Expeditions in Training, Research, and Education for Mathematics and Statistics through Quantitative Explorations of Data (EXTREEMS-QED) Program Solicitation
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National Science Foundation |
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
January 31, 2013
November 06, 2013
First Wednesday in November, Annually Thereafter
A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), NSF 13-1, was issued on October 4, 2012 and is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 14, 2013. Please be advised that the guidelines contained in NSF 13-1 apply to proposals submitted in response to this funding opportunity. Proposers who opt to submit prior to January 14, 2013, must also follow the guidelines contained in NSF 13-1.
Please be aware that significant changes have been made to the PAPPG to implement revised merit review criteria based on the National Science Board (NSB) report, National Science Foundation's Merit Review Criteria: Review and Revisions. While the two merit review criteria remain unchanged (Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts), guidance has been provided to clarify and improve the function of the criteria. Changes will affect the project summary and project description sections of proposals. Annual and final reports also will be affected.
A by-chapter summary of this and other significant changes is provided at the beginning of both the Grant Proposal Guide and the Award & Administration Guide.
Please note that this program solicitation may contain supplemental proposal preparation guidance and/or guidance that deviates from the guidelines established in the Grant Proposal Guide.
Program Title:
Expeditions in Training, Research, and Education for Mathematics and Statistics through Quantitative Explorations of Data (EXTREEMS-QED)
Synopsis of Program:
The long-range goal of EXTREEMS-QED is to support efforts to educate the next generation of mathematics and statistics undergraduate students to confront new challenges in computational and data-enabled science and engineering (CDS&E). EXTREEMS-QED projects must enhance the knowledge and skills of most, if not all, the institution's mathematics and statistics majors through training that incorporates computational tools for analysis of large data sets and for modeling and simulation of complex systems.
Funded activities are expected to provide opportunities for undergraduate research and hands-on experiences centered on CDS&E; result in significant changes to the undergraduate mathematics and statistics curriculum; have broad institutional support and department-wide commitment that encourage collaborations within and across disciplines; and include professional development activities for faculty or for K-12 teachers.
EXTREEMS-QED is a joint effort of the Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences and the Office of Cyberinfrastructure at the National Science Foundation. The Office of Cyberinfrastructure is interested in supporting educational activities that incorporate cyberinfrastructure considerations at a fundamental level, and in efforts that leverage and advance major NSF investments in cyberinfrastructure. Cyberinfrastructure consists of advanced computing systems, data storage systems, instruments and data repositories, visualization environments, and people, all linked together by software and high performance networks to improve research productivity and enable breakthroughs not otherwise possible. Examples of NSF investments in cyberinfrastructure can be found at [http://www.nsf.gov/od/oci/cif21/cybinf_list.jsp].
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.
Annalisa Calini, MPS/DMS, telephone: (703) 292-2189, email: acalini@nsf.gov
Nandini Kannan, MPS/DMS, telephone: (703) 292-8584, email: nkannan@nsf.gov
Jennifer Pearl, MPS/DMS, telephone: (703) 292-4492, email: jslimowi@nsf.gov
Mark Suchman, OD/OCI, telephone: (703) 292-8061, email: msuchman@nsf.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant or Continuing Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: 4 to 6 NSF anticipates making 4-6 awards, with some projects having 5 year duration and some having 2-3 year duration. It is not anticipated that particular projects will receive support from the EXTREEMS-QED program for longer than five years in total.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $4,000,000 subject to the availability of funds
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
- Universities and Colleges -- Universities and four-year colleges accredited in and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Two-year colleges or community colleges may serve as non-lead organizations in collaborative proposals or receive support via subcontracts.
None Specified
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
None Specified
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI:
None Specified
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
B. Budgetary Information
C. Due Dates
January 31, 2013
November 06, 2013
First Wednesday in November, Annually Thereafter
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 Conditions: Standard NSF award conditions apply.
Reporting Requirements: Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
The new field of computational and data-enabled science and engineering (CDS&E) has emerged as a third pillar of scientific investigation that complements theory and experimentation. CDS&E is now clearly recognizable as a distinct intellectual and technological discipline lying at the intersection of applied mathematics, statistics, computer science, core science and engineering disciplines. It is dedicated to the development and use of computational methods, data mining, and management systems to enable scientific discovery and engineering innovation. In particular, CDS&E is exerting a transformational influence on research and learning through the use of computers to model, simulate, measure, and visualize complex scientific and engineering concepts; to create resources for scientific investigation and education both formal and informal; and to foster interdisciplinary collaborations.
