

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CALL FOR SPECIAL TRACK PROPOSALS
iLRN 2020: 6th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network
June 21–25, 2020, San Luis Obispo, California, USA

*** Deadline for proposing special tracks extended to 2019-11-11 ***

Technically co-sponsored by the IEEE Education Society,
with proceedings to be submitted for inclusion in IEEE Xplore®

Conference theme: “Vision 20/20: Hindsight, Insight, and Foresight in XR and Immersive Learning”

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Conference website: http://immersivelrn.org/ilrn2020

Details on organizing a Special Track available at: http://bit.ly/2ANtWbl (PDF)

General Call for Papers available at: http://bit.ly/2ki4gzb (PDF), http://bit.ly/2lUcpdG (HTML)

iLRN 2020 will be an innovative, interactive gathering for a burgeoning global network of researchers and practitioners collaborating to develop the scientific, technical, and applied potential of immersive learning. It is the premier scholarly event focusing on advances in using virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and other extended reality (XR) technologies to support learners across the full span of learning—from K-12 through higher education to work-based, informal, and lifelong learning contexts.

In addition to the main conference track, a small number of Special Tracks (no more than 3-4) will be offered at iLRN that focus on specific areas of interest within the field of XR and immersive learning. Proposals are sought from prospective organizers of Special Tracks that resonate with the conference theme, Vision 20/20: Hindsight, Insight, and Foresight in XR and Immersive Learning. As we continue our shared discovery of how to exploit the powerful learning affordances of these technologies in new, creative, and evidence-based ways, your particular inquiry focus and domain-specific projects may find richer context and deeper meaning within a Special Track! This is an opportunity to create a specialized forum for you and your colleagues to showcase and share leading-edge research and exemplary practice within this wide-ranging and interdisciplinary field.

One Chair of each Special Track will receive a complimentary registration for the conference, provided the Special Track attracts at least five paid full registrations from among the presenters of papers accepted for the Track. For each additional five paid full registrations, an additional Chair will receive a complimentary registration, up to a maximum of three complimentary registrations per Special Track.

The deadline for submitting proposals to organize Special Tracks is 2019-11-11 (final extended deadline). For more details about requirements and timelines, and for guidance on how to prepare and submit a proposal, please see http://bit.ly/2ANtWbl .

*** Publication, Abstracting, and Indexing ***

All accepted and registered papers in the Academic Stream that are presented at iLRN 2020, whether as part of the Main Track or a Special Track, as well as all extended abstracts describing the Workshops, Panels, and Special Sessions presented at the conference will be published in the conference proceedings and submitted to the IEEE Xplore® digital library. Content loaded into Xplore is made available by IEEE to its abstracting and indexing partners, including Elsevier (Scopus, Ei Compendex), Clarivate Analytics (CPCI—part of Web of Science) and others, for potential inclusion in their respective databases.

In addition, Special Track organizers are encouraged to negotiate opportunities for selected authors to submit expanded versions of their papers to high-quality journals. This could, but may not necessarily, entail the creation of a journal special issue.

*** Interested in the Main Track? ***

The Call for Papers and Proposal for the Main Track of the conference can be found at http://bit.ly/2ki4gzb (PDF), http://bit.ly/2lUcpdG (HTML).

*** Contact ***

Inquiries regarding the iLRN 2020 Special Tracks may be directed to ilrn2020.specialtracks@immersivelrn.org.

For matters pertaining to the wider conference, please email conference@immersivelrn.org.

2020 STEMwrite Institute for Writing to Learn in STEM Disciplines

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2020 STEMwrite Institute for Writing to Learn in STEM Disciplines

University of Minnesota, June 24-26, 2020

Application deadline: February 1, 2020

The 2020 STEMwrite Institute invites faculty teams from biological sciences to a lively and productive three-day institute that focuses on Writing to Learn in STEM disciplines. Grounded in evidence that brief writing assignments have positive impacts on conceptual learning, this institute enables participants to develop brief, conceptually-focused writing activities and assessment tools that can be realistically implemented in large-enrollment, introductory biology courses.

