NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Directorate for Education and Human Resources Office of the Assistant Director

Title: FY 2003 Cooperative Activity with Department of Energy Programs for Education and Human Resource Development "Dear Colleague Letter"

Office of the
Assistant Director for
Education and Human Resources

Dear Colleague:

We are writing to you because you are the Principal Investigator (PI) of a National Science Foundation (NSF) award managed by one of the NSF programs serving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education that often has participation by faculty, undergraduate students and/or pre-service teachers:

Advanced Technological Education (ATE)
Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLT)
Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST)
Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships (CSEMS)
Gender Diversity in STEM Education (GDSE)
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP)
Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
Math and Science Partnership (MSP): Comprehensive and Targeted Projects
NSF Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (CETP)
Program for Persons With Disabilities (PPD)
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Preparation (STEMTP)
Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP)

We wish to make you aware of a cooperative effort between NSF and the Department of Energy (DoE) Office of Science. To support the continued leadership of the United States in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology and the continued development of a competitive, diverse STEM workforce, NSF and DoE are implementing collaboration between the agencies' programs for the development of human resources in STEM. As an immediate result of this effort, during FY 2003 NSF will support students and faculty from eligible NSF projects who are accepted as participants in one of four DoE initiatives that provide hands-on research opportunities in DoE national laboratories during the summer: Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI), Faculty-Student Teams (FaST), Community College Institutes (CCI), and Pre-Service Teacher (PST) Internships. You are invited to encourage appropriate students and faculty to apply for these opportunities and, if DoE approves their applications, to then request supplemental funding from NSF to support their participation. (Please note: specific instructions for applying to DoE and for requesting supplemental funding from NSF are in the attachment.)

A description of the opportunities is attached. SULI and CCI are designed for college students who could benefit from working in an advanced scientific research environment, FaST includes faculty and students teams in that opportunity, and PST internships target students who are preparing to become teachers of science, mathematics, and technology at elementary and secondary schools.

In FY 2003, undergraduate students (two-year and four-year schools) may apply to DoE to participate in SULI or PST internships. Students enrolled in community colleges may participate in CCI or SULI, and if they are pre-service teachers, PST. Faculty and student teams may participate in FaST. The amounts targeted for the NSF supplements for this cooperative program are $4,500 for each student (allocated as ten weekly stipends of $400, and up to $500 for travel), and up to 2/9 academic year salary (up to $12,000) for faculty. NSF/EHR will support up to 91 students and 13 faculty. Up to $1,000 in additional participant support may be requested as reasonable accommodation for unusual/extraordinary travel expenses incurred by persons with disabilities. This additional request must be included and justified in the submitted budget. DoE indicates that it provides reasonable accommodation at its research facilities.

Applications are due at DoE no later than February 28, 2003 (12 midnight PST). If DoE accepts the applicants, you may forward a formal request for supplemental funding to NSF. This supplement request should be submitted as soon as possible but before 5 pm (local time), March 30, 2003.

We hope that you will give serious consideration to encouraging appropriate students and faculty to apply for the DoE initiatives and subsequently applying to NSF for a supplement to support the participants. As always, we cannot guarantee that a supplement request will be granted, but we will strive to fund as many as possible.

Sincerely,

Judith A. Ramaley
Assistant Director
Education and Human Resources

Attachment: Opportunities for NSF/EHR Grantee Participation in Programs of the Department of Energy Office of Science

Opportunities for NSF/EHR Grantee Participation in Programs
of the Department of Energy Office of Science

Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) target undergraduate students who have not had an opportunity to work in an advanced scientific research environment, especially students belonging to groups underrepresented in fields of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. The program incorporates both an individually mentored research component and a set of enrichment activities, which include lectures, classroom activities, career guidance and planning, and field trips. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/erulf/about.html.

Grantees of NSF/EHR STEM programs supporting students are eligible to request supplements to support the participation of undergraduate students in the ERULF program. NSF will provide stipend and travel support of $4,500 per student.

Faculty-Student Teams (FaST) provides opportunities for college professors and students to participate in a 10-week highly interactive and stimulating immersion experience in a research environment in a DoE laboratory. This program encourages a sustainable professional relationship between the faculty and laboratory investigators. Workshops and training minimize the "culture shock" of working in a national laboratory setting. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/ and click on "Faculty and Student Teams Program."

