This document has been archived.
Title: Geoscience Teacher Training (GEO-Teach)
Date: 12/23/05
Geoscience Teacher Training (GEO-Teach)
Program Solicitation
NSF 06-526
[NSF Logo] National Science Foundation
Directorate for Geosciences
Division of Atmospheric Sciences
Division of Earth Sciences
Division of Ocean Sciences
Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required):
February 15, 2006
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):
April 17, 2006
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
General Information
Program Title:
Geoscience Teacher Training (GEO-Teach)
Synopsis of Program:
Through its Geoscience Teacher Training (GEO-Teach) program, the
Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) at the National Science
Foundation (NSF) will support projects designed to improve the
quality of geoscience instruction, primarily at middle and high
school levels. GEO-Teach projects will provide teachers with easy
access to high-quality curricular materials as well as the
current state of knowledge, and will implement pre-service
teacher training and in-service professional development programs
designed to enhance middle and high school students'
understanding of and appreciation for the importance of the
geosciences.
GEO-Teach projects should emphasize the importance of an Earth
system science approach in geoscience education and should
promote the integration of content drawn from atmospheric
science, Earth science, and ocean science disciplines. The
relevance of the geosciences to modern society should be made
clear by GEO-Teach products and activities.
The GEO-Teach program is expected to have a transformative effect
on geoscience education. GEO-Teach projects should take a
leadership role in the geoscience education community by
providing services and support to that community. GEO-Teach
projects should contribute to development of a common sense of
purpose regarding geoscience education among scientists and
educators drawn from across the geoscience disciplines.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
* Jill Leslie Karsten, Program Director for Diversity and Education,
Directorate for Geosciences, 705 N, telephone: (703) 292-8500, fax:
(703) 292-9042, email: jkarsten@nsf.gov
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
* 47.050 --- Geosciences
Eligibility Information
* Organization Limit: There is no limit on organizations that may be the
lead organization in a proposal. The participation of multiple
organizations is encouraged and should be accommodated through the use
of subawards, subcontracts, or mini-grant programs administered by the
lead organization.
Each project will be funded by a single award instrument.
* PI Eligibility Limit: Project management teams, consisting of the lead
principal investigator, the co-principal investigators, and any other
senior personnel, must include representatives of the geoscience
research community and the geoscience education community (including
secondary school teachers).
* Limit on Number of Proposals: An organization or principal
investigator may serve as the lead organization or lead investigator
respectively on only one proposal submitted in response to this
solicitation.
Award Information
* Anticipated Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement
* Estimated Number of Awards: 1 to 3 - It is anticipated that at least
one and no more than three awards will be made as a result of this
solicitation. The anticipated duration of the award(s) is five years.
* Anticipated Funding Amount: $15,000,000 (over a five year period) - It
is anticipated that $3.0 million per year will be available to support
projects funded through this solicitation, pending availability of
funds.
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
* Letters of Intent: Submission of Letters of Intent is required. Please
see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
* Full proposals submitted via FastLane:
* Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) Guidelines apply
* Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov:
* NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and
Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines apply
(Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the
Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at:
http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf) To
obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms
Package: click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov website, then
click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package
and Application Instructions link and enter the funding
opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the
NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button.
B. Budgetary Information
* Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required by NSF.
* Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not Applicable.
* Other Budgetary Limitations: Not Applicable.
C. Due Dates
* Letters of Intent (required):
February 15, 2006
* Full Proposal Deadline Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):
April 17, 2006
Proposal Review Information
* 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: Standard NSF award conditions apply.
* Reporting Requirements: Additional reporting requirements apply.
Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary of Program Requirements
I. Introduction
II. Program Description
III. Eligibility Information
IV. Award Information
V. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
B. Budgetary Information
C. Due Dates
D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements
VI. Proposal Review Information
A. NSF Proposal Review Process
B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard
VII. Award Administration Information
A. Notification of the Award
B. Award Conditions
C. Reporting Requirements
VIII.Contacts for Additional Information
IX. Other Programs of Interest
I. INTRODUCTION
The Geoscience Teacher Training (GEO-Teach) program was developed to
improve the quality of geoscience instruction, primarily at middle and high
school levels. The goal of the program is to ensure that geoscience content
is taught broadly and effectively by a highly qualified teacher workforce.