Our goals for the 2020 STEMwrite Institute are:

  • To engage participants in a process for developing effective writing-to-learn activities (prompts/assignments, online peer review protocols, and assessment tools) that encourage both durable conceptual understanding and attention to students’ development as scientists and science writers.
  • To share research findings on drivers and barriers impacting the use of writing in STEM disciplines, based on survey responses of 5,000 STEM faculty at Reinvention Collaborative member institutions.
  • To present evidence of the effective implementation of writing-to-learn activities in biological sciences across participant campuses.
  • To establish a network of faculty members and researchers interested in participating in a sustained community of practice focused on writing to learn in STEM education.

We invite applications from institutional teams (4-5 members) that include key instructional personnel and faculty in biology and one member charged with improving undergraduate STEM education and/or writing in the disciplines (from campus-wide centers for teaching and learning or writing centers). Participants will leave the STEMwrite Institute with ready-to-use writing to learn prompts and peer response activities that maximize student learning in large classes while minimizing an instructor’s response and grading load. Participants will also fashion an assessment plan to evaluate their assignments at their home institutions and action plans to guide subsequent iterations.

Comments from 2018 and 2019 participants:

“Each of the sessions was incredibly helpful. We’re leaving with our prompt and the assessment prompt almost entirely complete. This is due to the excellent organization, direction, and support provided by all the facilitators.”

“I feel MUCH more confident about my ability to do this and my desire to ask students more open-ended questions in a science class. My pre-workshop fear was that it would be too time-consuming to read all of that writing, especially if the questions were trying to promote deeper level thinking and synthesis, and that if I didn’t the students would not benefit from the exercise.”

“I was highly skeptical that we’d be able to implement a WTL intervention (or even two like we are now planning) into our large, 280-student class. But leaving with the prompts so close to completion has empowered us to pursue and evaluate the impact of these interventions.”

“I am more convinced that writing could be implemented effectively in large classrooms that face barriers such as lack of TAships, time constraints, etc.”

“The most valuable activities for me have been those in which I interacted with participants from other universities and the embedded experts. Seeing what they are doing and receiving feedback have been most useful.”

Description of research and approach

This institute, the second of three annual offerings, draws substantially on an ongoing program of research developed in conjunction with the Reinvention Collaborative and funded by the National Science Foundation. Addressing the Boyer Commission’s (1998) call for an increase in research-based pedagogy, and Rivard’s (1994) call to understand better the metacognitive processes by which writing activities support conceptual learning, our three-institution team (University of Michigan, Duke University, and the University of Minnesota) is investigating the use of writing activities to help students learn key scientific concepts. This research aims to reveal both the effects of writing to learn interventions on students’ conceptual learning gains and the mechanisms by which these learning gains are achieved, including metacognitive awareness and regulation of learning. We take a three-pronged approach:

1) using student- and faculty-generated survey data to investigate drivers and barriers to the use of writing-to-learn activities in STEM-based courses.

2) partnering with STEM faculty members to identify traditionally troublesome scientific concepts in their courses; develop and implement assignments that target these concepts through engaging students in the process of writing, peer review, and revision.

3) assessing changes in students’ conceptual knowledge that result from these written interventions. Importantly, our technology-supported intervention encourages student learning and revision and reduces barriers to implementation most often identified by science educators, particularly those teaching large-enrollment introductory courses and labs.

Logistics

The 2020 STEMwrite Institute will be held on June 24th, 25th, and 26th in Bruininks Hall, the University of Minnesota’s state-of-the-art science teaching facility.

Support for 4-5 team members to attend the Institute (including lodging accommodations, breakfast, and lunch for the three days of the Institute) and domestic travel will be provided by the NSF grant, “Accelerating the pace of research and implementation of Writing-to-Learn pedagogies across STEM disciplines.”