Grantees of NSF/EHR STEM programs supporting undergraduate students are eligible to request supplements to support the participation of faculty-student teams in the FaST initiative. NSF will provide up to 2/9 academic year salary (up to $12,000) per faculty member for up to thirteen college faculty members (nationwide). Each faculty member who is selected to participate will select up to three undergraduate students to join the research team; NSF will provide stipend and travel support of $4,500 per student.

Community College Institutes (CCI) places students from community colleges in paid internships in Science and Engineering and Technology. Because of the comprehensive nature of this program many of the participants have felt it has had an enormous influence on their careers. Students work with scientists or engineers on projects related to the laboratories' research programs. They also attend career planning and numerous training/informational sessions. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/CCI/about.html.

Grantees of NSF/EHR STEM programs supporting community/two-year college students are eligible to request supplements to support the participation of undergraduate students in the CCI program. NSF will provide stipend and travel support of $4,500 per student.

Pre-Service Teacher (PST) Internships target students who are preparing to become teachers of science, mathematics, and technology at elementary and secondary schools. In addition to the research component found in the ERULF program, the students are guided by a resident Master Teacher to learn how to transfer their newfound scientific research expertise to the classroom. This culminates in each student writing an educational module based on his or her research, which incorporates science standards and benchmarks. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/PST/about.htm.

Grantees of NSF/EHR STEM programs supporting students in pre-service STEM teacher education are eligible to request supplements to support the participation students in the PST Internships program. NSF will provide stipend and travel support of $4,500 per student.

For participants in all four initiatives, DoE will provide support for housing, laboratory safety training, local travel, and other program costs.

During FY 2003, eligible NSF grantees may encourage students and faculty members to apply to participate in any of the four initiatives (SULI, FaST, CCI, or PST Internships). Once a NSF applicant has accepted an offer from a DoE lab, e-mail will be sent to notify the PI. The NSF grantee can request supplemental funding from NSF.

Applying to DoE

Applications are due at DoE no later than February 28, 2003 (12 midnight PST).

SULI: NSF Principal Investigators (PIs) are asked to identify students who have the potential to benefit significantly from the research participation offered by the SULI program. These students should complete the SULI application on the DoE Office of Science Web site at http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/erulf/about.html. This form has a check box where students should indicate that they are affiliated with one of the eligible NSF programs (including the grant award number, the PI's name, and the PI's e-mail address). Once a NSF applicant has accepted an offer from a DoE lab, e-mail will be sent to notify the PI. The NSF grantee can then request supplemental funding from NSF.

FaST: NSF Principal Investigators (PIs) are asked to identify faculty members associated with one of the eligible NSF/EHR grant programs to apply to the FaST Program. Faculty from colleges and universities with limited prior research capabilities and those institutions serving populations underrepresented in the fields of science, engineering and technology are encouraged to take advantage of the FaST opportunity to prepare students for careers in science, engineering, computer science, and technology and for their own professional development.

Along with information about the program, the web site http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/ includes a downloadable application for the faculty and student team members and laboratory project descriptions. Faculty should review the DoE FaST project descriptions and identify opportunities for which they are qualified, interested, and willing to make a commitment. Faculty applicants may contact laboratory Science Education directors for additional information on the project prior to submitting the application.

Download and submit an application to DoE, Office of Science, FaST program manager, Sue Ellen Walbridge at sue-ellen.walbridge@science.doe.gov. Faculty members should select the project of interest to them and complete the application. Once a FaST team has been selected by a lab and has accepted the offer, the NSF PI will be notified by e-mail. The PI may then request a NSF supplement.

Once a NSF applicant has accepted an offer from a DoE lab, e-mail will be sent to notify the PI. The NSF grantee can then request supplemental funding from NSF.

CCI: NSF Principal Investigators (PIs) are asked to identify two-year college students who have the potential to benefit significantly from the research participation offered by the CCI program. These students should complete the CCI application on the DoE Office of Science Web site at http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/CCI/about.html. This form has a check box where students should indicate that they are affiliated with one of the eligible NSF programs (including the grant award number, the PI's name, and the PI's e-mail address). Once a NSF applicant has accepted an offer from a DoE lab, e-mail will be sent to notify the PI. The NSF grantee can then request supplemental funding from NSF.