Examples of mathematical and statistical research in CDS&E include, but are not limited to:
Computational and data-enabled approaches to the mathematical and statistical challenges of uncertainty quantification.
Unfortunately, the interdisciplinary demands of CDS&E training often lead it to be under-developed within the current structure of U.S. educational institutions. The long-range goal of EXTREEMS-QED is to enhance the ability of the mathematics and statistics community within universities and colleges to educate the next generation of undergraduate students to confront new challenges in CDS&E. EXTREEMS-QED projects must enhance the knowledge and skills of most, if not all, the institution's mathematics and statistics majors through training that incorporates computational tools for analysis of large data sets and for modeling and simulation of complex systems. EXTREEMS-QED projects may have components that enhance the knowledge and skills of non-majors as well. Strongly competitive proposals will have the potential to transform both departmental and institutional culture.
The program posits the importance of early interdisciplinary research experiences and innovative curricula in CDS&E. EXTREEMS-QED challenges institutions to create new learning environments and experiences that immerse students in CDS&E while energizing and sustaining the professional growth of faculty in CDS&E.
Funded activities are expected to:
The duration of projects may be up to five years. In general, projects of five-year duration are encouraged; however, institutions may submit proposals for shorter terms (for example, smaller projects of two to three years).
Long-term projects will be reviewed in the third year and fourth- and fifth-year funding will be contingent upon the outcome of the review. A site visit and/or a PI meeting are possible mid-term review mechanisms.
A. PROJECT COMPONENTS
All EXTREEMS-QED proposals must include objectives and detailed plans for (1) Research, (2) Education and Training, and (3) Faculty Professional Development or Outreach. Projects may choose to place more emphasis on one (or more) of the components. A description of the three components is provided below:
Examples include, but are not limited to:
Here, research is interpreted broadly to include all forms of discovery learning, at levels appropriate to the students, through which students are introduced to the excitement of the scientific research process. These should motivate students to pursue and persist in what can be challenging aspects of scientific endeavor. For the purposes of this program, it is not necessary that research topics be original or that student research experiences lead to publishable results, but the content should be substantial and intellectually stimulating.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
Interdepartmental curricular initiatives are encouraged.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
B. IMPORTANT PROJECT FEATURES
All EXTREEMS-QED projects should strengthen the educational capacity, infrastructure, and culture at participating institutions, as reflected by the number and inclusiveness of participating mentors and students, the quality of their research experiences, the effectiveness of department-wide curricular initiatives, and the impact of outreach and faculty professional development activities. Projects should foster student learning and professional development and an appreciation for the integration of research and education. EXTREEMS-QED projects should contribute substantially to an enhanced and sustainable undergraduate educational enterprise that strengthens CDS&E training and education for mathematics and statistics students.
The use of evidence-based proven instructional practices is encouraged and should be documented. Please see Section IX for some examples of references that discuss proven practices.
EXTREEMS-QED encourages collaborations that bring together scientists from baccalaureate, masters, or PhD granting institutions. Collaborative involvement of minority-serving institutions, two-year colleges, industrial partners, or government laboratories is strongly encouraged.
Although projects may vary in the approaches they take, the number and type of academic institutions involved, and the number of participating faculty members, all competitive projects will have certain common features:
Anticipated Type of Award: Continuing Grant or Standard Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: 4 to 6 NSF anticipates making 4-6 awards, with some projects having 5 year duration and some having 2-3 year duration. It is not anticipated that particular projects will receive support from the EXTREEMS-QED program for longer than five years in total.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $4,000,000, subject to the availability of funds
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
- Universities and Colleges -- Universities and four-year colleges accredited in and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Two-year colleges or community colleges may serve as non-lead organizations in collaborative proposals or receive support via subcontracts.
None Specified
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization:
None Specified
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI:
None Specified
Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.
In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:
Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals submitted as separate submissions from multiple organizations must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. Chapter II, Section D.4 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals.
The following instructions supplement the GPG or NSF Grants.gov Application Guide guidelines.
Cost Sharing: Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited
Budget Preparation Instructions:
Other Budgetary Limitations:
NSF funds may not be used to support expenditures that would normally be made in the absence of an award, such as costs for routine teaching activities.
Total award sizes are limited to an average of $200,000 per year (or $250,000 per year when four-year colleges or universities collaborate with two-year colleges).