Up to five institutional teams will be invited to attend. To apply, teams are directed to detail their interest by completing this application survey by February 1, 2020. Each application will be reviewed by members of the research team who will look for evidence of applicants’ alignment with STEMwrite goals, team composition, and evidence of institutional capacity for implementation. Teams will be notified of decisions by February 14th and asked to register by February 22nd.

Questions can be directed to Leslie Schiff (schif002@umn.edu).

NSF Program Solicitation – Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES) NSF INCLUDES Planning Grants

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Inclusion Across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES)
NSF INCLUDES Planning Grants

PROGRAM SOLICITATION
NSF 19-600

NSF Logo National Science Foundation

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter’s local time):

December 03, 2019

July 13, 2020

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND REVISION NOTES

  • NSF INCLUDES Planning Grants are intended to build capacity in the community to undertake the activities necessary to establish future centers, alliances, or other large-scale networks to address a broadening participation challenge at scale.
  • An NSF INCLUDES Planning Grant is not a prerequisite for future NSF INCLUDES competitions.
  • Prior NSF INCLUDES funding is not required to be eligible for a Planning Grant.
  • NSF INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilots are encouraged to apply.
  • Additional review criteria are included in this solicitation in Section VII.

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the revised NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 19-1), which is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after February 25, 2019.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title:

NSF INCLUDES Planning Grants

Synopsis of Program:

In 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) unveiled a set of “Big Ideas,” 10 bold, long-term research and process ideas that identify areas for future investment at the frontiers of science and engineering (see https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/big_ideas/index.jsp). The Big Ideas represent unique opportunities to position our Nation at the cutting edge of global science and engineering leadership by bringing together diverse disciplinary perspectives to support convergence research. As such, when responding to this solicitation, even though proposals must be submitted to the Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate/Division of Human Resource Development (HRD), once received, the proposals will be managed by a cross-disciplinary team of NSF Program Directors.

Through this solicitation, NSF Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES) will support Planning Grants to build capacity for the development of collaborative infrastructure to: (a) facilitate innovative partnerships, networks, and theories of action for broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at scale and (b) lead to the establishment of future centers, alliances, or other large-scale networks to address a broadening participation challenge. While this solicitation is open to all, NSF INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilots are especially encouraged to apply, as a Planning Grant could serve as an intermediate conduit for bringing their exploratory pilot work to scale.

A hallmark of NSF INCLUDES is to support the development of collaborative infrastructure to achieve systemic change. Collaborative infrastructure refers to the process by which partnering organizations come together with a shared vision; map out mutually reinforcing activities; develop goals, objectives, and measures to chart their progress; engage in constant communication; and advance the potential for expansion, sustainability, and scaling that would not be possible otherwise.

NSF INCLUDES, one of the 10 Big Ideas, is a comprehensive national initiative to enhance U.S. leadership in STEM discoveries and innovations focused on NSF’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and broadening participation in these fields. The vision of NSF INCLUDES is to catalyze the STEM enterprise to work collaboratively for inclusive change, resulting in a STEM workforce that reflects the population of the Nation. NSF INCLUDES features a National Network composed of Design and Development Launch Pilots, Alliances, a Coordination Hub, NSF-funded broadening participation projects, other relevant NSF-funded projects, and other organizations that support the development of talent from all sectors of society to build an inclusive STEM workforce.

Contact Information:

Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):

  • 47.041 — Engineering
  • 47.049 — Mathematical and Physical Sciences
  • 47.050 — Geosciences
  • 47.070 — Computer and Information Science and Engineering
  • 47.074 — Biological Sciences
  • 47.075 — Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences
  • 47.076 — Education and Human Resources
  • 47.079 — Office of International Science and Engineering
  • 47.083 — Office of Integrative Activities (OIA)

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 20 to 30

An NSF INCLUDES Planning Grant is for 12-16 months in duration and the proposed budget for each Planning Grant must not exceed $100,000.

Anticipated Funding Amount: $1,000,000 to $3,000,000

Subject to the quality of proposals received and availability of funds.