PST Internships: Grantees of NSF/EHR STEM programs supporting students in pre-service STEM teacher education are asked to identify students who have the potential to benefit significantly from the research participation offered by the PST Internships program. These students should complete the PST Internships application on the DoE Office of Science Web site at http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/PST/about.html.

Once a NSF applicant has accepted an offer from a DoE lab, e-mail will be sent to notify the PI. The NSF grantee can then request supplemental funding from NSF.

Requesting Supplemental Funding From NSF

After DoE notifies the NSF PI that the application has been approved, the PI may submit a request for supplemental funding to NSF. This request should conform to the procedure outlined in NSF's Grant Policy Manual, Section 264 (see http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/cpo/gpm95/ch2.htm#ch2-19).

NSF's FastLane system should be used to prepare and submit these requests for supplemental funding (https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/fastlane.jsp). The requests should be submitted as soon as notification of application acceptance by DoE is received, but must be submitted no later than March 30, 2003, 5 PM (local time).

To request the supplement, the PI should use the FastLane Proposals, Awards & Status function. The Supplemental Funding Request may be accessed via the Award and Reporting Functions. In the Supplemental Funding Request, the PI should complete:

Justification For Supplement: a brief (one-page) statement justifying participation in the relevant DoE initiative (e.g., alignment of the planned research with the overall program goals);

Supplementary Docs: a copy of the notification from DoE that the students or faculty have been accepted.

Budgets (Including Justification): a budget for travel and stipend. On the budget form, stipends and travel support should be entered on Line F (Participant Support). Indirect costs are not allowed on participant support costs, and there is no administrative allowance in lieu of indirect costs. The amounts targeted for the NSF supplements for this cooperative program are $4,500 for each student (allocated as ten weekly stipends of $400, and up to $500 for travel), and up to 2/9 academic year salary (up to $12,000) for faculty. NSF/EHR will support up to 91 students and 13 faculty. Up to $1,000 in additional participant support may be requested as reasonable accommodation for unusual/extraordinary travel expenses incurred by persons with disabilities. This additional request must be included and justified in the submitted budget. DoE indicates that it provides reasonable accommodation at its research facilities.

FastLane Contact(s): FastLane Help Desk, telephone: (703) 292-8040, e-mail: fastlane@nsf.gov.

The PI must also send notification to NSF/EHR DOE-EHR@nsf.gov that the FastLane request has been submitted. The notification should include the PI's name, the grant to be supplemented by the seven-digit number, and the cognizant NSF Program Officer for the award.

The Division of Human Resource Development will contact the cognizant NSF program officer for the grant identified to process the supplement request and will act to resolve any administrative issues with DoE.

Also, the PI must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program Officer at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period, including information on supplement-based project participants (individual and organizational), activities and findings, publications, and other specific products and contributions.

Grantees are reminded that they may expend funds for allowable costs up to 90 days prior to the official notification of an award, in accordance with the Grant Policy Manual, Section 602.2, (see http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/cpo/gpm95/ch6.htm#ch6-8).

Additional Information

Requests for additional information or clarifications may be e-mailed to DOE-EHR@nsf.gov.

Notices From the National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. Grantees are wholly responsible for conducting their project activities and preparing the results for publication. Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for such findings or their interpretation. NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and NSF policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from NSF (unless otherwise specified in the eligibility requirements for a particular program). Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED) provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the program announcement or contact the program coordinator at (703) 292-6865. The National Science Foundation has Telephonic Device for the Deaf (TDD) and Federal Relay Service (FRS) capabilities that enable individuals with hearing impairments to communicate with the Foundation regarding NSF programs, employment, or general information. TDD may be accessed at (703) 292-5090 or through FRS on 1-800-877-8339.

Privacy Act and Public Burden Statements

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; 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 review process; to applicant 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 needing information as part of the review process or in order to coordinate programs; 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,” 63 Federal Register 267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, “Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated Records,” 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). Submission of the information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate and any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer; Division of Administrative Services; National Science Foundation; Arlington, VA 22230. The National Science Foundation is committed to making all of the information we publish easy to understand. If you have a suggestion about how to improve the clarity of this document or other NSF-published materials, please contact us at plainlanguage@nsf.gov.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No. 47.076 - Education and
Human Resources
OMB No. 3145-0058
NSF 03-540 (replaces NSF 01-68)