GEO-Teach awardees will be expected to assume a leadership role in the
geoscience education community by facilitating widespread collaborative
efforts to implement high quality educational practices.
GEO-Teach projects should be designed to:
* provide teachers with easy access to high-quality curricular
materials, and
* broadly implement high quality pre-service teacher training programs
and in-service professional development opportunities.
In this solicitation the term geoscience refers to the scientific
disciplines for which basic research funding is available from the
Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) at the National Science Foundation (NSF).
These disciplines fall into the broad categories of atmospheric science,
Earth science, and ocean science. NSF-GEO supports the use of an Earth
system science approach to the teaching of geoscience content. This
approach requires integration of content from all geoscience disciplines
and emphasis on the processes that control behavior of the Earth system.
II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
CONTEXT FOR THE PROGRAM
GEO-Teach activities will focus on the training and professional
development of middle and high school teachers. This approach to improving
the quality of education was recommended by the National Commission on
Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century, which was
established and chaired by John Glenn in 1999. According to Before
It’s Too Late, the commission’s report to the nation (available
on the web at:
http://www.ed.gov/inits/Math/glenn/toolate-execsum.html#full):
“the most powerful instrument for change, and therefore the
place to begin, lies at the very core of education—with
teaching itself...We are of one mind in our belief that the way
to interest children in mathematics and science is through
teachers who are not only enthusiastic about their subjects, but
who are also steeped in their disciplines and who have the
professional training—as teachers—to teach those
subjects well. Nor is this teacher training simply a matter of
preparation; it depends just as much—or even more—on
sustained, high-quality professional development.”
(Foreward, pg. 5)
More recently, in July 2005, the Education Commission of the States echoed
the findings of the Glenn Commission in its report Keeping America
Competitive: Five Strategies to Improve Mathematics and Science Education
(available on the web at: http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/62/19/6219.pdf).
Of all of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
disciplines supported by NSF, the geosciences are most in need of an
increase in the number of highly qualified teachers. The report
Qualifications of the Public School Teacher Workforce: Prevalence of
Out-of-Field Teaching 1987-88 to 1999-2000 (available at:
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/quarterly/Vol_4/4_3/2_2.asp) indicates that
during the 1999-2000 school year approximately 79% of the high school
students (grades 9-12) in geology/Earth/space science classes were taught
by teachers lacking certification and a major in the field.
The issue of teachers teaching out of field is addressed by the
reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which is commonly
referred to as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) requires that by the end of the 2005-2006 school year all teachers
in core subject areas will be highly qualified. According to the U.S.
Department of Education (see: http://www.ed.gov), highly qualified middle
and high school teachers are those that:
1. have a bachelor's degree,
2. possess full state certification or license, and
3. can prove that they know each subject they teach.
Teachers (in middle and high school) must prove that they know the subject
they teach by:
1. possessing a college major in the subject they teach,
2. completing credits equivalent to a major in the subject,
3. passing a state-developed test,
4. obtaining an advanced certification from the state,
5. completing a graduate degree, or
6. for current teachers only, meet state-mandated requirements based on a
combination of teaching experience, professional development, and
knowledge in the subject garnered over time in the profession.
NCLB presents the geoscience community with a clear opportunity to increase
the effectiveness of the geoscience teacher workforce. To ensure that
geoscience content is widely taught at middle and high school levels, new
and existing geoscience teachers will need to have access to degree
programs and professional development opportunities that will result in
highly qualified status.
GENERAL PROGRAM INFORMATION
The goals of the GEO-Teach program are to ensure that geoscience content is
taught broadly and effectively at middle and high school levels by a highly
qualified teacher workforce and that methods and content are scalable to
the national level.
NSF anticipates that GEO-Teach projects will take a leadership role in the
geoscience education community by providing support and services to that
community in alignment with the program's goal. GEO-Teach projects should
be designed to facilitate widespread participation of broad segments of the
geoscience research and teaching community to maximize impact of the
program.
GEO-Teach awardees will identify and provide easy access to existing high
quality educational materials. The principal goal of GEO-Teach awardees
should not be to develop new curricular materials, but should be to add
value to existing materials by developing resources that will ensure that
the existing materials are used effectively.
GEO-Teach projects should be designed to result in widespread
implementation of pre-service teacher training and in-service professional
development programs that produce highly qualified and effective geoscience
teachers. GEO-Teach awardees will disseminate information about
best-practice models of teacher training and professional development to
the geoscience community at large and will assist the community in
extensively replicating successful programs.