Eligibility Information

Who May Submit Proposals:

The categories of proposers eligible to submit proposals to the National Science Foundation are identified in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), Chapter I.E. Unaffiliated individuals are not eligible to submit proposals in response to this solicitation.

Who May Serve as PI:

Current NSF INCLUDES Alliance PIs and Co-PIs are not eligible to serve as a PI or Co-PI on an NSF INCLUDES Planning Grant proposal.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:

There are no restrictions or limits.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or Co-PI:

An individual may be listed as a PI or Co-PI on only one NSF INCLUDES Planning Grant proposal.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

  • Letters of Intent: Not required
  • Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required

B. Budgetary Information

  • Cost Sharing Requirements:Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.
  • Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:Not Applicable
  • Other Budgetary Limitations:Not Applicable

C. Due Dates

  • Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter’s local time):December 03, 2019

    July 13, 2020

Proposal Review Information Criteria

Merit Review Criteria:

National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review considerations apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions:

Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Reporting Requirements:

Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Summary of Program Requirements

  1. Introduction
  2. Program Description
  3. Award Information
  4. Eligibility Information
  5. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
    1. Proposal Preparation Instructions
    2. Budgetary Information
    3. Due Dates
    4. FastLane Requirements
  6. NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures
    1. Merit Review Principles and Criteria
    2. Review and Selection Process
  7. Award Administration Information
    1. Notification of the Award
    2. Award Conditions
    3. Reporting Requirements
  8. Agency Contacts
  9. Other Information

I. INTRODUCTION

Diversity – of perspectives, backgrounds and approaches – is essential for excellence in research and innovation in science and engineering.1 Full participation of all of America’s STEM talent is critical to the advancement of science and engineering for national security, health, and prosperity. Women, persons with disabilities, African Americans/Blacks, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Native Pacific Islanders, and persons from economically disadvantaged backgrounds have been historically under-engaged in various fields of science and engineering across all levels, from preK-12 to long-term workforce participation.2,3 Inclusion of talent from all sectors of American society is necessary for the health and vitality of the science and engineering community and its societal relevance.

To broaden participation in STEM, NSF is investing in the development of the NSF INCLUDES National Network, composed of Design and Development Launch Pilots, Alliances, the Coordination Hub, NSF-funded broadening participation projects, other large-scale NSF-funded projects, and other organizations that support the goals of NSF INCLUDES. New networks, systems, partnerships, approaches to using data for change, and a focus on communicating about impact and results at scale are all hallmarks of NSF INCLUDES. The initiative fosters the creation of a collection of exemplars over time for designing, implementing, studying, and refining collaborative change models that are based on collective impact-style approaches, and on networks that support adoption and adaptation at scale. 4,5,6,7

Development of the NSF INCLUDES National Network

Design and Development Launch Pilots. NSF INCLUDES began in FY2016 (NSF 16-544) and continued in FY 2017 (NSF 17-522) with the funding of Design and Development Launch Pilots. These two-year projects explored the feasibility of using collaborative change strategies in bold, innovative ways on a limited scale to solve broadening participation challenges in STEM.

Coordination Hub. The NSF INCLUDES Coordination Hub was funded in FY 2018 (NSF 17-591). The Coordination Hub leads the development of collaborative infrastructure across the National Network to align NSF INCLUDES activities, establish common metrics and measurement practices and provide support for communication and networking, network assistance and reinforcement, implementation research and evaluation, and visibility and expansion for the NSF INCLUDES National Network as a whole.8

Alliances. In FY 2018, NSF funded the first cohort of NSF INCLUDES Alliances (NSF 18-529), which built upon the achievements of the Design and Development Launch Pilots and have the potential to substantially broaden participation in STEM fields.9,10 Alliances take collaborative change strategies, lessons learned, promising practices, and evidence-based mechanisms from the Design and Development Launch Pilots; the science of broadening participation literature; and the research and evaluations from past and present efforts related to broadening participation in STEM and employ them at a larger scale. Alliances bring together programs, people, organizations, technologies, and institutions to achieve results at scale, provide new research, and leverage NSF’s broadening participation investments. Each Alliance is committed to collectively achieving common goals through a well-defined set of common objectives. The NSF INCLUDES approach requires that each Alliance focus not only on its own vision and goals, but also work with other organizations within the NSF INCLUDES National Network. This work is facilitated through the NSF INCLUDES Coordination Hub. Alliances are also supported by their own independent backbone or support organization.