January 31, 2013
November 06, 2013
First Wednesday in November, Annually Thereafter
For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane:
Detailed technical instructions regarding the technical aspects of preparation and submission via FastLane are available at: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. For FastLane user support, call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail fastlane@nsf.gov. The FastLane Help Desk answers general technical questions related to the use of the FastLane system. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this funding opportunity.
Submission of Electronically Signed Cover Sheets. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must electronically sign the proposal Cover Sheet to submit the required proposal certifications (see Chapter II, Section C of the Grant Proposal Guide for a listing of the certifications). The AOR must provide the required electronic certifications within five working days following the electronic submission of the proposal. Further instructions regarding this process are available on the FastLane Website at: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp.
Before using Grants.gov for the first time, each organization must register to create an institutional profile. Once registered, the applicant's organization can then apply for any federal grant on the Grants.gov website. Comprehensive information about using Grants.gov is available on the Grants.gov Applicant Resources webpage: http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp. In addition, the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide provides additional technical guidance regarding preparation of proposals via Grants.gov. For Grants.gov user support, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 or by email: support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Contact Center answers general technical questions related to the use of Grants.gov. Specific questions related to this program solicitation should be referred to the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this solicitation.
Submitting the Proposal: Once all documents have been completed, the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) must submit the application to Grants.gov and verify the desired funding opportunity and agency to which the application is submitted. The AOR must then sign and submit the application to Grants.gov. The completed application will be transferred to the NSF FastLane system for further processing.
Proposals received by NSF are assigned to the appropriate NSF program for acknowledgement and, if they meet NSF requirements, for review. All proposals are carefully reviewed by a scientist, engineer, or educator serving as an NSF Program Officer, and usually by three to ten other persons outside NSF either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists, or both, who are experts in the particular fields represented by the proposal. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with oversight of the review process. Proposers are invited to suggest names of persons they believe are especially well qualified to review the proposal and/or persons they would prefer not review the proposal. These suggestions may serve as one source in the reviewer selection process at the Program Officer's discretion. Submission of such names, however, is optional. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts of interest with the proposal. In addition, Program Officers may obtain comments from site visits before recommending final action on proposals. Senior NSF staff further review recommendations for awards. A flowchart that depicts the entire NSF proposal and award process (and associated timeline) is included in the GPG as Exhibit III-1.
A comprehensive description of the Foundation's merit review process is available on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/meritreview/.
Proposers should also be aware of core strategies that are essential to the fulfillment of NSF's mission, as articulated in Empowering the Nation Through Discovery and Innovation: NSF Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2011-2016. These strategies are integrated in the program planning and implementation process, of which proposal review is one part. NSF's mission is particularly well-implemented through the integration of research and education and broadening participation in NSF programs, projects, and activities.
One of the core strategies in support of NSF's mission is to foster integration of research and education through the programs, projects and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and students, and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the variety of learning perspectives.
Another core strategy in support of NSF's mission is broadening opportunities and expanding participation of groups, institutions, and geographic regions that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines, which is essential to the health and vitality of science and engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and supports.
The National Science Foundation strives to invest in a robust and diverse portfolio of projects that creates new knowledge and enables breakthroughs in understanding across all areas of science and engineering research and education. To identify which projects to support, NSF relies on a merit review process that incorporates consideration of both the technical aspects of a proposed project and its potential to contribute more broadly to advancing NSF's mission "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes." NSF makes every effort to conduct a fair, competitive, transparent merit review process for the selection of projects.
1. Merit Review Principles
These principles are to be given due diligence by PIs and organizations when preparing proposals and managing projects, by reviewers when reading and evaluating proposals, and by NSF program staff when determining whether or not to recommend proposals for funding and while overseeing awards. Given that NSF is the primary federal agency charged with nurturing and supporting excellence in basic research and education, the following three principles apply:
With respect to the third principle, even if assessment of Broader Impacts outcomes for particular projects is done at an aggregated level, PIs are expected to be accountable for carrying out the activities described in the funded project. Thus, individual projects should include clearly stated goals, specific descriptions of the activities that the PI intends to do, and a plan in place to document the outputs of those activities.
These three merit review principles provide the basis for the merit review criteria, as well as a context within which the users of the criteria can better understand their intent.
2. Merit Review Criteria
All NSF proposals are evaluated through use of the two National Science Board approved merit review criteria. In some instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.
