Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12)
Because this program is managed by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, this COV will not be required to review jackets for the program. However, GEO considers GK-12 to be an integral part of its education and diversity activities, and it is included for the Comittee's information.
A copy of the draft COV report and NSF response is available here (MSWord document), as well as the raw data tables (MSExcel document).
PROGRAM GOAL STATEMENT
This program supports fellowships and associated training that enable graduate students and advanced undergraduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to serve in K-12 schools as resources knowledgeable about both the content and applications of these disciplines. Academic institutions apply for awards to support fellowship activities. Institutions are responsible for: 1) selecting Fellows; 2) partnering with school districts for placement of Fellows in schools; 3) providing appropriate training for Fellows, and 4) designing and implementing an effective mechanism for documenting the outcomes of the project. The Fellows serve as resources for teachers in science and mathematics instruction. Expected outcomes include improved communication and teaching skills for the Fellows, enriched learning by K-12 students, professional development opportunities for GK-12 Teachers, and strong partnerships between institutions of higher education and local school districts.
The Foundation offers two tracks within the GK-12 program: Track 1 (Initial Track) for Principal Investigators in departments that have not previously been awarded a GK-12 project and Track 2 (Follow-on Track) for Principal Investigators in departments or institutions who currently or in the past have been awarded a GK-12 project and are now poised to sustain GK-12 activities as a permanent feature of their STEM graduate education programs and to disseminate models for the nation. Awards within each track are each one-time awards with no potential for renewals within that track. Approximately $20 million is expected to be available to support approximately 20 Track 1 awards and 10 Track 2 awards. Track 1 awards are expected to be in the range of $300,000 to $600,000 per year for up to three years. Track 2 awards are expected to be for a total of up to 5 years with decreasing amounts each year as the institutional support increases; the amount in any one year not to exceed $500,000 and a total for the award not to exceed $2 million.
Although there may be exceptions, based on the potential impact and quality of the proposal, it is anticipated that no more than one Track 2 award will be made to an institution. Track 1 is designed to provide an opportunity for institutions to develop an effective GK-12 model. Track 2 is designed for institutions to build on the initial GK-12 experiences, expand and improve these initial efforts, and establish the approaches developed through their GK-12 program as an integral part of their graduate program.
PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENTS
PROGRAM RELEVANT LINKS
RELEVANCE TO NATIONAL AND AGENCY MISSION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program recognizes that graduates of higher education programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can contribute to the national effort to address the challenging issues in K-12 education across a broad spectrum of schools and educational levels. In particular, STEM graduate students can partner with K-12 teachers to work towards improving the content of science and mathematics taught in their classes. While the focus of this initiative is on graduate students serving as resources for K-12 education, advanced undergraduate STEM majors may be included as appropriate to further the goals of individual projects. NSF anticipates that the GK-12 experience will benefit both the graduate and undergraduate Fellows in their chosen STEM professions as well as provide a basis for them to contribute toward the improvement of the nation's educational enterprise.
The purpose of GK-12 is to enable institutions to experiment with and then make a permanent part of their institutional graduate opportunities a program that features:
strong and enduring partnerships with schools and school systems;
opportunities for STEM graduate students and upper division undergraduates to learn new teaching methods within their discipline and to improve their communication skills;
opportunities for K-12 teachers to serve as mentors to STEM graduates and upper division undergraduates and, in the process, become more knowledgeable about STEM content and concepts and more confident in their skills within STEM; and
opportunities for K-12 students to increase their STEM content knowledge and skills, and to work with STEM professional role models with whom they can relate.
IS THIS AN NSF-WIDE ACTIVITY?
Yes. As an agency-wide activity the GK-12 program supports projects from the full spectrum of National Science Foundation (NSF) disciplines including the social, behavioral and economic sciences, mathematical and physical sciences, biological sciences, engineering, computer and information science, and the geosciences. Awards are for initial projects of up to three years (Track 1, Initial Track) with the potential to apply for a follow-on project of up to five years (Track 2, Follow-on Track).
IS IT A CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITY?
No.
MERIT REVIEW (PANEL)
The GK-12 program is primarily funded and managed by the Division of Graduate Education (DGE), but each Directorate is asked to provide program officers to coordinate with DGE. The program receives about 100 proposals each year. DGE divides the proposals by discipline, and then reviews them by holding 10 panels simultaneously. One geoscience panel reviews the 15 to 20 geoscience related proposals received. GEO contributes approximately $250K each year to the GK-12 program. GEO program officers run the geoscience GK-12 panel and write up program recommendations for all awards by that panel. All declines are handled by the DGE staff. DGE also organizes all program management efforts, such as PI meetings, evaluation, etc. although disciplinary program officers are invited to events and informed of various results.
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| Male: | White: |
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| Female: | Unknown: |
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| American Indian or Alaskan: | Handicapped: |
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| Black or African American: | |
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| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: | New Reviewers: |
OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES EXAMPLES
Grant
Number:
Nugget: Yes/No | High Risk: Yes/ No | Multi-disciplinary: Yes/No | Innovative: Yes/No
None submitted by program
SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS AND ADVANCES
Grant
Number:
Nugget: Yes/No | High Risk: Yes/ No | Multi-disciplinary: Yes/No | Innovative: Yes/No
None submitted by program
RESULTS RELEVANT TO THE FIELD, TO NATIONAL PRIORITIES, THE NSF'S MISSION AND TO ITS OUTCOME GOALS (PEOPLE, IDEAS, TOOLS)
Grant
Number:
Nugget: Yes/No | High Risk: Yes/ No | Multi-disciplinary: Yes/No | Innovative: Yes/No
None submitted by program
PROGRAM STATISTICS
Number of Proposal Actions
Information is not available from EIS on GK-12.
Award Size and Duration
Information is not available from EIS on GK-12.
Dwell Time
Information is not available from EIS on GK-12.
Funding Rate
Information is not available from EIS on GK-12.
Diversity
Information is not available from EIS on GK-12.
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