On Ramps. Starting in FY 2017, NSF INCLUDES funded “on ramps” as one element of its multi-faceted approach. These activities represent opportunities for novel approaches in which new and currently-funded NSF projects from across all NSF directorates engage with the NSF INCLUDES National Network. On ramps proposals are submitted through NSF INCLUDES Dear Colleague Letters (NSF 17-111, NSF 19-038, and NSF 19-042) and include Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER), conferences and workshops, and supplements that support the tenets of NSF INCLUDES and provide connections to the NSF INCLUDES National Network.

Through this solicitation, NSF INCLUDES will support Planning Grants to build capacity for the development of collaborative infrastructure to: (a) facilitate innovative partnerships, networks, and theories of action for broadening participation in STEM at scale and (b) lead to the establishment of future centers, alliances, or other large-scale networks to address a broadening participation challenge. This solicitation invites submissions from a broad range of diverse institutional partnerships, principal investigators, and contexts. This solicitation is open to all, but NSF INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilots are especially encouraged to apply, as a Planning Grant could serve as an intermediate conduit for bringing their exploratory pilot work to scale. Prior NSF INCLUDES support is not required to be eligible for a Planning Grant. A Planning Grant is also not a prerequisite to participate in a future NSF INCLUDES competition.

  1. Page, S. E. (2007). The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies. Princeton University Press.
  2. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2011). Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads. National Academies Press. Washington, DC.
  3. Malcom, S., & Feder, M. (Eds.). (2016). Barriers and Opportunities for 2-Year and 4-Year STEM Degrees: Systemic Change to Support Students’ Diverse Pathways. National Academies Press. Washington, DC doi: 10.17226/21739.
  4. Kania, J., & Kramer, M. (2011). Collective impact. Stanford Social Innovation Review, Winter, 36-41. Retrieved from https://ssir.org/articles/entry/collective_impact
  5. Bryk, A. S., Gomez, L. M., & Grunow, A. (2011). Getting ideas into action: Building networked improvement communities in education. In Frontiers in sociology of education (pp. 127-162). Springer Netherlands.
  6. Waitzer, J. M., & Paul, R. (2011). Scaling social impact: When everybody contributes, everybody wins. innovations, 6(2), 143-155. Retrieved from https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/INOV_a_00074
  7. Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE). (2013). 2011-2012 Biennial Report to Congress: Broadening Participation in America’s STEM Workforce. Arlington, VA. Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/activities/ceose/reports/Full_2011-2012_CEOSE_Report_to_Congress_Final_03-04-2014.pdf
  8. Turner, S., Merchant, K., Kania, J., & Martin, E. (2012). Understanding the value of backbone organizations in collective impact: Part 1. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 25-32. Retrieved from https://ssir.org/articles/entry/understanding_the_value_of_backbone_organizations_in_collective_impact_1
  9. Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE). (2015). Broadening Participation in America’s STEM Workforce (p. 28). Arlington, VA.
  10. NSF Broadening Participation Portfolio. Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/od/broadeningparticipation/bp_portfolio_dynamic.jsp

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

NSF INCLUDES Planning Grants (Planning Grants) are designed to facilitate and support the development of partnerships and networks, by building capacity for collaborative infrastructure to help prepare competitive proposals that might lead to the establishment of future centers, alliances, or other large-scale networks to address a broadening participation challenge.