The two merit review criteria are listed below. Both criteria are to be given full consideration during the review and decision-making processes; each criterion is necessary but neither, by itself, is sufficient. Therefore, proposers must fully address both criteria. (GPG Chapter II.C.2.d.i. contains additional information for use by proposers in development of the Project Description section of the proposal.) Reviewers are strongly encouraged to review the criteria, including GPG Chapter II.C.2.d.i., prior to the review of a proposal.
When evaluating NSF proposals, reviewers will be asked to consider what the proposers want to do, why they want to do it, how they plan to do it, how they will know if they succeed, and what benefits could accrue if the project is successful. These issues apply both to the technical aspects of the proposal and the way in which the project may make broader contributions. To that end, reviewers will be asked to evaluate all proposals against two criteria:
The following elements should be considered in the review for both criteria:
Broader impacts may be accomplished through the research itself, through the activities that are directly related to specific research projects, or through activities that are supported by, but are complementary to, the project. NSF values the advancement of scientific knowledge and activities that contribute to achievement of societally relevant outcomes. Such outcomes include, but are not limited to: full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); improved STEM education and educator development at any level; increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology; improved well-being of individuals in society; development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce; increased partnerships between academia, industry, and others; improved national security; increased economic competitiveness of the United States; and enhanced infrastructure for research and education.
Proposers are reminded that reviewers will also be asked to review the Data Management Plan and the Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan, as appropriate.
Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria
Transformative nature of the project: The potential to contribute to a paradigm-shifting integration of CDS&E into undergraduate STEM research, education and training. Development of model programs that enhance student learning and may be adapted easily by other sites. Impact on the training of faculty or K-12 teachers.
Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review.
Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either support or decline each proposal. The Program Officer assigned to manage the proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate a recommendation.
After scientific, technical and programmatic review and consideration of appropriate factors, the NSF Program Officer recommends to the cognizant Division Director whether the proposal should be declined or recommended for award. NSF is striving to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time interval begins on the deadline or target date, or receipt date, whichever is later. The interval ends when the Division Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation.
A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and submitted by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by the Program Officer. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.
In all cases, after programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals recommended for funding will be forwarded to the Division of Grants and Agreements for review of business, financial, and policy implications and the processing and issuance of a grant or other agreement. Proposers are cautioned that only a Grants and Agreements Officer may make commitments, obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of funds. No commitment on the part of NSF should be inferred from technical or budgetary discussions with a NSF Program Officer. A Principal Investigator or organization that makes financial or personnel commitments in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreement signed by the NSF Grants and Agreements Officer does so at their own risk.
Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization by a Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. Organizations whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by the cognizant NSF Program administering the program. Verbatim copies of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be provided automatically to the Principal Investigator. (See Section VI.B. for additional information on the review process.)
An NSF award consists of: (1) the award letter, which includes any special provisions applicable to the award and any numbered amendments thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by categories of expense, on which NSF has based its support (or otherwise communicates any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced in the award letter; (4) the applicable award conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (GC-1); * or Research Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreements also are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC) and the applicable Programmatic Terms and Conditions. NSF awards are electronically signed by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer and transmitted electronically to the organization via e-mail.
*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at http://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/award_conditions.jsp?org=NSF. Paper copies may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from nsfpubs@nsf.gov.
More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions and other important information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag.
For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants), the Principal Investigator must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period. (Some programs or awards require more frequent project reports). Within 90 days after expiration of a grant, the PI also is required to submit a final project report, and a project outcomes report for the general public.
Failure to provide the required annual or final project reports, or the project outcomes report will delay NSF review and processing of any future funding increments as well as any pending proposals for that PI. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in advance to assure availability of required data.
PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project-reporting system, available through FastLane, for preparation and submission of annual and final project reports. Such reports provide information on activities and findings, project participants (individual and organizational), publications, and other specific products and contributions. PIs will not be required to re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or in earlier updates using the electronic system. Submission of the report via FastLane constitutes certification by the PI that the contents of the report are accurate and complete. The project outcomes report must be prepared and submitted using Research.gov. This report serves as a brief summary, prepared specifically for the public, of the nature and outcomes of the project. This report will be posted on the NSF website exactly as it is submitted by the PI.
More comprehensive information on NSF Reporting Requirements and other important information on the administration of NSF awards is contained in the NSF Award & Administration Guide (AAG) Chapter II, available electronically on the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=aag.