GEO-Teach is not intended to develop high-end cyberinfrastructure but
rather should leverage other activities such as the resources of the
National Science Digital Library (NSDL), of which the Digitial Library for
Earth System Education (DLESE) is a component.
In all activities, GEO-Teach projects should emphasize the importance of an
Earth system science approach in geoscience education.
III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
The categories of proposers identified in the Grant Proposal Guide are
eligible to participate in proposals under this program
announcement/solicitation.
The participation of multiple organizations is encouraged and should be
accommodated through the use of subawards, subcontracts, or mini-grant
programs administered by the lead institution.
Each project will be funded by a single award instrument.
Project management teams, consisting of the lead principal investigator,
the co-principal investigators, and any other senior personnel, must
include representatives of the geoscience research community and the
geoscience education community (including secondary school teachers).
An organization or principal investigator may serve as the lead
organization or lead investigator respectively on only one proposal
submitted in response to this solicitation.
IV. AWARD INFORMATION
Awards made through the GEO-Teach program will be cooperative agreements.
As a condition of award, successful proposers will be required to develop,
in consultation with NSF, a list of agreed-upon deliverables and a schedule
for realizing those deliverables. This requirement is aimed at achieving a
solid mutual understanding of the expected outcomes of the GEO-Teach
activity and a timeline for their completion. If an awardee fails to make
satisfactory progress toward the goals of their project, funding for their
award will be reduced and the award will be phased out.
It is anticipated that at least one and no more than three awards will be
made as a result of this solicitation.
It is anticipated that a total of $3.0 million per year will be available
to support projects funded through this solicitation, pending availability
of funds. The anticipated duration of an award is five years.
GEO-Teach projects will undergo a mandatory critical review and site visit
during their second and fourth years. Projects that are deemed successful
following the fourth-year critical review and site visit will be eligible
to submit a renewal proposal pending availability of funds.
V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Letters of Intent (required):
Letters of intent must be submitted electronically via FastLane. Letters of
intent are expected to be brief and should not be developed as preliminary
proposals. The information provided to NSF in the letters of intent will be
used for planning purposes only. Full proposals may deviate from the
information provided in the letters of intent.
Letters of intent should include the information listed below.
* Information about the proposers.
* Name and affiliation of the lead principal investigator.
* Names and affiliations of each of the co-principal investigators.
* Names and affiliations of individuals that will be named in the
proposal as other senior personnel.
* Names of organizations that will partner to conduct the project.
* Information about the proposed project.
* A maximum of three-pages of description of the major components
of the project.
* A list of the project's goals and the measurable outcomes that
will be used to determine the project's level of success in
attaining its goals.
* Information about management of the proposed project.
* A description of the management structure that will be used to
conduct, oversee, and guide the project.
Full Proposal Instructions:
Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program
Solicitation via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.
* Full proposals submitted via FastLane:
Proposals submitted in response to this program
announcement/solicitation should be prepared and submitted in
accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant
Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the GPG is available
electronically on the NSF Website at:
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg. Paper
copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications
Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from
pubs@nsf.gov. Proposers are reminded to identify this program
announcement/solicitation number in the program
announcement/solicitation block on the NSF Cover Sheet For
Proposal to the National Science Foundation. Compliance with this
requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal
processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may
delay processing.
* Full proposals submitted via Grants.gov:
Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation via
Grants.gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with
the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation
and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov. The complete
text of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the
Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at:
(http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf). To
obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms
Package, click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov site, then
click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package
and Application Instructions link and enter the funding
opportunity number, (the program solicitation number without the
NSF prefix) and press the Download Package button. Paper copies
of the Grants.gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the
NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by
e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and
submission of the proposal, please note the following:
A. Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals must be submitted
via the NSF FastLane system. This includes collaborative proposals
submitted:
* by one organization (and which include one or more
subawards); or
* as separate submissions from multiple organizations.
Proposers are advised that collaborative proposals submitted in
response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov will be
requested to be withdrawn and proposers will need to resubmit
these proposals via FastLane. (Chapter II, Section D.3 of the
Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on
collaborative proposals.)
B. All Other Types of Proposals That Contain Subawards. All other types
of proposals that contain one or more subawards also must be submitted
via the NSF FastLane system.