There are five elements of collaborative infrastructure that are integral to NSF INCLUDES:

Shared Vision: NSF INCLUDES projects identify a common agenda that reflects a collective understanding of the broadening participation challenge and links to existing research, promising practices, and/or to the previous and ongoing activities of partnering organizations. Large scale networks and partnerships develop a strategic plan to address the broadening participation challenges, including technical infrastructure, which facilitates the implementation of a set of specified activities to achieve targeted outcomes.

Partnerships: NSF INCLUDES projects consist of a set of primary organizations and additional partners that come together locally, regionally, nationally, by disciplinary focus, or by other multisector categories. Partners are supported by an independent “backbone” or support organization to help coordinate and facilitate the collaboration.

Goals and Metrics: NSF INCLUDES projects have well-defined relevant goals and measurable objectives and outcomes including progress indicators; they outline the role the “backbone” or support organization plays in collecting and coordinating data on outcomes from the proposed partner institutions. This statement of goals and measurable objectives includes describing the types of data that might be collected and how data will be used. Projects have an evaluation plan that use benchmarks, indicators, logic models, road maps, or other evaluative methods to document progress toward goals, objectives, and outcomes.

Leadership and Communication: Projects include internal and external communication plans and explain how they develop leadership capacity within and among all partnering organizations. They describe their strategy to engage participating organizations in change management.

Expansion, Sustainability and Scale: Projects include plans that will lead to the expansion, sustainability, and scale of their activities. They describe their overall contribution to broadening participation in the nation’s scientific and engineering workforce. For large scale partnerships and networks, a “backbone” or support organization facilitates and sustains these efforts over the long term with support from the NSF INCLUDES Coordination Hub.

Proposers funded through this solicitation may use the Planning Grant funding to organize catalytic activities (including, but not limited to, workshops and conferences) that can help collaborating organizations to crystallize their broadening participation vision and to develop one or more of the five NSF INCLUDES design elements of collaborative infrastructure.

NSF recognizes that teams may identify an important, complex broadening participation challenge to address, but may not have the full complement of skills and expertise needed to successfully address the challenge through the development of the five NSF INCLUDES design elements of collaborative infrastructure. Planning Grants can be used to support team formation activities (e.g., filling gaps in expertise); develop and nurture relationships with potential partners; and access specialized frameworks or resources needed to better develop one or more aspects of the five NSF INCLUDES design elements of collaborative infrastructure . As a result of planning grant activities, partners should be better equipped to create the collaborative infrastructure needed to address the broadening participation challenge that is identified in the shared vision.

Each proposal must explain how the Planning Grant funding will be used to plan for developing the infrastructure necessary to foster collaboration and achieve impact by emphasizing one or more of the five NSF INCLUDES design elements .

Funding for Planning Grants may not be used to create or implement interventions.

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NSF Program Solicitation – Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR)

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PROGRAM SOLICITATION
NSF 19-601

REPLACES DOCUMENT(S):
NSF 17-590

NSF Logo National Science Foundation

Directorate for Education and Human Resources
Division of Undergraduate Education

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter’s local time):

December 04, 2019

Engaged Student Learning and Institutional and Community Transformation Level 2 and 3

February 04, 2020

First Tuesday in February, Annually Thereafter

Institutional and Community Transformation Capacity-Building

February 04, 2020

First Tuesday in February, Annually Thereafter

Engaged Student Learning and Institutional and Community Transformation Level 1

August 04, 2020

First Tuesday in August, Annually Thereafter

Institutional and Community Transformation Capacity-Building

August 04, 2020

First Tuesday in August, Annually Thereafter

Engaged Student Learning and Institutional and Community Transformation Level 1

December 01, 2020

First Tuesday in December, Annually Thereafter

Engaged Student Learning and Institutional and Community Transformation Level 2 and 3

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND REVISION NOTES

IUSE: EHR has been revised to include two tracks, Engaged Student Learning (ESL) and Institutional and Community Transformation (ICT), each of which has three levels. ICT Capacity-Building is a new level within the Institutional and Community Transformation track. There are new deadlines for proposals at all levels.

During FY 2020 and beyond, all projects are expected to increase knowledge about effective STEM education.