In addition to the FastLane reporting requirements, awardees will be required to report data relevant to the proposed measurable outcomes of the project annually for the duration of the grant. In particular, the awardee must include the following items in annual reports:
1. Number of undergraduate students engaged in EXTREEMS-QED research.
2. List of new courses and new programs developed, with number of students enrolled in each.
3. Number of individuals impacted by professional development and outreach activities, broken down by home institution.
4. List of cyberinfrastructure resources (if appropriate) created or leveraged through the project activities.
Grantees whose awards are of duration three years or longer will be required to report results of the project efforts during a site visit and/or at a third-year PI meeting held to share information on effective practices. Fourth- and fifth- year funding is contingent upon demonstration of satisfactory progress towards meeting the project goals.
Please note that the program contact information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.
General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
Annalisa Calini, MPS/DMS, telephone: (703) 292-2189, email: acalini@nsf.gov
Nandini Kannan, MPS/DMS, telephone: (703) 292-8584, email: nkannan@nsf.gov
Jennifer Pearl, MPS/DMS, telephone: (703) 292-4492, email: jslimowi@nsf.gov
Mark Suchman, OD/OCI, telephone: (703) 292-8061, email: msuchman@nsf.gov
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:
Important submission information:
If you submit your proposal prior to January 14, 2013, you must prepare your proposal in accordance with the Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 13-1), which requires that the one-page Project Summary include 1) an overview; 2) a statement on intellectual merit of the proposed activity; and 3) a statement on the broader impacts of the proposed activity. (See GPG, Chapter II.C.2b)
If you prepare your proposal prior to January 14, 2013, with the intention of submitting it on or after January 14, 2013, the information that you included in the Project Summary in FastLane will be inserted into the overview text box of the Project Summary. Per PAPPG guidelines, you will need to include this information in the three text boxes (overview; statement on intellectual merit; statement on broader impacts) or FastLane will not accept your proposal. (See GPG, Chapter II.C.2b)
The NSF Website provides the most comprehensive source of information on NSF Directorates (including contact information), programs and funding opportunities. Use of this Website by potential proposers is strongly encouraged. In addition, National Science Foundation Update is a free e-mail subscription service designed to keep potential proposers and other interested parties apprised of new NSF funding opportunities and publications, important changes in proposal and award policies and procedures, and upcoming NSF Regional Grants Conferences. Subscribers are informed through e-mail when new publications are issued that match their identified interests. Users can subscribe to this service by clicking the "Get NSF Updates by Email" link on the NSF web site.
Grants.gov provides an additional electronic capability to search for Federal government-wide grant opportunities. NSF funding opportunities may be accessed via this new mechanism. Further information on Grants.gov may be obtained at http://www.grants.gov.
Related Programs:
Two NSF programs that are related to EXTREEMS-QED are
Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and
Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering (CDS&E).
The following resources are but a sample of the literature that provide information concerning evidence-based proven instructional practices in STEM fields:
"Engage to Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics," President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2012. http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast-engage-to-excel-final_feb.pdf.
"Discipline-Based Education Research: Understanding and Improving Learning in Undergraduate Science and Engineering," edited by Susan R. Singer, Natalie R. Nielsen, and Heidi A. Schweingruber, National Academies Press, 2012. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13362
"Five High Impact Practices: Research on Learning Outcomes, Completion, and Quality," by Jayne E. Brownell and Lynn E. Swaner, Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2010.
Reports published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science which emanate from the "Understanding Interventions that Broaden Participation in Research Careers" workshops, 2007-2009.
http://understanding-interventions.org/"New Challenges, New Strategies: Building Excellence in Undergraduate STEM Education", American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2009.
http://ccliconference.org/files/2010/02/2009.pdf
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The Act states the purpose of the NSF is "to promote the progress of science; [and] to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering."
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The information requested on proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. The information on proposal forms will be used in connection with the selection of qualified proposals; and project reports submitted by awardees will be used for program evaluation and reporting within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The information requested may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff assistants as part of the proposal review process; to proposer institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the proposal review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies or other entities needing information regarding applicants or nominees as part of a joint application review process, or in order to coordinate programs or policy; and to another Federal agency, court, or party in a court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party. Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, "Principal Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records," 69 Federal Register 26410 (May 12, 2004). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.
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Suzanne H. Plimpton
Reports Clearance Officer
Division of Administrative Services
National Science Foundation
Arlington, VA 22230
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