Project Description Requirements
The Project Description section of the proposal may not exceed 25
single-spaced pages in length.
The Project Description should include approximately three pages of
information about the results of prior research and/or educational
activities conducted by the principal investigator and co-principal
investigators and show how they are related to the GEO-Teach program.
The main body of the Project Description section should include no more
than 15 pages of information that will clearly communicate to reviewers and
panelists the major elements of the proposed project. The main body should
also include statements of the vision, goals, and intended outcomes of the
project. This section should include information, including references to
the primary literature, that will demonstrate to reviewers and panelists
that the proposers are prepared to accomplish the following tasks.
* Identify a sufficient number of existing high quality geoscience
education materials.
* Promote widespread implementation of pre-service teacher training
programs that conform to best-practice models.
* Engage broad segments of the geoscience community in providing
effective professional development opportunities for teachers.
The Project Description should include approximately three pages of
information about the management plan for the proposed project. Each
proposal to the GEO-Teach program should include information that will
demonstrate to reviewers and panelists that the proposers are well prepared
to manage a GEO-Teach project. Details about the vision for conducting the
proposed project’s day-to-day business should be included in each
proposal. Mechanisms for obtaining external guidance and oversight should
also be discussed. Proposals to the GEO-Teach program will be evaluated on
the quality of the management plan as well as the quality of the overall
design of the project.
The Project Description section should include approximately two pages of
information about the plan for evaluating the project. This plan should
clearly identify the approaches and tools that will be used to determine
whether or not the project is making progress toward its goals. Project
evaluation should be conducted by an organization that is not otherwise
involved in the project. The project evaluator(s) should be engaged at the
beginning of the project to ensure that the project is designed in a way
that will allow its effectiveness to be determined.
The Project Description section should also contain a timeline for the
project that is clearly tied to the project's goals, the project's
management plan, and the proposed budget for the project. The timeline and
any narrative that accompanies it should be no more than two pages in
length. Reviewers should be able to determine from the timeline who will be
responsible for completion of tasks, when the tasks will be completed, and
how much will be spent to complete the tasks.
Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation
number (06-526) in the program announcement/solicitation block on the
proposal Cover Sheet. Compliance with this requirement is critical to
determining the relevant proposal processing guidelines. Failure to submit
this information may delay processing.
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing:
Cost sharing is not required by NSF in proposals submitted under this
Program Solicitation.
Budget Preparation Instructions:
The budget narrative should be clearly tied to the work plan.
The budget narrative should justify any request for tuition. If there is a
budget request for instructional salary support and indirect costs are
claimed, tuition costs are not allowed.
A direct stipend of up to $100 per day (prorated for partial days) is
allowed for teachers that participate in project activities occurring
outside of paid school time. This support should be included in the budget
as part of the participant support costs line item. Teachers and others who
take on responsible roles during the project should be paid salaries.
Salaries should not be included in the budget as participant support costs.
The total stipend for a teacher or another person may exceed $100 if NSF
support is supplemented by support from other sources.
Stipends and honoraria for conference or symposia attendance are not
allowed.
The use of NSF funds to hire substitute teachers is allowed under the
following conditions: (1) it is necessary to meet the goals and objectives
of the project, and (2) it can be documented that the substitute teachers
are directly replacing teachers involved in the NSF-funded project.
Substitute teachers should be paid in accordance with established
school-district policies. Payments for substitute teachers hired to replace
teachers that are participating in the project are allowed in lieu of
payments to the participating teachers. Payments for substitute teachers
are allowed in addition to salary support for teachers that take on
responsible roles in the project. Records must be maintained on the hiring
and use of substitute teachers.
C. Due Dates
Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s):
Letters of Intent (required):
February 15, 2006
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter's local time):
April 17, 2006
D. FastLane/Grants.gov Requirements
* For Proposals Submitted Via FastLane:
Detailed technical instructions for proposal 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 solicitation.
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. Proposers
are no longer required to provide a paper copy of the signed
Proposal Cover Sheet to NSF. Further instructions regarding this
process are available on the FastLane Website at:
http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/
* For Proposals Submitted Via Grants.gov:
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. The
Grants.gov’s Grant Community User Guide is a comprehensive
reference document that provides technical information about
Grants.gov. Proposers can download the User Guide as a Microsoft
Word document or as a PDF document. The Grants.gov User Guide is
available at: http://www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport. 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.