The IUSE: EHR program requires the use of Creative Commons licensing for new materials and release of computer code under an intellectual property license allowing others to use and build on the work.

Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation should be submitted in accordance with the revised NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 19-1), which is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after February 25, 2019.

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

General Information

Program Title:

Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR)

Synopsis of Program:

The fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) hold much promise as sectors of the economy where we can expect to see continuous vigorous growth in the coming decades. STEM job creation is expected to outpace non-STEM job creation significantly, according to the Commerce Department, reflecting the importance of STEM knowledge to the US economy.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) plays a leadership role in developing and implementing efforts to enhance and improve STEM education in the United States. Through the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) initiative, the agency continues to make a substantial commitment to the highest caliber undergraduate STEM education through a Foundation-wide framework of investments. The IUSE: EHR is a core NSF STEM education program that seeks to promote novel, creative, and transformative approaches to generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for undergraduate students. The program is open to application from all institutions of higher education and associated organizations. NSF places high value on educating students to be leaders and innovators in emerging and rapidly changing STEM fields as well as educating a scientifically literate public. In pursuit of this goal, IUSE: EHR supports projects that seek to bring recent advances in STEM knowledge into undergraduate education, that adapt, improve, and incorporate evidence-based practices into STEM teaching and learning, and that lay the groundwork for institutional improvement in STEM education. In addition to innovative work at the frontier of STEM education, this program also encourages replication of research studies at different types of institutions and with different student bodies to produce deeper knowledge about the effectiveness and transferability of findings.

IUSE: EHR also seeks to support projects that have high potential for broader societal impacts, including improved diversity of students and instructors participating in STEM education, professional development for instructors to ensure adoption of new and effective pedagogical techniques that meet the changing needs of students, and projects that promote institutional partnerships for collaborative research and development. IUSE: EHR especially welcomes proposals that will pair well with the efforts of NSF INCLUDES (https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/nsfincludes/index.jsp) to develop STEM talent from all sectors and groups in our society.

For all the above objectives, the National Science Foundation invests primarily in evidence-based and knowledge-generating approaches to understand and improve STEM learning and learning environments, improve the diversity of STEM students and majors, and prepare STEM majors for the workforce. In addition to contributing to STEM education in the host institution(s), proposals should have the promise of adding more broadly to our understanding of effective teaching and learning practices.

The IUSE: EHR program features two tracks: (1) Engaged Student Learning and (2) Institutional and Community Transformation. Several levels of scope, scale, and funding are available within each track, as summarized in Table 1.

Table 1: Overview of Engaged Student Learning and Institutional and Community Transformation tracks, levels, and deadlines

Track Level Deadlines
Engaged Student Learning Level 1 : up to $300,000 for up to three years February 4, 2020

August 4, 2020

1st Tuesday in February and August thereafter
Level 2 : $300,001 – $600,000 for up to three years December 4, 2019

1st Tuesday in December thereafter
Level 3 : $600,001 – $2 million for up to five years December 4, 2019

1st Tuesday in December thereafter
Institutional and Community Transformation Capacity-Building : $150K (single institution) or $300K (multiple institutions) for up to two years February 4, 2020

August 4, 2020

1st Tuesday in February and August thereafter
Level 1 : up to $300,000 for up to three years February 4, 2020

August 4, 2020

1st Tuesday in February and August thereafter
Level 2 : $300,001 – $2 million (single institution) or $3 million (multiple institutions and research centers) for up to five years December 4, 2019

1st Tuesday in December thereafter

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):

  • 47.076 — Education and Human Resources

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MOOC Inclusive Teaching: Supporting All Students in the College Classroom

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The Columbia University Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is excited to announce the release of the first ever MOOC (massive open online course) dedicated entirely to the topic of inclusive teaching in higher education. The MOOC, titled Inclusive Teaching: Supporting All Students in the College Classroom, provides practical, accessible, and usable strategies that instructors can implement in their classrooms to create and maintain a supportive learning environment for all students. The self-paced course is open to all. Registration is now open.