VI. PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
A. NSF Proposal Review Process
Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from peers with
expertise in the substantive area of the proposed research or education
project. These reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the
oversight of the review process. NSF invites the proposer to suggest, at
the time of submission, the names of appropriate or inappropriate
reviewers. Care is taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with
the proposer. Special efforts are made to recruit reviewers from
non-academic institutions, minority-serving institutions, or adjacent
disciplines to that principally addressed in the proposal.
The National Science Board approved revised criteria for evaluating
proposals at its meeting on March 28, 1997 (NSB 97-72). All NSF proposals
are evaluated through use of the two merit review criteria. In some
instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to
highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.
On July 8, 2002, the NSF Director issued Important Notice 127,
Implementation of new Grant Proposal Guide Requirements Related to the
Broader Impacts Criterion. This Important Notice reinforces the importance
of addressing both criteria in the preparation and review of all proposals
submitted to NSF. NSF continues to strengthen its internal processes to
ensure that both of the merit review criteria are addressed when making
funding decisions.
In an effort to increase compliance with these requirements, the January
2002 issuance of the GPG incorporated revised proposal preparation
guidelines relating to the development of the Project Summary and Project
Description. Chapter II of the GPG specifies that Principal Investigators
(PIs) must address both merit review criteria in separate statements within
the one-page Project Summary. This chapter also reiterates that broader
impacts resulting from the proposed project must be addressed in the
Project Description and described as an integral part of the narrative.
Effective October 1, 2002, NSF will return without review proposals that do
not separately address both merit review criteria within the Project
Summary. It is believed that these changes to NSF proposal preparation and
processing guidelines will more clearly articulate the importance of
broader impacts to NSF-funded projects.
The two National Science Board approved merit review criteria are listed
below (see the Grant Proposal Guide Chapter III.A for further information).
The criteria include considerations that help define them. These
considerations are suggestions and not all will apply to any given
proposal. While proposers must address both merit review criteria,
reviewers will be asked to address only those considerations that are
relevant to the proposal being considered and for which he/she is qualified
to make judgments.
What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and
understanding within its own field or across different fields? How
well qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the
project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of
the prior work.) To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and
explore creative and original concepts? How well conceived and
organized is the proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to
resources?
What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while
promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed
activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g.,
gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will
it enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as
facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the
results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and
technological understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed
activity to society?
NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following in making
funding decisions:
Integration of Research and Education
One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals 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 diversity of learning perspectives.
Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities
Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all
citizens -- women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons
with disabilities -- 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.
Additional Review Criteria:
Is the proposed project likely to promote widespread implementation of
effective practices in teacher training and professional development
in the geosciences? Does the project have the potential to transform
geoscience education?
Is the project design feasible? Are the times allotted for the
completion of various tasks reasonable? Will the project contribute to
the development of collaborative efforts to improve geoscience
education? Will the project take a leadership role in the geoscience
community?
Is the proposed project likely to engage leading geoscience
researchers?
Will the proposed project engage middle and high school teachers? Are
there teachers in leadership positions on the project team?
Is the project likely to result in widespread dissemination and
utilization of high quality educational materials? Are the guidelines
that will be used to identify high quality existing resources
reasonable?
Is the proposed management plan consistent with the project's goals?
Is the project cost-effective? Does the proposal include a plan for
sustaining the GEO-Teach effort after the funding by this program
ends?
Is there a plan to use evaluation to guide the project as it
progresses?
B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard
All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three other persons
outside NSF who are experts in the particular field represented by the
proposal. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement/solicitation
will be reviewed by Ad Hoc Review followed by Panel Review.
Principal investigators on projects that are recommended for funding
following the panel review phase will be requested to either host an NSF
site visit team or attend an NSF reverse site visit. The purpose of the
site or reverse site visit will be to ensure the the proposers and NSF
agree on the purpose and goals of the GEO-Teach project.
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.
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 Director. In addition, the proposer will receive an explanation of
the decision to award or decline funding.
NSF is striving to be able to tell proposers whether their proposals have
been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time
interval begins on the closing date of an announcement/solicitation, or the
date of proposal receipt, whichever is later. The interval ends when the
Division Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation.
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.
VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
A. Notification of the Award
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 Division 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.A. for
additional information on the review process.)