 

Led by Columbia CTL staff, the course also features several experts who offer strategies and insights from their own research and teaching contexts. Please also find the video trailer announcing the launch of the course.

 

 

Promoting Diversity at the Top

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Promoting diversity at the top

Los Angeles Southwest College President Seher Awan

BY ED FINKEL JUNE 17, 2019   

Those who picture a “gray-haired, white, heterosexual male” when they are about to meet a community college president are not necessarily wrong, but the assumption is increasingly out of date in 2019.

Given the diverse populations they serve, two-year institutions are striving to recruit and retain a diverse set of leaders with similar life experiences to others on campus.

Teaching Matters and So Does Curriculum: How CUNY Start Reshaped Instruction for Students Referred to Developmental Mathematics

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By Susan Bickerstaff & Nikki Edgecombe
Teaching Matters and So Does Curriculum: How CUNY Start Reshaped Instruction for Students Referred to Developmental Mathematics

Adult proficiency in numeracy in the United States lags behind that of other developed nations, and the nonselective institutions that dominate the higher education sector struggle to address the learning needs of the sizeable proportion of students who enroll in their institutions and are deemed academically underprepared in mathematics. Research on curriculum and pedagogy in developmental (or remedial) mathematics indicates that typical teaching approaches emphasize memorization, often at the expense of the kinds of conceptual understanding that prepare students for college-level mathematics and the numeracy demands of the workforce. This paper examines CUNY Start, an innovative pre-matriculation developmental education program developed by The City University of New York (CUNY) that reimagines the design and implementation of remedial instruction to better serve students with weak academic preparation.

 

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Studying Teaching in Community Colleges: Creating the Conditions Where Effective Instruction Can Flourish

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Tuesday, 04 June 2019

Research by CCRC and others has identified many ways student outcomes can be improved, including through enhanced student advising, well-designed student supports, more coherent programs of study, and opportunities to quickly enroll in college-level coursework. However, in much of higher education research and in many of the large-scale reform efforts undertaken by states and colleges, what happens inside the classroom has received less attention.

Yet students’ time in courses is at the heart of the community college experience and central to the mission of colleges. It is within the classroom that students gain the skills and knowledge needed for future coursework, careers, and civic life. High-quality educational experiences have the potential not only to improve student outcomes generally but also to close achievement gaps resulting from inequitable distribution of educational opportunities. Students’ experiences in their classes can shape their perceptions of themselves and of the subject they’re studying and therefore impact their aspirations, their desire to continue in their field and in college, and ultimately their educational attainment.

 

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One-Year Research Experience for Associate’s Degree Students Impacts Graduation, STEM Retention, and Transfer Patterns

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Published Online:31 May 2019https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.19-02-0042

Abstract

The CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP) provides a yearlong faculty-mentored research experience to associate’s degree students. The program takes place at all 10 associate’s degree–granting colleges within the City University of New York system. We report on a mixed-methods study of 500 students who participated in the program during its initial 3 years. Quantitative longitudinal assessments revealed that students who engaged in CRSP were more likely to be retained in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) discipline or to graduate with a STEM degree than their counterparts in a matched comparison group. Furthermore, students who participated in CRSP demonstrated an increased likelihood of transferring to the more research-intensive 4-year schools within the CUNY system and to R1 universities outside the CUNY system. CRSP students reported an increased sense of belonging in college based on survey data, and focus groups with their mentors provided insight into the factors that led to the gains listed above. These combined results—of student data analysis, student surveys, and mentor focus groups—provide evidence that early research experiences for associate’s degree students contribute to their academic success.

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Here’s How to Increase Diversity in STEM at the College Level and Beyond

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Here’s How to Increase Diversity in STEM at the College Level and Beyond | The Conversation

 

The Meyerhoff Scholars program has been called the “gold standard” for providing a path into STEM research for African Americans, Hispanics, and economically disadvantaged white students who are underrepresented in the field. It has also been credited with changing the culture of the campus at UMBC.

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