B. Award Conditions
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 (NSF-GC-1); * or Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP)
Terms and Conditions * and (5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that
may be incorporated by reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreement
awards are administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement
Financial and Administrative Terms and Conditions (CA-FATC). Electronic
mail notification is the preferred way to transmit NSF awards to
organizations that have electronic mail capabilities and have requested
such notification from the Division of Grants and Agreements.
Consistent with the requirements of OMB Circular A-16, Coordination of
Geographic Information and Related Spatial Data Activities, and the Federal
Geographic Data Committee, all NSF awards that result in relevant
geospatial data must be submitted to Geospatial One-Stop in accordance with
the guidelines provided at: www.geodata.gov.
More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions is contained in the
NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, available electronically on the
NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpm.
The GPM is also for sale through the Superintendent of Documents,
Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The telephone
number at GPO for subscription information is (202) 512-1800. The GPM may
be ordered through the GPO Website at http://www.gpo.gov/.
*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at
http://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/. Paper copies of these documents may be
obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827
or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
C. Reporting Requirements
For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants),
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.
Reports for GEO-Teach projects will include the list of agreed-upon
deliverables and the schedule for realizing those deliverables that were
developed at the start of the project. Reports will clearly describe the
progress that was made on the deliverables and the amount of funds that
were expended in making that progress during each reporting period.
Semi-annual or quarterly reports may be required by NSF for some GEO-Teach
projects.
The list of deliverables and/or the timeline for the project may be changed
during the course of the project if the proposed changes are agreed to by
both NSF and the awardee.
Within 90 days after the expiration of an award, the PI also is required to
submit a final project report. Failure to provide final technical reports
delays NSF review and processing of pending proposals for the PI and all
Co-PIs. 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. This system permits electronic submission and
updating of project reports, including information on project participants
(individual and organizational), activities and findings, 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.
VIII. CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
* Jill Leslie Karsten, Program Director for Diversity and Education,
Directorate for Geosciences, 705 N, telephone: (703) 292-8500, fax:
(703) 292-9042, email: jkarsten@nsf.gov
For questions relating to Grants.gov contact:
* Grants.gov Contact Center: If the Authorized Organizational
Representatives (AOR) has not received a confirmation message from
Grants.gov within 48 hours of submission of application, please
contact via telephone: 1-800-518-4726; e-mail: support@grants.gov.
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
* Brian E. Dawson, Information Technology Specialist, Directorate for
Geosciences, 705 N, telephone: (703) 292-4727, fax: (703) 292-9042,
email: bdawson@nsf.gov
IX. OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST
The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding for research and
education in science, mathematics, and engineering. The NSF Guide to
Programs is available electronically at
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp. General descriptions of NSF programs,
research areas, and eligibility information for proposal submission are
provided in each chapter.
Many NSF programs offer announcements or solicitations concerning specific
proposal requirements. To obtain additional information about these
requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program offices. Any changes in
NSF's fiscal year programs occurring after press time for the Guide to
Programs will be announced in the NSF E-Bulletin, which is updated daily on
the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin, and in individual
program announcements/solicitations. Subscribers can also sign up for NSF's
MyNSF News Service (http://www.nsf.gov/mynsf/) to be notified of new
funding opportunities that become available.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most
fields of science and engineering. Awardees 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, although some programs may have special requirements that limit
eligibility.
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 GPG Chapter II,
Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of
proposals.
The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific
progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and
cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences,
mathematics, and engineering.
To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download
copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit the
NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov
* Location: 4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
* For General Information (703) 292-5111
(NSF Information Center):
* TDD (for the hearing-impaired): (703) 292-5090
* To Order Publications or Forms:
Send an e-mail to: pubs@nsf.gov
or telephone: (703) 292-7827
* To Locate NSF Employees: (703) 292-5111
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
proposal 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.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to an information collection unless it displays a valid OMB control
number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058. 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 Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, Division of Administrative
Services, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230.
OMB control number: 3145-0058.
Policies and Important Links |Privacy|FOIA|Help|Contact NSF|Contact Web Master|SiteMap
[National Science Foundation]The National Science Foundation, 4201 Last Updated:
Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 06/09/05
22230, USA Text Only
Tel: (703) 292-5111, FIRS: (800) 877-8339 |
TDD: (800) 281-8749
[Image]